Palm | Kelapa Sawit

The New Paper AsiaOne 3 Jan 13;

THE waters off Pulau Ubin are teeming with life, and scientists are just beginning to catalogue uniquely Singaporean species.

More than 10,000 specimens were discovered during the Singapore Marine Biodiversity Workshop at Pulau Ubin between Oct 15 and Nov 2 last year.

The specimens were found in waters around Pulau Ubin, mostly from the East Johor Strait. Some were also found in waters in the West Johor Strait.

Of the new discoveries, Dr Tan Koh Siang of the Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS) said: "We are certainly excited about the specimens we have collected since quite a few are either new records for Singapore, or are 're-discovered' after many decades. "Some may eventually prove to be new science. "

About 200 participants were involved in the recent expedition, which was led by the National Parks Board (NParks) and NUS. The participants included 20 scientists from 10 countries, local scientists, conservation officers and volunteers.

The expedition to collect these never-before seen creatures was part of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey, which began in 2010 and is led by NParks.

The five-year study is supported by universities, non-governmental organisations and a small team of volunteers.

The average depth of the Johor Straits ranges from 5m to 20m, and the creatures discovered, which live in a variety of habitats, were collected from the intertidal shore or dredged from the seabed.

In response to The New Paper's queries about the 12 new discoveries featured here, Dr Tan said: "They remain undetermined and have no assigned scientific names at the moment."

SMALL CLAM

This small animal belongs to a unique group of bivalves that have extended their skin to cover the shell. The skin bears club-like protrusions that may have a deterrent function against predators.

BRITTLESTAR

Brittlestars are related to starfish, and grow between 1cm and 10cm long. They crawl beneath the surface of the seabed using flexible arms. They are scavengers that feed on organic particles and are common in Singapore waters.

SEA CUCUMBER

Sea cucumbers are marine animals with spines or spicules embedded in their skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. They are found on the sea floor worldwide.

STONEFISH

Stonefishes have venomous spines that can inflict a lot of pain though it is rarely fatal to humans. They are very common in Singapore waters, both in the Johor and Singapore Straits.

MARINE FLATWORM

The flatworms are bilaterians, which means they have bilateral symmetry. But unlike other bilaterians, they have no body cavity, and no specialised circulatory and respiratory organs. They can often be seen in tidal pools on mudflats, mangroves and coral reefs.

MANTIS SHRIMP

Mantis shrimps are marine crustaceans. Some species can exceed 30cm long. They are common animals around Pulau Ubin.

MARINE BRISTLE WORM

Bristle worms are mostly marine. They are segmented worms, generally less than 10cm long.

CRUSTACEAN

Crustaceans include familiar creatures like crabs, crayfish and shrimps. They are mostly free-living aquatic animals, but some are terrestrial, living in either marine or freshwater environments.

VOLUTE SNAIL

A family of predatory sea snails that are 9mm to more than 50cm long. Some species are harvested as food in Malaysia and Singapore. They feed on other molluscs like clams and snails.

SQUID

Squids have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle and arms. Many species are popular as food and the type found in Pulau Ubin waters is edible.

SEA ANEMONE ON CRAB

Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals. In this case, it is likely that the sea anemone and the crab have a mutually-beneficial relationship.

SEA SPIDER

Sea spiders are not related to true spiders. They are found across the tropics to the poles. There are more than 1,300 known species, ranging in size from 1mm to over 90 cm in some deep water species.