Seagrasses disappearing at Terumbu Semakau?

This submerged reef off Pulau Semakau had lush seagrass meadows when I last visited it in June 2010.

When I visited again yesterday, I was shocked to see how little seagrass remained there. The Tape seagrass (Enhalus acoroides) were all short and cropped. I saw several small patches like this. There were a few patches with sparse but long blades, mostly in the Sargassum zone.

Tuas (22 Dec 2011)

The last TeamSeagrass monitoring at Tuas and Sheryl is doing it alone!

Jerome and I were there to do a quick check of the shore, under threatening skies.

All about sea turtles in the latest Seagrass Watch magazine!

The latest issue of Seagrass Watch magazine is full of sea turtles!

Len and Rudi have also kindly included an article about Singapore's own Halophila beccarii, among the rarest seagrasses in the world! Read all about them in Seagrass-Watch Issue 44 Nov 2011

10 Dec (Sat): Talk on "Forests of the Sea" by Siti M. Yaakub

Seagrass meadows are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, but no one knows what they are! Are they algae? Are they seaweed? Can they be eaten? Is it true you can find mermaids frolicking in seagrass meadows?

Our very own Siti M. Yaakub will teach us about these underwater forests! Find out more about Singapore's fascinating seagrasses and why everyone should hug a seagrass today!