On Saturday, it was my turn to give a talk at the National Geographic Store at Vivocity. I’m really happy that the store decided to create this marine month for a few of us to share with others our experience of exploring our seas and coastline. Walking around the store, we see a lot of images of forests and land creatures, but the earth is 75% water! That means we still have a lot of exploring to do! Being an island, Singapore is the perfect place for any one to get started.

I’m really glad that so many people turned up to check out the talk. The store informed me that this was one of the best turn outs they have seen at the store for talks! Speaking to some of the audience, I found out that several of them were referred by friends who read about the talks online or through our Facebook page. It’s great to know that people are talking about and sharing information of our activities. We still have two more talks to go! Ria Tan will be giving a talk about Secret Shores of Singapore on Saturday, December 3; and Siti M. Yaakub will be sharing her experience of investigating the Forests of the Sea on December 10. So mark those dates!

Kids, there will also be a colouring session for after the talk that gives kids a fun and easy way to learn about some of Singapore’s curious and colourful marine creatures.

Last month, the Hantu Blog was invited to attend the Green Singapore 2050 Summit by the Singapore Environmental Council, to give a talk about Singapore’s coral reefs and why they should be protected. About 300 students from various primary and secondary schools in Singapore attended the 4-hr talk, and learned about a variety of issues like climate change, consumerist habits, waste management, and of course threats to coral reefs. It was a lot of stuff for 4-hrs!

The event was organised by Singapore’s Northwest Community Development Council. Apart from the Hantu Blog, other speakers present at the talk were Howard Shaw (above: left) from SEC, Ang Jian Zhong (above: right) from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and the founder of Green Kampong Nadya Hutagalung. Because of the diverse backgrounds each of the speakers were from, students got a nice grasp of all the little things that comprise the environment – from big things like air and water pollution, to the waste each of us generates, to the tinsy details about how each and every person can make a difference. Jian Zhong started off by giving a brief history of the Singapore environmental movement. He talked about the challenges a land scarce nation like Singapore is up against, and the technology and ideas that spawn from being confronted with such challenges.

Howard sproke briefly about brown issues in Singapore and his experience in the field of waste management. He encouraged the students to consider and pursue careers in environmental management, saying it is the industry of the future as many challenges lie ahead of us where the environment is concerned.

Nadya (left) gave a broader picture of environmental issues and how Singaporeans can relate to things that are happening on a global scale and how our efforts can have a universal impact. She spoke about her latest mission to inspire and educate people in Singapore about how it is possible to live a sustainable lifestyle within a highly consumerist society like ours, where cars are scrapped after 10 years and everything is served in disposable packaging.

She illustrated examples of how ordinary people from all walks of life can make big differences by changing the little things that they do on a daily basis.

The students were excited and had many questions for her during the question and answer session at the end of the 4 presentations.

Then my turn came along. I was the last speaker (below). Not only that, I was the 1st speaker after the tea break so everyone was buzzing and full of tea and sandwiches. Thankfully, because corals and naturally colourful and beautiful, and sea creatures are naturally curious-looking or cute, it wasn’t difficult to keep the students awake and listening. Students and teachers got a crash course on corals, reefs, and marine life in Singapore. It fascinated many students and teachers, who later got very excited at the possibility of watching some videos of marine life in Singapore, which Howard kindly made extra time for before the Q&A session. While fascinated, the reality and severity of the threats our reefs are faced with obviously rang some alarm bells amongst the students because a lot of questions were asked about what can be done to halt or prevent our reefs from disappearing, and how marine life can be protected from harm! It was delightful to have the students voicing out their concerns, and it’s very apparent that everyone wants to live in a future Singapore that is not only clean and beautiful, but at least still a little bit “wild”.

Event title: Nature is Changing: Copenhagen & Beyond – What does it mean for Asia?
Date/Time: 11 Nov 2009, 5-7pm
Venue: Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Auditorium, Level 3 Blk B, Faculty of Law, NUS Bukit Timah Campus, 469G Bukit Timah Road Singapore 259772
RSVP: Admission is free, but registration is required. To enable us to gauge attendance, do register online at http://www.siiaonline.org, or contact us 65164202/6134 or lkyspppl@nus.edu.sg.

SYNOPSIS
Nature is changing – more frequent and unpredictable violent storms, heat waves, forest fires, floods, droughts, retreating glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels – these are just a few examples of the impacts of Climate Change on the world today. As world leaders meet at the Conference of Parties in Copenhagen to agree on a global response to the problem, the whole world is grappling to understand what Climate Change means to us, and what we can do about it.

In this dialogue, experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will explore the impacts of Climate Change on Asia’s people, economies and states. We will discuss issues affecting our environments from the Himalayas to the oceans. We will talk about the role of policy at global and national levels and its effectiveness in addressing these issues. Finally, we discuss the opportunities of nature-based solutions, and the positive actions Asian policy makers and the business community can take to improve Asia’s resilience to the impacts of Climate Change. Please come and discuss these topics with IUCN, raise your own concerns and explore possible responses to one of the most important issues affecting our lives today.

PROGRAMME
5.00-5.30 Registration
5.30-6.15 In Conversation with guests from the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs,
and Schwartz Fellow, Asia Society
6.15-7.00 Q&A session
Speaker(s):

Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji
IUCN Asia Regional Director

Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji has dedicated 20 years of her professional career to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Aban first joined IUCN as the Country Representative for Pakistan in 1988 for 11 years before initiating the establishment of an IUCN Asia Regional Office in Bangkok. Today, as the Director of IUCN Asia Regional Office she provides strategic leadership across ten countries and two expert groups covering a wide spectrum of thematic environmental programmes. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in negotiating with governments in implementing international treaties and conventions (CBD, CITES, and Ramsar). She maintains a special interest in gender, social equity and security, to the extent of undertaking programme activities in politically less secure areas where other environmental organizations have found it difficult to work.

Dr. T. P. Singh, Ph.D
Regional Group Head, Ecosystems and Livelihoods, Bangkok

Dr. Singh is responsible for the development and management of IUCN’s regional programmes related to the areas of Forests, Wetlands & Water, Environmental law, Protected Areas, Business & Biodiversity, Climate Change and Energy. He is also involved in developing IUCN’s new country programmes in India and Indonesia. Dr. Singh has three decades of experience in the natural resource management sector. Trained initially in botany and forestry, Dr. Singh’s technical and research skills are interdisciplinary in nature covering sustainable development, community based natural resource management, rural livelihood systems, watershed management, forestry and climate change and policy analysis.

Mr. Ganesh Pangare
Water and Wetlands Programme Coordinator, IUCN Asia

Ganesh Pangare is the Coordinator for the Water and Wetlands Program, IUCN, Asia Regional Office. His main area of work during the past twenty years has been in people‐centered water interventions, such as indigenous water harvesting systems, micro‐watershed management, participatory irrigation management, urban water bodies, and wastewater management. Currently his main thrust of work is in the area of pro‐poor water sector reforms and policy at local, national, regional and global levels for livelihood and food security, with a focus on primary stakeholder participation.

Mr. Donald J. Macintosh, Ph.D.
Coordinator Mangroves for the Future (MFF), IUCN Asia Regional Office

Don Macintosh has more than 35 years experience in education, research and international development, including working experience in about 30 countries, plus teaching and research supervision of university post‐graduate students from countries in the Caribbean, African, Asian and Pacific regions. As Coordinator of MFF, Don Macintosh oversees management of the MFF Regional Secretariat and implementation of the initiative. MFF is a partnership-based and people-centered initiative to promote the health, well-being and security of the coastal communities living in the Greater Indian Ocean region. MFF involves more than 10 countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tanzania, Viet Nam.

Synopsis:
Global climate change is the biggest issue facing resource managers and poses a great challenge to businesses. Unless business adapts to changing resources, gives greater attention to sustainable behaviour and reduces the use of fossil fuel then there are risks. Here I review physical changes that are predicted to happen over the next 100 years, the impact of change on marine ecosystems, challenges to fisheries managers and novel approaches to dealing with climate change. Ocean pH, water temperature, currents, nutrient levels, strength of storms and sea levels are all projected to change over the next 100 years as a result of global warming. The impact of these physical stressors will vary by region and among types of organisms. Plants and animals are affected from the level of cell to entire ecosystems. I will present data from temperate and tropical waters of the Pacific on how patterns of growth of fishes and ranges will change. Even fishes that appear resistant to change can be affected by the collapse of key ecosystem functions. Coral reefs, the foundation of fisheries throughout the Pacific, are vulnerable to change and experiments demonstrate that the risk to reefs is greatest where exploitation of fishes is at a high level. Risk is not limited to the coastal belt, many islands of the Pacific are dependent on tuna for protein – changing oceanic currents can take fish away from traditional fishing grounds and nearby infrastructure for processing (e.g., canneries). Control of CO2 is still the biggest issue to reduce climate change. Innovative ways of making carbon neutral fuels and reducing methane emissions is working toward a solution and generating opportunity.

Bio: Michael J Kingsford
Michael is the Head of the School of Marine and Tropical Biology at James Cook University. The School is a recognized world leader in tropical marine science. He has been President of the Australian Coral Reef Society and Director of One Tree Island Research Station. He has published extensively on the ecology of reef fishes, jellyfishes, biological oceanography and climate change. His projects have encompassed a range of latitudes and he has edited two books on tropical and temperate ecology. A major focus of his research has been on connectivity of reef fish populations, environmental records in corals and fishes and deadly irukandji jellyfishes. In addition to research and leadership, he teaches undergraduate students and supervises many postgraduate students.

When: 29th October 2009, 07.00pm to 08.30pm
Where: Block A01-01
James Cook University Australia, Singapore Campus
600 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 577421
Admission is Free! Light refreshments will be served.

Siti also included interesting facts with the help of the above map of Singapore from the mid 1900s. The map showed that before major land reclamation, what is now East Coast Park used to be a sea grass sand flat! Imagine what it must’ve looked like to early biologists and explorers! It must’ve been crawling with sea turtles, sea stars and seahorses!

Now that we knew all that there was to know about seagrasses (or was possible to know!) in 15 minutes, we graduated to learning more about dugongs with a presentation by Prof. Helene Marsh from James Cook University, who’s spent more than a decade researching about dugongs and the environments and people with which they interact with. She began her presentation by reflecting on an incident that occured in Johor that involved  a baby dugong getting trapped in a kelong or floating fishing pen. When Prof. Marsh visited Malaysia in 1999 she saw close to 20 dugongs in and around Johor during a single helicopter survey! Dugongs are able to travel up to 500km within a few days so it’s not impossible that some of those dugongs have visited Singapore!

During the Q&A session, Prof. Marsh elaborated on the reproduction of dugongs. She also reiterated points presented in her main talk discussing the contention between the preservation of culture and biodiversity – an issue that resonates throughout the region, since several dugong range areas are located within developing nations, with people that have an intricate relationship with dugongs.

Though the entire lecture lasted well over two hours, there was so much interesting information that it felt like there wasn’t enough time! At the end of it, guests were told that they had to help finish all the food and beverage that had been catered for the event or else they couldn’t leave! There wasn’t much protest to that, and it was a good opportunity for researchers and volunteers from the local and international community to mingle and get to know more about each others work. Here Dr. Abigayle Ng (right) shares a drink with Dr. Ruth M. O’Riordan. Ruth used to work in Singapore at the NUS studying the impact of barnacles as an invasive species, and Abigayle recently completed her PhD on the impact of invasive red-eared sliders in Singapore.

Prof Marsh has led the global effort to study and protect dugongs for a long time.
The talk is organised by Underwater World Singapore and the James Cook University in Singapore.

click on images to enlarge.

8 Oct (Thu), 6.30-9.30pm, at the Living Fossils Exhibit Hall, Underwater World Singapore, Sentosa. Registration via Ms Laiza Malit rsvp@jcu.edu.sg or call 96778868.

More links

• “Mermaids”: Urgent Action Needed to Save them from Habitat Destruction, Pollution and Entanglement in Fishing Nets UNEP 12 Feb 02: about the first global study of dugongs led by Prof Helene Marsh: full details on global distribution, conservation and legislation on dugongs including for Singapore and Johor. With a summary of the report and full report (PDF).
• The full report is also found here – Dugong: Status Report and Action Plans for Countries and Territories (PDF file)

The theme of the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009 is “Biodiversity in Focus – 2010 and Beyond”.

The sub-themes selected for the Conference reflect the current global and regional priorities:
(a) Biodiversity and Climate Change;
(b) Access to Genetic Resources and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising out of their Utilisation; and
(c) Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity.

Registration is now open for this inaugural ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009 (ACB2009) is hosted by NParks in partnership with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

ACB2009 will bring together about 250-300 key biodiversity stakeholders from the ASEAN region and its partners representing government agencies, science and research communities, and non-governmental organisations. It will feature both plenary and parallel sessions, as well as poster presentations and exhibition booths to showcase biodiversity and conservation efforts in the region. A distinguished list of eminent speakers has been invited to grace the event, including:

• Dr. Aaron Bernstein from Harvard Medical School, co-author of “Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity”
• Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the CBD
• Mr. Timothy Hodges, Co-chair of the Open-Ended Ad-Hoc Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing, CBD

Plenary papers to be presented include:

“The Status of Biodiversity and Challenges in the ASEAN Region” by Prof. Peter Ng Kee Lin, Professor, Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

“Climate Change and Biodiversity: The 2007 IPCC Report on Biodiversity and recent updates” by Dr. Andreas Fischlin, Head, Terrestrial Systems Ecology ETH-Zentrum, Zurich
Member, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

“Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity-The ASEAN Region’s Contribution” by Dr. Haripriya Gundimeda and/or Dr. Georgina Langdale The Economics of Environment and Biodiversity (TEEB) Team, UNEP

“Access to Genetic Resources and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising out of their Utilization” by Dato’ Zakri A. Hamid, Director of Advanced Studies, United Nations University

“COP10 and Beyond” by Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Director, CBD Secretariat

More details on the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity website and download provisional programme (PDF) and registration form (WinWord doc).

Registration closes 18 September 2009

Cost: Registration fee S$75. Only 30 places are allocated for the Singapore public (inclusive of NGOs).
Contact: Register with wendy_yap@nparks.gov.sg (Tel: 64651688) or muslim_anshari_rahman@nparks.gov.sg (Tel: 64651679)

The biodiversity implications of climate change events are very grave and a whole suite of catastrophes have been predicted; from massive changes in ecosystems, die-offs of whole communities and mass extinctions of many plants and animals. This comes at a time when mankind is only beginning to realise that Earth’s biodiversity is not just more substantial than we have presumed, but far greater than anything we could have imagined. As scientists rush to discover and document new species and ecosystems, they find the ‘rug being pulled from under them’ due to man’s relentless changes to the environment! Nevertheless, the stark reality of the matter is that biodiversity and natural history will survive regardless of how humans mess up the planet. As the systems we know collapse and species die, new ones will replace them eventually – nature has a resilience that mankind always underestimates. The unpleasant question we need to ask instead is this: ‘Can humankind, as know it, survive climate change and how?’

More details about Prof. Peter Ng and the talk.

Light refreshments will be served after the talk.

Admission is free but registration is required. More details on the Department of Biological Sciences website.

Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: LT 31, Blk S16, National University of Singapore location map
Website and contact: http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/60anniversary/public_lectures.html

Singapore is well known as a “Garden City”, but there is  another “garden” that most people do not see that exists just off shore. Singapore’s coastal and marine habitats still holds many surprises for the intrepid explorer. From spineless, spiny creatures to back-boned, shelled air breathers, there is a bounty of the weird and wonderful awaiting the urbanite that dares venture the confines of the concrete jungle.

In recent years, a small but growing number of conservationists have been using digital age tools to further the cause of conservation in Singapore. Armed with multi?tasking cameras and the ability to wake at pre?dawn hours, they recount their mini?expeditions to unknown shores through the use of blogs and other internet media, providing a rich tapestry of stories about their encounters.

As nature-starved Singaporeans begin to appreciate their own natural heritage, the opportunities for discovery and positive action abound, from the shores of the mainland to the islands south of Singapore.

About the Speaker
Jeffrey has worked on many coral reef and marine-related projects as a Research Assistant with NUS. He joined NParks in 2003, and is tasked with overseeing development and marine conservation issues in the islands south of Singapore. An experienced scuba diver with over 2000 dives, he has dived not only Singapore, but also in many parts of Asia. He is an active guide and trainer with the Blue Water Volunteers, a local marine conservation NGO, in their Reef Walk, Reef Friends and Reef Xplore! programmes. He has also co-authored a Singapore Science Centre guidebook Common Marine Fishes of Singapore, wasa research writer for the ASEANAREAN Expedition series: The Marine Parks of Thailand (1997), as well as the principal underwater photographer for the Marine Parks of Indonesia expedition (1999). He holds a Masters of Science degree, and is currently pursuing avenues to be “Permanently head-Damaged” (PhD).

First published on Raffles Museum News

About the speaker:
Professor Peter Ng is Director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) of the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore. Fondly known as ‘The Crabman’, Prof Ng’s areas of research interest include all kinds of crabs, fresh water fishes, marine biodiversity and Southeast Asian conservation biology. Much of the current work focuses on systematic revisions of key groups of crabs and fishes, which invariably involve comparative material from around the world. He has been or is still on the scientific committees of some 30 international organisations. With more than 510 technical papers published over the past 15 years, Prof Ng has also obtained many scientific awards for his research work.

Dr. Chua gave an insightful and inspirational talk about how policies can impact the future of our environment, and stressed the need for a holistic approach to address existing problems. He was also candid during this talk, saying “to be honest, I’m responsible for some of today’s problems because of the policies I influenced in the 70s.”

He said that “problems are inter-related, not exclusive” and that in order to safe-guard habitats, the roles of entire ecosystems have to be considered. He elaborated on the function of PEMSEA and discussed how he had been working relentlessly for over a decade to develop and initiate an integrated approach to sustainable coastal development. He likened the Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) process to the ISO 14001 to illustrate its potential and methods.

“There is a need to improve policy efficiency… Sustainable development, we’ve not seen it.” Dr. Chua’s statements are less cynical than they are encouraging. His blunt comments help ground environmentalists and motivate them to strive for and achieve improved policy and methods. He reiterated throughout his talk the need for local governments to be prepared to get various stakeholders involved. He presented a few models in the region that have had successful responses to date since the implementation of ICM. He also highlighted the acute need to integrate international conventions to enhance policy.

“The east Asian region is a political, economic and pollution hotspot… East Asia is challenging the world…” Dr. Chua expressed that human survival and prosperity are inextricably linked and interconnected with what we do with nature and with ourselves as human beings. “It is us that determine our destiny on Earth, therefore we need to look at our own behaviour with nature.”

“One country can’t address all the problems alone, different countries have different capacities. There needs to be participation and partnership.” He said that to increase cost efficiency, Singapore needs to find a niche were we can play an important role. He said that given it’s history and political and economical structure, Singapore should “develop itself into a model for the region to address issues such as fresh water sanitation, landscaping, urban cities being able to sustain water, and developing cities as a watershed.” He “then punctuated the notion by saying “Singapore has not developed a vision yet.”

With all this talk about integration, it is crucial to be aware that we individuals, are not exempt from the process. As Dr. Chua mentioned, “our behaviour with nature” determines the shape of things to come. This “behaviour” doesn’t have to be literal or direct. Our consumer patterns, and things we do on a regular basis such the food we choose to eat (e.g. imported live reef fish vs. locally bred farm fish), can have a regional and domestic impact.

“Japan considers itself a developing country where ICM is concerned.” The ability to be humble and open to developing new ideas and approaches towards coastal development is fundamental to progress. Singapore being a state of the art nation may appear exempt from regional and global environmental issues, but the following facts may illustrate better how we should all be involved as care-takers of our coasts and oceans:

• While Southeast Asia accounted for less than 10% of global area, 30% of the world’s reefs are found on our shores. It is also the location of the Coral Triangle, the richest centre of marine biological diversity.
• 60% of Southeast Asia’s population live within 60km of the coast, the highest proportion in the world. (For Singapore it’s 100%, though most Singaporeans may not be aware)
• 80% of species on Earth are found in our oceans
• 10% of the global population lives below 10m above sea level
• 80% of transport routes are in the seas (think about some of the things you own that might have arrived by sea)
• 97% of the water on Earth is in our oceans (thus making it the future source of freshwater)
• The oceans produce 100 metric tonnes of fish worth over USD 85 million/year.
• The oceans comprise 4-5% of the global ecomony. In China, it comprises 11%
• Oceans help build and maintain our atmosphere

More links

More about PEMSEA Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia

from the International Year of the Reef 2008 website

The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008 was released in Washington, DC in December 2008. The survey of the health of the world’s coral reefs identifies which reefs are recovering and which are degrading.

The report shows that climate change impacts, for example, bleaching and ocean acidification, and man-made pressures are now the major threats to reefs worldwide – with all reefs effectively under threat of major losses. The report predicts that mankind has about a decade to reduce carbon emissions or there will be major losses of reefs through ocean acidification impacts.

The full report is downloadable from The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) website.

Chapter 9 details the status of reefs in Southeast Asia (launches PDF file). Highlights include:

• Between 2004 and 2008, the condition of coral reefs improved in Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore but declined in Indonesia and Malaysia (however, many reefs were not assessed);
• Coral reef area estimates of just under 100 000 km2 for the region are probably a gross overestimate; recent GIS analysis in Thailand and Singapore shows reef area is approximately 10 times lower, possibly because non-reef sea areas were previously included;
• Losses of seagrass habitats are estimated at 30 – 60% in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore; but largely un-assessed in other SEA countries;
• More than 50% of the region’s mangroves have been lost, with 10% of the losses occurring between 1993 and 2003;
• An assessment of MPAs of East Asia in 2005–2007 showed the number of MPAs with coral reefs increased from 178 in 2003 to 403 in 2007;

This “Status of coral Reefs of the World: 2008″ is under the auspices of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRNM) of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

More media articles about this Report, and previous Reports by the GCRNM.

in conjunction with

Public Lecture on
“Sustainable Development of Coasts and Oceans: threats, opportunities and responsible governance”
by Dr. Chua Thia-Eng
Chair of the East Asian Seas Partnership Council of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)

4th Feb 2009 Wednesday
6.30pm
Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About the Book Launch:
This “Status of coral Reefs of the World:2008″ is under the auspices of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRNM) of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). The lead author for the Southeast Asia chapter, Ms Karenne Tun of the National University of Singapore will be presenting a summary of the “Status of Coral Reefs in Southeast Asia 2008″.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Synopsis of the Public Lecture
A brief introduction of ocean as the last frontier: its importance to the survival of mankind, its contribution to marine economy and the focus of human activities and culture in the 21st century. An analysis of old and new challenges (climate change, energy and financial crisis) to the security of the ocean and the new opportunities (including ecological and biological economies) arising from them. The need for developing and strengthening responsible ocean governance and activities and role and key activities of PEMSEA in promoting regional cooperation and partnership in addressing these challenges.

About the Speaker:

As the Chair of the East Asian Seas Partnership Council of the PEMSEA, Dr. Chua is also serving concurrently as a member of Research Council and Visiting Fellow of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation of Japan (2008- ), Chair Professor at the Coastal and Ocean Management Institute of Xiamen University (China) (2008- ) and Associate editor of the Oceans and Coastal Management Journal. He was a former academic staff member of University of Singapore, University of Science Malaysia and University of the Philippines. He had served in various capacities with UN and international organizations including ICLARM, FAO, IMO, GEF and UNDP. He has published more than 220 scientific papers, articles, reports and books. His recent books include “ The Dynamics of Integrated Coastal Management: Practical Applications in the Sustainable Coastal Development in East Asia” and “ Securing the Ocean” (chief editor). In recognition of his work, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China conferred him the prestigious “Friendship Award” in October,1997. The Royal Government of Cambodia conferred him the Sahak Metrey Medal in March 2002 by his majesty King Sihanouk. In 2006, he was recognized as one of the outstanding alumni of the National University of Singapore.

Dr. Chua completed his high school in Malaysia (1957) and undergraduate studies at Nanyang University (1963), postgraduate studies ( Diploma in Fisheries, Masters and doctorate degree) at the University of Singapore (1964-71) and postdoctorate at the University of Tokyo.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information, contact Rachel/Shufen at 6465 1690/1.

All are welcome.

On Tuesday, The Hantu Blog had the pleasure of being invited by Singapore American School (SAS) teacher and PADI Instructor, Jim Diebley, to give a talk about marine conservation and the biodiversity of local waters.

Diebley learnt about our talk “Southern Haunt” (developed to commemorate the IYOR) when his student and Hantu Blog diver Lisa Paggeot, who joined the Blog for 2 of our dives this year, recommended we share some local knowledge of our reef with the staff and students of SAS.

I had the priviledge of being introduced before my talk by the precocious and enthusiastic 14 year-old Lisa, who has logged over 100 dives across 4 countries! Lisa, who’s contributed images of nudibranchs to Neville Coleman’s book 1001 Nudibranchs, has ambitions of becoming a nudibranch taxonomist when she grows up – a very specific career choice for most students her age! With her energy, experience, and enthusiasim, Lisa and her father Bruce have been working on the possibility of developing a tv series for the young diver to document her advantures and communicate her love for the ocean.

Members of the audience commented that despite being in Singapore for over a decade, they’d never heard talks about diving at Pulau Hantu and the diversity of Singapore’s marine life. We also discussed briefly about the future of Singapore’s reef – if it’s future is secured by existing policies or if more effort is needed by both grassroots and government organisations to safeguard it’s future. Diebley, who’s been working in Singapore for several decades indicated that is it important Sinagpore finds a means to preserve its historical and natural heritage by heightening the access and recognition of people and places of value to Singaporeans and its expat community.

More about Lisa Paggeot

Email us at hantublog @ gmail.com if you’d like us to give a talk to your school, office or club.

In case you missed our talk on Hantu’s marine life at last month’s IYOR launch at the Botanical Gardens, you can now watch the full presentation online! Three cheers for technology!

If you like what you see and would like the Hantu Blog to visit your school or office drop us an email!

Ria provides a comprehensive write up of the IYOR Launch at the Botanical Gardens over this weekend on the IYOR Blog.

She’s got lots of pictures and a run down of all the events and side shows that took places over the past two days. Meet the people who worked hard to get the event rolling and all the curious members of the public who had fun learning and networking. See what you’ve missed!

You can still be a part of the IYOR Singapore Celebrates our Reefs efforts because the year isn’t yet over! Find out how you, your school or your company can still be a part of the effort to safeguard the future our our reefs through becoming aware, or volunteering your time.

See more pix from the festival at the Hantu Blog Gallery!

Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author. Starting at age 20, he dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His practice has included starting and running ecological businesses, writing and teaching about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with governments and corporations on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy.

In this speech at the Bioneers Conference, Hawken delivers an inspiring presentation about the worlds largest movement – the hundreds of thousands of grassroots organizations that address social and environmental justice. The movement that you and I are a part of.

Mention ‘Seagrass’ and most people think: Food for dugongs! Seagrasses have long lived in the shadow of other more charismatic marine habitats like coral reefs and mangroves. But did you know that Singapore is home to extensive seagrass meadows and more than half the species of seagrasses found in the Indo-Pacific? Learn more about the role seagrasses play beyond that of ‘dugong food’. Join Siti for an insight into what seagrasses are really about and the wacky people who have embraced these green wonders of the ocean.

About the speaker: Siti Maryam is a Senior Biodiversity Officer with the Biodiversity Centre of NParks. She is a marine biologist by training and was one of the co-founders of TeamSeagrass, a volunteer group that monitors the health and status of Singapore’s seagrasses. When she is not counting seagrass, Siti enjoys reading, tennis, experimental cooking and swimming with fish.

Saturday, 10th May 2008
The status and biology the Singapore Freshwater Crab, Johora singaporensis
Sivasothi N
2pm, Function Hall, Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens

True freshwater crabs have evolved to be completely independent of the marine environment and possess unique characteristics as a result. Many large freshwater streams are home to endemic species and Singapore Island is no exception. The freshwater crab diversity here has been well reported as a result of Peter Ng’s studies in the 1980’s. One crab in particular, was especially celebrated – the endemic Singapore Freshwater Crab, Johora singaporensis. Since that taxonomic examination, little else has been revealed about the crab, partly due to concerns about impacting the small but endangered population. In a recent study, aspects of the population biology, distribution and status of J. singaporensis were studied. This talk discusses the historical discovery, reports highlights of the recent study and discusses conservation implications for the future.

N. Sivasothi is an instructor at the Department of Biological Science more interested in otters and mangroves but inadvertently spent a lot of time in freshwater and peat swamp habitats in the early 90’s on zoological expeditions with Peter Ng. This recent examination of the freshwater crabs in Singapore by both was due to the supervision demands of honours student Daniel Ng.

Tuesday, 13th May 2008
Life – To Give or Not To Give
Karen Teo
11am, Function Hall, Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Acts of compassion turns sour. Come May every year, domesticated animals are illegally released into the nature reserves and reservoirs in the hope of giving them life. But little do many realised that 90% of these domesticated animals end up tragically dead. In an urbanised society like Singapore, the existence of our native flora and fauna hang on a very thin thread. What can we do, as inhabitants of this planet, to save the extensive biodiversity that Mother Earth has so lovingly nurtured over millions of years?

Karen Teo works as a Senior Outreach Officer in Central Nature Reserve, National Parks Board. As an ex-teacher, she is passionate in nature conservation and marrying her teaching skills to share with all the importance of protecting what little natural heritage we have left, through talks, exhibitions, workshops etc.

Saturday, 17th May 2008
Mad About Moths for Kids
Cicada Tree Eco-Place
2pm, Tanglin Core Information Counter, Singapore Botanic Gardens
*This interactive session is limited to 30 children. Please RSVP to lim_wei_ling@nparks.gov.sg by 9th May 2008.

Cicada Tree Eco-Place will conduct Mad About Moths for Kids to share its fascination with our less-known friends, moths. We will offer two concurrent 1.5 hour sessions on moths called Mad about Moths—one for adults and one for kids.

Mad about Moths for Kids will teach kids aged between 5 and 9 how to recognize moths, the differences between moths and butterflies, the life cycle of a moth, why moths are important members of our living planet, and what we can do to make a difference to moths! Children will also get a chance to take quick walk in the Gardens to see some butterflies so as to learn the major differences between moths and butterflies. This session will be fun and engage a young learner.

Cicada Tree Eco-place is a new non-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes nature, culture and eco-living through environmental education. Founded in Singapore in 2007, and managed by volunteer educators and environmentalists, it is named after a native freshwater swamp plant whose habitat is locally endangered, Ploiarium alternifolium (Cicada Tree or Riang Riang).

Saturday, 17th May 2008
Mad about Moths: Emperor Moths & Friends from SE Asia & the Amazon
Dr Preston Murphy
2pm, Classroom 3, Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Dr Preston Murphy will talk about “Mad about Moths: Emperor Moths & Friends from SE Asia & the Amazon” to highlight the beauty of moths in Asia as well as in South America. This talk, targeted at adult nature lovers, will focus on the diversity of large moths and dispel the myth that all moths are dull in colour and unattractive.

Dr Preston Murphy is former President of Lectret Precision Pte Ltd., Singapore, and continues to consult with the company on communications products. He and his wife Mireille are avid eco-travellers and have been to places as wild as Papua New Guinea to look for the birds of paradise. He is a passionate nature photographer, specialising in moths and butterflies.