21 February 2019

Lush seagrass meadows at East Coast Park

The seagrass meadows on this artificial shore appear as lush as they were when I last saw them on May 2018.
Seagrass meadows at East Coast Park
And the sand bar continues to teem with Button snails, sand dollars and other small creatures!

On May 2018, I noticed it expanded greatly since Jul 2017. As before, the species were mostly Needle seagrass (with broad and narrow leaf blades) and Spoon seagrass with large leaf blades.
Seagrass meadows at East Coast Park, Feb 2019
There was also a small patch of Sickle seagrass.
Sickle seagrass (Thalassia hemprichi)
I didn't see much marine life in the seagrass meadows. While there were many Orange-striped hermit crabs, some Black-lipped conch. But I saw only one Thorny sea cucumberPink warty sea cucumberFan clam shell, Window pane shell, one Haddon's carpet anemone. The rest of the team saw a Fig snail and a Grey bonnet snail as well as other interesting creatures.
The sand bar seems similar to what I saw in  May 2018. I first noticed in July 2017 that the sand bar appears to have changed in shape, to become shorter and broader, compared to our last survey in Feb 2016.
East Coast Park shores
The sandbar is teeming with burrowing life. I saw many Ball moon snails, many Weasel olive snails, abundant living Button snails, and abundant small Cake sand dollars. Here's a video of Button snails, the predators that eat them, and what happens after they die.
Button snails (Umbonium vestiarium)
There are signs of severe erosion on the shore.
Erosion at East Coast Park
Marine trash seen include what seems to be a TV monitor, one grasscutter nylon string and many golf balls.
Let's hope this shore will continue to flourish until we can return.

Photos by others on this trip

Parizad Nasheer


Kelvin Yong


Say Chong


Lisa Lim


Camile Lee


Shawne Goh




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