Coastal works planned for reefs and living shores at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal?

Another artificial shore teeming with marine life may be impacted by coastal works. The seawalls at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is encrusted with living reefs full of corals and reef life. Seagrasses have settled naturally on the artificial sandy shores behind the seawalls.

An amazing coral reef has settled naturally
on the seawalls at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Jun 2013.

It appears that works are planned for this area. We no longer regularly survey these sites because the shores near Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal are now off limits and trespassers will be arrested, such as this incident in Nov 2013. We require a permit to do our surveys so these are done only once a year now.


Maritime and Port Authority, Port Marine Notice NO. 29 OF 2015 dated 17 Mar 2015

Soil investigation work off Changi East

Date: With effect from 19 Mar 2015 to 20 Apr 2015
Location: Off Changi East, within the working area at the following borehole points

Working Hours : 24 hours daily including Sundays and Public Holidays.

Details : Soil investigation work will be carried out by means of borehole drilling and Cone Penetration Testing using barge. The work barge, with tug boats in attendance, will have a circular safety working zone of 30 meters radius centred at the barge. Tugboats will be used for shifting the barges from one borehole location to another. The shifting of the barges will be carried out strictly during daylight hours only. A safety boat will be deployed in the vicinity of the working area to warn other craft of the project work. Further enquires relating to the project can be directed to Mr Park Eun Seok, Project Director at Tel: 9118-0025 (email: jurongpark@hantmail.net)

What marine life can be found at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal shores?

A coral reef has settled naturally on the seawalls at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The reef has a good variety of species and survived the massive 2010 oil spill. More about this reef and other reef life that have settled on artificial structures in Singapore.

A rich reef growing naturally at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Jun 2013

Seagrass meadows have settled naturally inside the Tanah Merah artificial lagoon including seagrass species so far found only at Chek Jawa and Cyrene Reef. Seagrass were also seen on artificial shores at East Coast Park. More about these seagrasses and other seagrasses that have settled on artificial shores in Singapore.

Lush seagrasses with Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
on the horizon. May 2013.

A view of the large seagrass patch in May 2014.

Otters have also been sighted at Tanah Merah's artificial shores.

Otters seen at Tanah Merah, Jun 2013.
Photo by Koh Kwan Siong on facebook.

Construction for regeneration?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if coastal construction can be done so as to allow natural regeneration? Here's more about my wacky ideas for a Singapore Great Barrier Reef.