Return to Buran bravely

Terumbu Buran is surrounded by strong currents. The last time we surveyed was in 2010, and I was so traumatised by landing and departure that I refused to ever go again. 

16 years later, Kok Sheng persuaded a few of us to return. I was still too scared to join them - the photo of them landing today still frightens me. But they saw corals hard and soft, a lot of corallimorphs and the usual marine life common on our rocky shores. Here's a compilation of their sightings.

Other intertidal surveys: Apr 2026

Thanks to team members for checking up on other shores in April. Richard Kuah checked out Coney Island and saw beautiful jellyfishes, many carpet anemones, some with small cardinal fishes swimming very close to them - using the anemones for protection? And many other interesting marine life. Rui Quan Oh and friends checked out Sentosa and saw healthy seagrasses, many small creatures including some pretty fish. Marcus Ng checked out Changi Point and shared beautiful photos of octopuses (so glad they are back), many kinds of sea stars and other echinoderms, colourful flatworms and more. See their full albums below.

Links to their albums below.

Rui Quan Oh and friends also checked out Pasir Ris mangroves and Pandan mangroves. So lovely to see snakes, insects, colourful and special crabs. As well as the Mangrove snake-eel and other fishes. Rui Quan also found four pipefishes under a rock! See his albums below.

Links to their albums below.

First look at Terumbu Menalung next to Sudong reclamation

Terumbu Menalung is a tiny submerged reef flat that lies very close to the ongoing reclamation at Pulau Sudong. Thanks to the team who surveyed this for the first time and shared all their observations.

Photo by Rachael Goh

They encounter a wide variety of corals and marine life, including the endangered Merten's carpet anemone. I was with another team that surveyed Terumbu Bemban at the same tide. What we saw in both locations suggests that there is good effort to minimise impact of the large reclamation works.

Other intertidal surveys in Feb 2026

Between the low spring tides, the intrepid Rui Quan Oh relentlessly checked out more shores! As usual, I learn a lot about crabs, and also the pretty insects and spiders of our mangroves. So glad to know cute fiddlers and awesome Blue-spotted mudskippers still abound on Pulau Ubin. 

Collage of photos by Rui Quan Oh

Rui Quan checked out Sentosa, Coney Island, Admiralty Park. And also Ubin together with Zen Xuan He. Thanks also to Dr Clarence Sim for inviting Rui Quan to help in his intertidal work at Pulau Semakau.

Pulau Sudong reclamation to relocate noisy RSAF training away from mainland?

An article by Alert 5, a military aviation news site, has insightful details behind the ongoing Pulau Sudong reclamation.

From Port Marine Notice No. 133 of 2025, dated 08 Oct 2025

The article suggests extending the existing Pulau Sudong runway to 3 km, will enable the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to conduct noisy F-35B landing training at the offshore location. Noise from F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing fighter aircraft has already prompted Japan to relocate training to remote sites. The first of Singapore's F-35s will arrive in Tengah airbase in 2029. The Sudong reclamation is scheduled for completion by 2028.

The Sudong extention will also allow other RSAF fixed-wing aircraft to conduct practice landings that are presently carried out at Tengah and Paya Lebar airbases, both surrounded by residential neighborhoods which have increasingly complained about jet noise. 

The current 2km runway at Pulau Sudong functions primarily as an emergency landing point for fighter aircraft. However, the limited runway length means that fighter aircraft landing there in an emergency may require the use of Mobile Aircraft Arrestor Systems installed on both ends of the runway to stop the aircraft in time. The extended 3km runway will provide emergency landing capability for fighters and larger aircraft types with a longer distance for aircraft to decelerate safely, negating the need to deploy the arrestor systems in most situations.

It also provides operational flexibility as the RSAF manages the transition associated with Paya Lebar’s eventual decommissioning after 2030 and Tengah’s expansion.

Other intertidal surveys in Jan 2026

Rui Quan Oh checked up on other shores during the month. From Sembawang, Pasir Ris to Changi. A canal at Pasir Panjang.  And separate trips to Sisters Islands and Marina East. Also to check up on the Sungei Pang Sua site which is along the route for MRT tunneling. Marcus Ng also checked up on Changi shores. 

Collage of photos by Rui Quan Oh and Marcus Ng

Thank you for keeping an eye on our shores!

MRT tunnels planned under Sg Pang Sua

1km long tunnels will be built underneath Sungei Kadut Avenue, Sungei Kadut Way and Woodlands Road, to a depth of up to 21m. The first new station will be along Sungei Kadut Avenue. Work will start second quarter of 2026 and passenger service for the new stations will start in 2035.

Sg Pang Sua mangroves along Sg Kadut Ave
during our survey in Dec 2025

LTA has conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment and will implement “all the necessary mitigation measures” outlined in the Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan, and will continue its engagement with various stakeholders, including nature groups, throughout the process.

Sungei Pang Sua mangroves and other neap tide meanders

A lush back mangrove is growing high upstream of Sungei Pang Sua!

A few volunteers check it out on a neap tide and found tall healthy Critically Endangered Berembang! As well as other common mangrove trees and plants. Rui Quan also checked out some mangroves during the neap tide period, his sightings are consolidated here.

First and last survey of Terumbu Palat

A small team survey a trio of tiny submerged reefs that are likely to be buried in the upcoming Pulau Sudong reclamation.

The team encounter corals and a variety of marine life, including the endangered Merten's carpet anemone. Here's a compilation of their photos, links to their albums at the end of this post.

Terumbu Selegie is still alive

A tiny team survey Terumbu Selegie, a tiny submerged reef that lies just off Sentosa, Pulau Tekukor and near the Sisters Islands and St. John's Island.

Photo by Loh Kok Sheng.

We seldom survey this shore as it is difficult to land due to large waves from the nearby Jong Fairway. We last visited in Jan 2017 and Jun 2011. The team estimates about 5% of corals here were outright bleaching.

Pulau Salu with NParks

Pulau Salu was surveyed on 28 Apr 2021, as part of NPark's Southern Island Biodiversity Survey. Pulau Salu requires special permission to visit as it lies near the Live Firing Islands. So it is not part of my regular surveys. 

Photos by Loh Kok Sheng

Volunteers shared photos of what they saw. It was good to see that the rocky island is very much alive. With lots of sharks! As well as the usual other marine life seen on similar shores.

Return to Terumbu Selegie

We return for the first time in 6 years to this tiny submerged reef.

This mostly rocky shore did not have many corals, but those we saw were not bleaching. Alas, we saw and had to leave behind an abandoned fish net.

Kandelia on the mainland!

I was delighted to know that lots of Pisang-pisang (Kandelia candel) have been planted on the mainland!

I saw these and other exciting mangrove plants at the delightful Punggol Promenade Riverside Walk.

First trip to Terumbu Selegie

In the first light of dawn, we land on a small submerged reef a short distance from the mainland.

A big orange beacon marks the Terumbu.

It's our first trip to Terumbu Selegie! What will we find here?

Kayaking to Khatib Bongsu

In the pink blush of dawn, I joined a large group of kayakers to visit the mangroves of Khatib Bongsu by sea!

This is only my second time on a kayak, the first was to Berlayar Creek mangroves. I heard the trip is 7.5kms long! I was worried I wouldn't make it there, not to mention back. But I really wanted to see the mangroves!

Insanely at Bukom

Still not of sound mind, a small team heads out to make virgin landing on yet another intriguing submerged reef yesterday.
Nothing sticks out above water at high tide, it is only marked by the Bukom beacon. We arrive while it's still a little high, and wade to the slivers of rocks that are just starting to emerge.

Bravely to Buran

There is an intriguing sliver of rocks that stick out above the water every time we make a trip to Sisters or St. John's. We had fantasies about visiting it for a long time.
And yesterday, we finally did it!

Coral bleaching on our Southern shores?

It was heartbreaking to be away from the oil spill affected areas the last three days.
But we were committed well before the spill to trips to our Deep South. Alas, another tragedy seems to be unfolding there.