The number of mangrove seedlings washing up on Changi seems to be falling.
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| Low shore on 15 Feb |
I've been visiting Changi almost daily for the last few days. And noticed less and less mangrove seedlings and plant debris on the shore.
Even last week, there was already noticeably fewer mangrove seedlings. Most of the debris is no longer fresh and green. Unlike the situation
the week before.
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| Debris on 11 Feb. |
By Monday, the debris was decidedly crispy and brown on the high shore.
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| Debris on 14 Feb, on the high shore. |
And there was very little washing up on the low shore.
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| Debris on 14 Feb, on the low shore. |
Yesterday I came after the high tide line was cleaned up. And since then, very little has been laid down by the outgoing tide.
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| Debris on 15 Feb, on the high shore. |
Among the propagules that have washed up are some intriguing ones: the fat green ones, the rare
Tumu berau (
Bruguiera sexangula)?
And all kinds of odd seeds and fruits that I cannot recognise. Are the big brown ones with a ridge from the Endangered
Dungun (
Heritiera littoralis)?
I saw only a handful of large dead fishes over all the trips I made. Most of them appear to be 'escapees' from the fish farm or discards by fishermen.
But there was this one spectacularly large pufferfish!
There were very few other dead creatures. A squid which might be discarded by fishermen and only one scary fireworm. Dead animals on the shore is easy to find. The flies find them first and then the smell hits you.
On Sunday, the beach is very well used. With anglers lined up all along the shore, and families swimming in the sea.
I'm not sure what the lack of mangrove debris means. Hopefully, the freshwater flood has flushed out completely from the Johor Straits. Tomorrow and Friday, there will be public intertidal walks at Chek Jawa, so hopefully we can hear about whether there is
any flood impact on Chek Jawa.
More about the flood
