Is Beting Bemban Besar impacted by the Sudong reclamation?

As evening low tides start, we survey the north-western portion of Beting Bemban Besar, one of our largest submerged reefs. This area faces the ongoing 31ha Pulau Sudong reclamation.

At sunset, I saw some dugong feeding trails! There seagrasses were heavily covered in epiphytes. Corals seemed alright though they seem to be in better condition further away from Sudong. The rest of the team saw special corals, a Giant clam, sea stars, 'Nemos', other reef fishes and other interesting marine life. 

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds! Tammy found a large Fluted giant clam (33cm long) and we wonder if it's the same one that Kok Sheng saw here in 2010? There were more Mosaic crabs than we usual see, Kelvin saw one trying to eat a Common sea star (there were many of these at the landing point). We also saw many Noble volutes large and small. Other special finds include a Cushion star, clown anemone fish aka 'Nemos', as well as reef fishes like butterflyfish and razor fishes. Yan Le found a Ceratosoma nudibranch! But we didn't see the usual nudis commonly seen on our reefs (Phyllids, Cheesecake, Jorunna) - not sure why. 

I have not seen a lot of hard corals on this shore since I started surveying. Mostly small boulder shaped corals with a few larger colonies. I walked the eastern edge up to the north, nearest to the ongoing Sudong reclamation. I saw the usual variety of common corals, all seemed alright, I didn't see any that there bleaching.

The rest of the team saw a wide variety of corals: small to medium-sized colonies mostly good condition, including those we less commonly see.

Collage of photos by the team, mostly Lon and Yan Le.

The field of Branching montipora corals at the northern tip remains mostly dead. But  as I walked southward, I saw several small scattered clumps and closer to the landing point, I saw two larger fields with healthy happy corals. One was about 10m x 2m.

As usual, there were many medium-sized colonies of Leathery soft coral, with a few large colonies. Many of the colonies in the north seemed covered with sediments - the animals usually slough these off in a layer of mucus. Towards the south, the colonies remain fresh and clean as usual. I saw a few Giant carpet anemones, but no Asparagus flowery soft corals. There were some Sea mat zoanthids, and some corallimorphs. None were bleaching.

I saw a few possible dugong feeding trails near our landing point on the sandbar at southern portion of the reef flat. I also saw some on our last survey in this part of the Terumbu in Jul 2025. I didn't see any dugong feeding trails on the centre part of the Terumbu; the last time I saw these here was in Jul 2020. These trails are formed when dugongs chomp up seagrasses including their roots, leaving a shallow meandering furrow of about equal width and depth.

There remains sprinkles of seagrasses evenly covering most of the centre of the Terumbu. I first saw seagrasses in this part of the Terumbu in 2017. Today, the seagrasses were heavily covered in epiphytes and some kind brown scum covered most of the ground surface - possibly Cyanobacteria. The seagrasses were more fresh and green towards the reef edge. I saw some clumps of Tape seagrass, many of them had longish leaves (30cm). It seems the seagrasses here go through cycles of heavy epiphyte cover which clears up on subsequent surveys. On our last survey of the southern part of the shore a few months ago in Jul 2025, the seagrasses were fresh and green. In Jul 2020 the seagrasses in the centre of the Terumbu were heavily covered in epiphytes, but in Jun 2021 the seagrasses were clear of them. In May 2022, they were again heavily covered in epiphytes. Hopefully, the seagrasses will do well.

The annual Sargassum seaweed bloom is just starting up. The seaweed getting fluffy at the reef edge. It is not yet in 'full bloom' at which point they form thick carpets with long strands which can wrap around legs and make surveying the reef edge impossible to do safely. I'm tracking the bloom season as we feel that  in recent years, it is starting earlier and ending later.

I came across what looks like a recent boat strike - fresh sand on the bottom, coral rubble pushed up on the edges when the boat struck the reef flat.

Lon came across abandoned fish traps that have become habitat! Corals and sponges are growing on them.

At the ongoing Pulau Sudong reclamation, today we saw a large pile of sand and many more large equipment compared to our survey of Terumbu Bemban in Aug 2025. The rest of the team saw people putting in red stakes along the north western edge of the reef flat - not sure why as they didn't get a chance to talk to any of them. Photo by Marcus Ng of a hard-hatter worker walking the shore with the reclamation works on the horizon, and of the workers going back onto their boat (SR 3521A - listed as one of the working boats for the project). Photos by Marcus and Tammy of the red stakes next to some large coral colonies.

Latest details of the ongoing Sudong reclamation from Port Marine Notice No. 84 of 2025 "Soil Investigation Work at Sudong Island". With effect from 20 Jun 2025 to 06 Sep 2025. The scope of work covering the soil investigation works which includes offshore drilling at Pulau Sudong Island, sampling in each borehole, and/or marine Cone Penetration Tests (CPT). All shifting and movement of Jack-Up/Spud barge will be in daylight hours. Further enquiries relating to the project can be directed to Mr Yutaka Senda, Project Director at HP: 97227812 Email: yutaka.senda@santarli.com

Future of Beting Bemban Besar

Beting Bemban Besar lies close to the planned 31ha reclamation at Eastern tip of Pulau Sudong. Other shores near the impact zone include Terumbu Bemban and Terumbu Raya.

Large areas nearby are also slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review.

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

Pulau Semakau and nearby islands and submerged reefs have been recommended by the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 for Immediate Conservation Priority. The Blue Plan recommends the intertidal and subtidal marine areas of Pulau Semakau and adjacent Pulau Hantu, and Pulau Jong to be designated Marine Reserve.

The Blue Plan highlights that Pulau Semakau and its associated patch reefs comprise many ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove areas, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The subtidal area of Pulau Jong is larger than the terrestrial area. Pulau Hantu is a popular dive site has seen increasing interest in the past decade due to biodiversity awareness. If protection is accorded to these three islands, zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Photos by others on the survey

Adriane Lee


Lon Voon Ong


Marcus Ng



Tammy Lim


Kelvin Yong


Rachael Goh


Yan Le Su

Part 2


Others on this survey: Jonathan Tan, Muhd Nasry