The Singapore Black and Whites

After a brisk walk with kind brisk walkers from MacRitchie to Bukit Tima, I got a chance to go sightseeing today. Past Bollywood, still closed for LNY and then on to check out the Black and Whites, colonial era residences near Seletier Resivoir. We'd heard that they were run down and that only about 1/3rd were occupied. What a shock to see beautifully maintained colonial houses guarding impressive trees. If these were western homes in the US near a big city, you could triple the rent and no one would move out. We were impressed by the mangroves at the end of the resivoir and the small fishing community that lived there. All in all, a very large change from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Joel Sholtes a Place to Visit

If you enjoyed the picture of my daughters, you may want to partake of more photographic art by Joel Sholtes see www.pbase.com/biomass. Is passion one path to creativity?

Sungei Buloh and Dedicated NParks People

A couple of days ago we found our way to Sungei Buloh where we were greeted in Singaporean style by Wong Tuan Wah, Ng Sock Ling, How Choon Beng and Robert Teo Chee Hin. The presentation of a master plan, hospitaltiy, guiding and conversations about Estuary Live www.estuarylive.org/ were stimulating and beyond expectations. As a monitor lizzard ambled through the facility to a pond in the back, we discussed common educational goals and how we might achieve them.

I was amazed to learn that Sungei Buloh hosts 100000 visitors a year. Understanding was reinforced by a walk punctuated with school kids on field trips. We talked about how to maintain access for all while increasing the perception of available space and abilty of individuals to appreciate thier natural heritage and to be one with nature. I was impressed with the sincerity, dedication, enthusiasm and creativity that the people from NParks bring to thier profession.

We punctuated the trip to Sungei Buloh with a night trip to Mandai Mangroves.
Wai, http://woceht.blogspot.com/2007/03/dr-dan-mandai.html did a great job of capturing the essence. We saw the impact of erosion on the mangroves, sampled their biology and were forced to consider the complexity of natural systems and their responses to mans activities. Mangrove has a new and very personal meaning that is reinforced with each visit.
Thank you Sivasothi, NParks and all involved for a spectacular experience.

IMRE as Class Act

Serena and I visitedcollaborators in IMRE today. The visit was exciting because we found that there was a lot of convergence in our more general research interests. Singapore's AStar institutes are world class and filled with world class scientists and state of the art equipment. I'm continually amazed that we can even hope keep up with people that have the intelligence and the financial support to follow their passions.

Sivasothi and Sodhi A Great Combo for Grey Cells

This one started early. The back-up dancers, Airani and Cynthia, made sure things went smoothly. Siva was overbooked and sick, but prevailed. I've heard much of the talk before, but find it an intellectual counterpoint to Monty Python and the Holy Grail or your favorite episode of Seinfeld. It just gets richer and deeper. It is rare that I have the pleasure of thinkoing aobut how the wold works for hours. Siva warmed us up, Sodhi moved us to the stark reality of modern man's inability to comprehend his place in nature's grand scheme. I was heartened by the observation that, among the educated, the preists of the various disciplines can't understand one anohter. That's why were here. If we start early enough in the educational process, the next generation may be multilingual and speak economics, social science, policy, law, natural science, and in the grand scheme of things, ethics and esthetics.

We wound down with a tour of the museum led by one of the Toddy Cats, an entomologist headed to graduate school at the University of California, Riverside who's name escapes me. This well spoken, considerate, and very knowledgeable scholar provided us with an unobstructed view of the value of museum displays. We finished where we started, looking at and thinking about what is was to be a Dodo Bird.

Will Chek Jawa Rebound?

The Duke group had the privilege of visiting Chek Jawa with RIA TAN, CHUA EE KIAM, RON, ALVIN, NPARKS, and the Sea Grass Volunteers. We were overwhelmed by the generosity, sensitivity and kindness of our Singaporean hosts. Thanks up front to Ria, NPARKS, RON and Dr. CHUA. We will not rest until we find a way to return the favors.

My specific mission was three fold, 1) get my group to take pictures that document the journey to complement a parallel experience to our temperate estuarine mud flat; 2) look closely at the flat and use the animals that are still there to support the hypothesis that the mass die off observed about a month ago was due mainly to the huge influx of fresh water from the rains; 3) make a prediction about the ecological future of Chek Jawa.

Singapore is ever changing. The new boardwalk that is being installed will enable many many more people to visit and appreciate Check Jawa . The new volunteer hub building is equally impressive.

The easiest animals to assess at Chek Jawa are the sessile or virtually sessile signature animals. All these animals are sensitive to low salinity beause they conform to the environment around them —carpet anemones, peacock anemones, sea cucumbers, and button shells. These have all been more than decimated. I saw two (20 cm diameter) small very healthy carpet anemones, several dozen Peacock anemones, two sea cucumbers and no button shells. Hopeful signs, the peaock anemones were clearly healthy and there were three new 3 cm carpet anemones.
The only echinoderm that appeared unimpacted was the cake sand dollars which were numerous and of all sizes. Perhaps being buried in the sand, enabled them to survive.

Crabs are the next easiest animals to assess because they are highly visible. Crabs are capable of with standing low salinity because they can regulate their ion balance. The fiddler crabs, bubbler crabs, and hermit crabs appeared unaffected. Most the flower crabs even the immature females were heavily parasitized. In my part of the world, crab parasites have their own salinity optimum . That may be true here also. The level of parasites was higher than in my previous 5 years of visits.

The burrowing snails also tolerate low salinity by burying in high salinity sediments. The presence of egg collars of moon snails everywhere, indicates that these snails are doing fine.

Animals that live in the sediment are harder to assess without digging them up. Two things told me the sediment dwellers are fine: 1) plenty of holes and worm tubes with growing ends; 2) Evidence of extensive sting ray feeding activity. If the sediment dwellers were gone the rays, which use electroreception and chemoreception to find their living prey, would feed elsewhere.

Every thing I saw support the idea that low salinity from fresh water killed the sensitive Chek Jawa animals. Will Chek Jawa return to it previous state? Only time will tell. However, intertidal sand flats are dynamic, a classic disturbed environment. Most of Chek Jawa has not changed. I’m betting the flat will return to its previous spectacular glory and relatively quickly. With luck I will be able to visit again next year with my Singaporean friends and be privileged to help report the return of the sessile signature species.

My Favorite Daughters