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Mangrove conservation in Singapore Peter K L Ng and N Sivasothi (editors)

The International Coastal Cleanup To the ICC Singapore website>> In 1996, about 7,529 tonnes of refuse was thrown out each day in Singapore. At present, only 35% of that is recycled. Refuse has become a significant issue for land scarce Singapore, and long-term solutions are being investigated by the Ministry of the Environment (ENV). Recently, Singapore had to resort to using an offshore landfill between the southern islands of Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng. Mangrove Conservation in Singapore Coastal Cleanup Oil spills Moribund trees Endangered Epiphytes Replanting Education Trash is, unfortunately, a significant feature of our mangroves! Other than flotsam from rivers and the sea, the trash also consists of abandoned possessions of former coastal kampung settlements like refrigerators, appliances and even the occasional kitchen sink! "King of the Mangroves": D. H. Murphy, Singapore's mangrove expert, making a point as he sits on an unlikely throne! Trash line in the back mangrove Most of the trash is mainly plastic and does not degrade for years, building up at the HWST level to form a strand line, or more appropriately, a trashline! In our mangroves, this is along sandbanks at the seaward edge, and landward behind the mud lobster mound systems. It is thus rarely seen by visitors to our parks. The localised accumulation actually makes the removal of trash easier if attempted. But this is a sizeable job, for the incoming tide has probably deposited trash flotsam for decades. Since 1992, the International Coastal Cleanup in Singapore has been mobilising thousands of students who participate in beach cleanups all over the island. The trash is categorised as it is gathered, and the collated data provides an estimation of trends in Singapore and the world. In September 1997, the first mangrove cleanup was attempted at the Mandai mangroves, clearing 40 trash bags containing a modestly estimated 600 kg of mainly plastics. Interestingly, cigarette butts which comprise the most common component of all other beach sites, was absent from this cleanup! Trash is categorised by recorders as it is collected At the end of the clean-up operation is the back-breaking work of carrying out the accumulated rubbish through the forest and streams for disposal Data about the collected trash is collated and analysed To the ICC Singapore website>>

What is mangrove? Introduction The Ecosystem Abiotic Biotic Value Intro Products Indirect uses Potential uses About Mangroves in Singapore History Mangroves to visit Conservation

From "A Guide to Mangroves of Singapore", Peter K. L. Ng and N. Sivasothi (editors) Volume 1: The Ecosystem and Plant Diversity and Volume 2: Animal Diversity Authors: Kelvin K. P. Lim, Dennis H. Murphy, T. Morgany, N. Sivasothi, Peter K. L. Ng, B. C. Soong, Hugh T. W. Tan, K. S. Tan & T. K. Tan BP Guide to Nature Series published by the Singapore Science Centre, sponsored by British Petroleum © 2001 Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore & The Singapore Science Centre