Second B. hainesii at Pasir Ris!

A small team survey the small but lush natural mangroves next to the Sungei Loyang canal. 

This home to a large Bakau mata buaya that we have been visiting for nearly 20 years. Today, we saw a second smaller tree!

As on our last survey in Dec 2024, this patch of mangroves seems to be doing well. The mud is nice and soft and smelly. There are lots of little saplings everywhere.

The big trees are doing well. There seems to be less trash than usual.

This small mangrove is home to the beautiful Bakau mata buaya, listed as 'Critically Endangered' not just in Singapore but globally too! We regularly check up on a large Bakau mata buaya here, the last on the mainland (the one at Sungei Buloh is dead). I first saw this tree in 2009 and it has thrived ever since. Almost every time I see it, it is blooming profusely and producing propagules too. Similar to our last visit in 2024, today, it is still standing strong and with flowers on the tree and lots of fallen calyx on the ground. The embankment behind the tree continues to erode away, the base of the tree looks strong and healthy. There wasn't much litter accumulated near the tree. 

So much joy to find a second smaller tree here, about 6m tall. It doesn't have the fierce buttress roots like the taller one, but we can see the knee roots typical of the species. It also has flowers on the tree and lots of fallen calyx on the ground. We even found a fallen propagule nearby! 

There used to be a Pisang-pisang (Kandelia candel) in this mangrove - the only known naturally occurring one on the mainland. I first saw it in 2009 as well. But the last time I saw it was in 2011, and in 2015 the spot where it used to be was full of thrash. 

For the first time, I had a good look at this patch of mangroves. Starting from the mangrove edge next to Sungei Loyang (now a canal).

The mangrove trees here are tall and healthy. With a variety of the usual common species. Also Teruntum putih (Lumnitzera racemosa) listed as 'Endangered'; a very tall tree (about 6m) and many young shrubs.

The canal itself is not dead concrete. There are a lot of clams growing there which probably shelters a variety of animals. Will have to take a closer look another time.

Today, there is still some alarmingly huge trash deep inside the mangroves. Although the load of smaller litter is not as excessive.

This mangrove has always had signs of human impact. In 2023, I saw a long platform built among the trees.

And there were signs of people 'storing' their belongings among the trees.

In 2018, I saw several kayaks 'stored' among the trees. Today, aside from the washed up trash, I didn't see any such human impacts.

A stretch of sandy shores and lush seagrass meadows extend at the mouth of Sungei Loyang. Mostly Spoon seagrass with both small and large leaves, growing particularly thickly on the soft silty edges away from the shore. Today, the tide wasn't very low so we didn't focus on this area.

What is the fate of Pasir Ris shores?

There doesn't seem to be a change in 2013 plans to reclaim all of Pasir Ris, all of Changi from Carpark 1 to Carpark 7 and beyond, and reclaim Chek Jawa and Pulau Sekudu. These appear to remain in place in the Long-Term Plan Review. Including plans for a road link that starts at Pasir Ris, crosses to Pulau Ubin, right across Chek Jawa to Pulau Tekong, and back to the mainland at Changi East.

Additionally, the URA Master Plan indicates plans to develop the area affecting the naturally regenerated mangroves. 

The URA plan overlaid on Google Earth shows it covers the entirety of the mangroves we surveyed.

See Pasir Ris shores for yourself !

These shores are easy to get to, and enjoyed by many people. But it remains rich in a variety of marine life. More details in "Pasir Ris - Perfect intertidal getaway for the family" Today, we visited at 1m and it seems you can see some shores, and of course, all of the mangroves!

Photos by others on this survey

Rui Quan Oh