Giant clam overdose on Terumbu Pempang Laut

This humungous submerged reef lies next to Jurong Island and major shipping lanes. And yet, it has seagrass meadows, corals and lots and lots of Giant clams.

Today, we also saw lots of dugong feeding trails, special anemones and the usual colourful marine life. The corals seem alright, and seagrasses remain the same.

Terumbu Pempang Tengah in the face of Sudong reclamation

The team survey on a short tide window this submerged reef near the ongoing reclamation at Pulau Sudong.

Leathery soft corals continue to dominate some parts of this shore! We had a glimpse of a large Yellow lipped sea krait, possibly a Nurse shark, and a sea turtle. Also lots of tiny 'Nemos', a huge cushion star. The Clam team found 3 clams!

Terumbu Pempang Laut with dugong signs and 7 giant clams!

Terumbu Pempang Laut is one of our largest submerged reefs. Today, a small team surveys and find 7 giant clams! As well as a live Cone snail. Dugong feeding trails were also seen. 

We couldn't survey last year during the mass coral bleaching event, so we are relieved to see many healthy corals today.

Return to Land of the Leatheries!

This submerged reef is close to Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom. And yet, has the largest coverage of  leathery soft corals that I have seen on all our shores. 

A small team survey and relieved to see most the leatheries seem to have survived mass coral bleaching, and that the seagrass situation seems to have improved. 

Mass coral bleaching at Terumbu Pempang Tengah

At dawn, a small team lands on this huge submerged reef that lies near Jurong Island and major shipping lanes.

We are specifically checking for mass coral bleaching which was expected and seems to have started to affect some of our shores. We estimate about 20% of hard corals were showing signs of stress (pale, pink or with pale patches) with about 15% were outright bleaching. While about 50% of soft corals were showing signs of stress (pale patches, more yellow than usual), only about 10% were outright bleaching. 

Terumbu Pempang Laut with signs of dugong

On our last evening tide for the cycle, the team surveys this huge submerged reef that lies close to Jurong Island and major shipping lanes leading to our busy container port.

How nice to see signs of dugongs here! The corals and seagrasses seemed mostly alright. Kelvin and Russel flew drones and got great views of the shore, and shark! Alas, it seems the Giant clam here is gone.

Anemone hunt at Terumbu Pempang Laut

Terumbu Pempang Laut is one of our largest submerged reefs and located near industrial islands such as Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom.

Today, a small team surveys with sea anemone experts! Arriving a dawn to enjoy a spectacular sunrise. The seagrasses are doing still doing well, and we find some sea anemones. Marcus saw a Burrowing giant clam!

Terumbu Pempang Tengah: Land of Leatheries still fine

Huge leathery soft corals colonies of various shapes and colours crowd the southern part of Terumbu Pempang Tengah! Even though this submerged reef lies near Jurong Island and major shipping lanes.

On a scorching hot day, the team saw Cushion sea star and other special animals. While the corals seem fine, and the seagrass situation seems unchanged.

Wild romance on Terumbu Pempang Tengah

In a mizzle (miserable drizzle), we land at first light on Terumbu Pempang Tengah. And immediately encounter a 'Nat Geo' moment.

Corals and seagrasses here seem alright. And there were also many other interesting marine life sightings.

Seagrasses doing well at Terumbu Pempang Laut

Terumbu Pempang Laut is one of our largest submerged reefs and located near industrial islands such as Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom.

Today, a small team checks up on it and find seagrasses are doing well! Also, Giant clams, possible dugong feeding trails and other interesting marine life!

Terumbu Pempang Laut with signs of dugong, and cone snails!

We resume low spring tide surveys as COVID restrictions are eased. The first shore we check out is a huge submerged reef close to Jurong Island.

We saw healthy corals, durong feeding trails in seagrasses, Giant clams, cone snails and more!

Land of Leatheries: Terumbu Pempang Tengah

Huge leathery soft corals colonies of various shapes and colours crowd the southern part of Terumbu Pempang Tengah! Even though this submerged reef lies near Jurong Island and major shipping lanes.

Today, I also came across two Fluted giant clams, and I didn't see any mass coral bleaching. Kok Sheng surveyed a reefy part of the shore and saw a wide variety of healthy corals.

Terumbu Pempang Laut not bleaching

Dr Jani Tanzil alerted us that mass coral bleaching may have started on our shores since the second week of June. So we are on the look out for this as we check up on Terumbu Pempang Laut. This submerged reef doesn't really have a lot of hard corals.

Today, I didn't see any large corals that were full on bleaching, in fact many seemed to be recovering. About 5% were showing stress (paler than usual or with bleaching portions) or with recently dead patches. I didn't come across many leathery soft corals, most were alright. The situation wasn't as bad as what I saw during mass coral bleaching in 2016.

Seagrasses are sprinkling almost all the shore that I surveyed. I saw a few dugong feeding trails! And the Giant clam that we usually see here is doing well.

Terumbu Pempang Tengah with some bleaching

Dr Jani Tanzil alerted us that mass coral bleaching may have started on our shores since the second week of June. So we are on the look out for this at Terumbu Pempang Tengah.

Today, I estimate very few of the hard corals that I saw are outright bleaching, probably less than 1%. But about 10% were showing stress (paler than usual or with bleaching portions) or with recently dead patches. Most of the hard corals were doing alright with no pale or bleaching portions. Some parts of this shore has large patches of leathery soft corals, almost all of those I saw were alright. The situation wasn't as bad as what I saw during mass coral bleaching in 2016.

Return of leathery corals to Terumbu Pempang Tengah!

Located near Jurong Island and next to Pulau Bukom and the petrochemical plants there. And yet, this large submerged reef has corals and other reef life!

Today it was clear that the leathery soft corals have returned to dominate the reefs here. They were badly hit during the mass coral bleaching in 2016. I was glad to see the field of living branching corals are still doing well too, although disappointed that the seagrasses were not doing better.

Three-clam day at Terumbu Pempang Laut

We found three Giant clams today at Terumbu Pemang Laut!

The seagrass situation on this large reef flat seems to have improved since our last survey in Dec 2018! But I saw more signs of bleaching hard corals.

Terumbu Pempang Laut is alive!

Terumbu Pempang Laut is still very much alive! We saw dugong feeding trails in the seagrass meadows there!

And two Giant clams! Although the corals seem alright, I did see many with pale patches.

Terumbu Pempang Tengah is alive

Located near Jurong Island and next to Pulau Bukom and the petrochemical plants there. And yet, this large submerged reef has corals and other reef life!

I was glad to see the field of living branching corals are still doing well, lots of large leathery soft corals. And Alex our skipper saw many small sea turtles around the boat while we were out on the survey. But sadly, the seagrass situation there seems to have deteriorated.

Seagrassy at Terumbu Pempang Laut

We return to this submerged reef for the first time since Aug 2016, when it was hit by mass coral bleaching.

There are not many corals on this rocky submerged reef. In Aug 2016, we estimated about 20-30% of the hard corals are bleaching. About 20-40% of the leathery soft corals were bleaching. We estimate 20-30% of the corals have died recently.

Mass coral bleaching on Terumbu Pempang Laut in Aug 2016.

Today, it was a relief to see that most of the corals were no longer bleaching, although many corals look like they took a beating with large dead patches. The Giant clam is still alright, and seagrasses seem to be doing very well.

Terumbu Pempang Tengah is alive!

Our last visit to this submerged reef  was in July 2016, at the height of mass coral bleaching. It was heartbreaking to see massive bleaching of hard corals and leathery soft corals

Mass coral bleaching in July 2016.

Today, it was a relief to see very little coral bleaching.

We saw cushion stars and sea turtles too!