Read all about it on her blog. Thank you Jun!City Footprints is a social documentary series that tells the heartwarming stories of individuals or communities in our city- stories that mirror and reflect how individuals and community responds and reacts to paradigm shifts as a result of rapid social urbanization.
A green tide is swelling as a new generation of young Singaporeans leads the next wave of environmentalism.
Meet the Star Trackers: 26-year-old Chen Sijie and his partner, Chim Chee Kong, 31, as they brave irregular tide timings and errant weather to track and monitor sea stars on Cyrene Reefs – a mysterious coral colony that only surfaces for a few hours during the low tide period each month. The two are not alone in their roles as guardians of the seas.
As early as 2005 Siti Maryam, 27, has spearheaded a campaign to conserve an overlooked slice of nature through the volunteer group TeamSeagrass. On a little-known side of Sentosa, look at how volunteers survey local sea grass habitats before pollution and pressure overwhelm them.
As the three join hands to nurture the next wave of conservationists, find out how their efforts converge on the shorelines of Chek Jawa.
Seahorses in Johor under threat
Ahmad Fairuz, The New Straits Times 8 Nov 08;
JOHOR BARU: Seahorses here are swimming in troubled waters. The latest survey carried out at the Sungai Pulai estuary near Gelang Patah indicates a bleak future for the seahorse colony already on the brink of destruction.
The Johor Malaysia Nature Society said researchers spotted less than five seahorses in a seagrass area near an island at the mouth of the estuary, during their survey.
The estuary of Sungai Pulai is a 9,000ha area of mangroves and riverines, with 24 different species of trees.
But the area is slowly being destroyed, largely due to the development taking place on the banks of the Tebrau Straits, thus endangering the seahorses' marine habitat.
Society vice-chairman Dr Lum Wei Wah said the data provided by the Save Our Seahorses (SOS), a non-governmental organisation showed that the number of seahorses were on the decline.
"While there were between eight and 10 seahorses spotted off Pulau Merambong, near the estuary, in March and April, only five were spotted last month."
Pulau Merambong is a 0.3ha island situated 3km from Tanjung Kupang in Gelang Patah.
The Johor branch of the Malaysia Nature Society will present an environmental research report on the Sungai Pulai estuary and its colony of seahorses.
The report is an accumulation of a year-long study on the estuary and its environment.
Dr Lum said it would be presented to the state government and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas authority.
"It will detail suggestions on dealing with the pollutants that are evident in the waters and mangrove.
"So far, we have identified nitrogenous effluent as one of the pollutants and this may affect the population of seahorses downstream. The nitrogen is believed to be from the waste of oil palm estates which border the estuary."
The RM60,000 study was commissioned by the port authority, which has allocated funds to have the area gazetted as protected.
SOS head and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu marine biology lecturer Choo Chee Kuang said that development around the estuary had destroyed large tracts of seagrass beds, which were home to the seahorses.
They've put up an amazing display of our seagrasses and shores!
In addition to seagrasses, they are also featuring the school's work in our forests!
The young ladies have done a fantastic poster about their work studying the seagrass meadows at Labrador.
And here's Siti and Wei Ling joining them.
The RGS booth is part of the Green Schools exhibit at the Carnival.
Also part of the Carnival are lots of talks about our marine and other biodiversity in Singapore. Here's Siti talking about "Marine Biodiversity and You", with Wei Ling helping at the laptop.
There were lots of other happenings too at the Carnival and at the Marina Barrage.
