Signs of recovery from 2024 Pasir Panjang Oil Spill

Studies suggest there is recovery on shores affected by the 2024 Pasir Panjang Oil Spill.

One of the studies involved 100 citizen scientists, who collected samples from 10 sites including Pasir Ris Beach, Changi Beach, Lazarus Island and St John’s Island for a year. These studies are expected to be completed by end-2026.

Oil-eating bacteria as a response to oil spills

The team found that areas more highly impacted by the Pasir Panjang oil spill had a greater diversity of oil-eating bacteria. The oil-degrading microbes were also observed to persist six months later, even after oil in the spill samples had been broken down. 

Pasir Panjang Oil Spill impact
on East Coast Park seagrass meadows, Jun 2024

“Our study showed that in areas that are difficult to access for clean-up operations after an oil spill, nature can lend a helping hand and do the job for us given sufficient time.”

Dispersants only “sink” the oil without chemically degrading it, potentially giving rise to deposits on the seafloor that take a long time to break down. Thus, while dispersants swiftly remove oil from the ocean’s surface, they could inadvertently harm the environment.

The team are tapping their findings to engineer solutions for future coastal pollution events. From developing a microbial cocktail to clean up contaminated sand to advocating the inclusion of structures that facilitate the growth of biofilms in coastal protection.

Oiled East Coast shore: Corals recovering!

A small team surveys the lagoon on the other side of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal next to the East Coast PCN. This shore was clearly impacted by 2024 mass coral bleaching that affected all our shores, plus the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. It was also probably impacted by the 5tonne Changi East oil overspill 28 Oct 2024. 

Today, it was a relief to see much signs of corals recovering on the shore. Seagrasses continue to do well. We also checked out the shore opposite NSRCC briefly and encounter a very friendly otter!

Update: On the same day, Adriane Lee also checked up on Changi Carpark 6. He shares: Changi carpark 6 has been traditionally an area rich in biodiversity. Based on records of past visits dating back to 2021, today’s visit saw a drop in what are normally common. Missing Sea stars, warty sea cucumbers etc, and even the Hardon anemones are smaller in size than usual. Wonder what is the reason for this change?

Repeated oil spills compromise marine life

Straits Times article reviewing the impact of repeated oil spills since the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill in Jun 2024.

Oil from Jun 2024 Pasir Panjang spill
washed up on seagrass meadows at East Coast Park.

"The marine environment might recover after each oil spill incident, but too many of such events would compromise its ability to do so, said marine scientists. In response to ST’s queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) said it is aware of the negative impact spills can have on biodiversity and is closely monitoring the current situation. ST has contacted the police and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for more information."

Full article below the fold

Oiled East Coast Park (Sailing Centre): life remains

A small team surveyed East Coast Park (Sailing Centre) to check for impact from the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. This shore was cleaned of that oil spill. It was also probably impacted by the recent 5tonne Changi East oil overspill 28 Oct 2024.

The tide was not super low but low enough that we could see the seagrasses seemed well. The team found many animals commonly seen here. Hopefully, this means life is returning.

Oiled East Coast shore: seagrasses still there, corals mostly dead

A tiny team do the monthly check on this shore which was not cleaned after it was impacted by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. It was also probably impacted by the recent 5 tonnes Changi East oil overspill 28 Oct 2024.

Oil is still present in the canal, seagrasses are still growing lush, corals remain mostly dead. But there are still signs of life everywhere on the shore.

Recent oil spills discussed in Parliament, 11 Nov 2024

Recent oil spills were discussed in Parliament. 

Related blog posts

• Changi overflow oil spill, 28 Oct 2024 - 5 tonnes
• Oil spill from Bukom refinery, 20 Oct 2024  - 30-40 tonnes
• Pasir Panjang Terminal oil spill, 14 Jun 2024 - 400 tonnes

Full media articles follows

Oiled East Coast Park (Sailing Centre): life returning?

A lively team surveyed East Coast Park (Sailing Centre) to check for impact from the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. This shore was cleaned of oil.

The tide took a while to fall, finally revealing that seagrasses seemed well. The team found many animals commonly seen here. Hopefully, this means life is returning.

Oiled East Coast shore: seagrasses still there, corals mostly dead

A tiny team do the monthly check on this shore which was not cleaned after it was impacted by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. Today, the tide was low enough to get a glimpse of the corals.

The 'House of Horrors' under the bridge in the canal is still there. 'Oil pancakes' are emerging from the sand and was encountered in soft areas in the canal. Seagrasses are still growing lush, but corals unfortunately are mostly dead.

Oil slick still seen on Seringat-Kias

As the evening low tides start, we survey Lazarus Island and the artificial Seringat-Kias lagoon (also called Eagle Bay by boaters). 

These shores were impacted by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. As well as the 2024 global mass coral bleaching. Sadly, I sense about 50% of seagrasses in Eagle Bay are gone with patches of oil slick still present. On a happier note, the corals at Lazarus Island seemed to have pulled through.

Launch of 15-month study to assess oil spill impact on marine biodiversity

The study will sample sediments from intertidal areas affected by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024: East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa, as well as beaches that were not directly affected by the oil spill, including the eastern beaches at Changi Beach Park and Coney Island Park.

Oil at East Coast Park, 7 Jul 2024

Organisms in the samples will be identified and counted for abundance and diversity of different species. The data can provide a baseline for future studies on environmental changes.

Want to volunteer for this? More information from NParks  https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/community-in-nature-initiative/intertidal-watch

Oiled East Coast shore: seagrasses still there

I did a quick check on this shore which was not cleaned after it was impacted by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024.

The 'House of Horrors' under the bridge in the canal is still there, but doesn't glisten as much; sand seems to be piling up thus making the 'drip' less obvious. Seagrasses are still growing lush. The tide was not low enough for me to check on the corals.

Still quiet at oil slicked East Coast Park (Sailing Centre)

I make a quick survey at East Coast Park (Sailing Centre) to check for impact from the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024, about three months ago.

Like last month, I didn't see any oil slicks on the shore. The seagrasses are still there, and there is still life on the shore although not much more than last month. Compared to our last survey here before the oil spill in May 2024, there were far fewer animals and many missing animals.

Sentosa Tg Rimau - no large oil spill impacts

A small team surveys this shore that lies just across from the site of the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024, about two months ago. We covered the whole shore from Resorts World on the eastern side around Tanjung Rimau Beacon to the western side at Rasa Sentosa.

We are relieved to see no large oil spill impacts. The seagrasses are doing well, rocky shores and sandy shores are still lively, and the rare trees on the shore still thriving. Corals seem okay despite mass coral bleaching.

Quiet at oil slicked East Coast Park (Sailing Centre)

I make a quick survey at East Coast Park (Sailing Centre) to check for impact from the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024, about two months ago.

Unlike last month, I didn't see any oil slicks on the shore. The seagrasses are still there, and there is still life on the shore although fewer than last month. Compared to our last survey here before the oil spill in May 2024, there were far fewer animals and many missing animals.

Oiled East Coast shore: Corals dead, seagrasses okay?

I did a solo check on this shore which was not cleaned after it was impacted by the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024. The 'House of Horrors' under the bridge in the canal still glistens as the first time I saw a week after the oil spill.

The corals situation seems worse than what we saw a month ago - it seems 90% of the corals are already dead. But seagrasses don't seem to be as severely impacted. There are also still signs of life!

Mass coral bleaching at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal

Today, a small team returns to survey the amazing coral reef that has settled naturally on the seawalls of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. There were lush seagrasses on the shore next to the Ferry terminal. 

Sadly, we saw signs of oil on the shores and also extensive mass coral bleaching (about 30%) and coral deaths (about 20%). But otters were seen and the seagrasses seem alright.

Lost Coast with signs of dugong despite reclamation

This vast sandy shore is a habitat that is now rare in Singapore (thus 'lost') and home to animals that we seldom see on our other shores. This reclaimed shore in Changi East was in the past, remote and difficult to reach; thus 'lost' in yet another sense. In 2022, it was announced that this entire area will be totally reclaimed again; so it will likely be permanently lost forever. This area is strictly off limits without a permit. We surveyed with permission from various agencies kindly arranged by NParks. 

Today, we saw lots of dugong feeding trails on both the southern and northern corner of this vast shore. The shore seems less lively compared to our last survey in Jun 2023, and we saw what seems to some small signs of impact from the Pasir Panjang oil spill last month.

Small oil slicks still seen on East Coast Park (Sailing Centre)

I make a quick survey at East Coast Park (Sailing Centre) to check for impact from the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill on 14 Jun 2024, about a month ago.

There are still small puddles of oil slick gathered at the low water mark. But the walls surrounding the shore seem clear of oil. The seagrasses are still there, and there is still life on the shore. Although there are fewer animals and some are missing, compared to our last survey here in May 2024.

Pasir Panjang oil spill: media articles on impacts

A compilation of media articles on long term impacts of the oil spill.

23 Jun: TLDR - NParks reports a sea turtle nest was found at East Coast Park.  Asian School of the Environment and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) will be studying impact on microbes and collecting water and sediment samples around three sites on St John’s Island every three days.

26 Jul: Minister Desmond updates on biodiversity surveys at Southern Islands, Labrador Nature Reserve, Sentosa, Changi Beach Park, and Coney Island Park - "no significant impacts on our marine biodiversity and wildlife observed thus far".