Thursday, March 20, 2008

Mandai Mangroves at night---crabs that climb trees






Our group explored Mandai mangroves expecting to have a muddy adventure. We were guided by Dan’s friend and associate (now our friend) who researches this and other areas.

Like Chek Jawa, these mangroves remind me of home—not the mangrove flora or the specific creatures but in the intense volume and variety of life found similarly in Rachel Carson Estuary and our surrouding barrier islands.

After slipping around a bit, we made discovery after discovery –some as we looked across the straights to Jahor. I was happy to be greeted at one point by the familiar bark of the Great Blue Heron as we entered too close to his roost.

Singapore has a rapidly diminshing volume of mangrove habitat. All of South East Asia has this smae problem caused by numerous factors--deforestation, development, erosion, intrusion by man on many fronts--but Singapore may be the worst case example of Asia--with 95% lost. By 2030, this loss will extend to 97% ( which would mean 40-50% loss of what exists today--which is already at crisis levels.

This area of mangrove is important for its diversity (at least seven types of tree climbing crabs) and its ability to be used tomonitor the decline or repair of environmeantal health as a nation tries to remain self-sufficient and healthy while turning attention increasingly to ecological issues as citizen interest in this increases.
Our group explored Mandai mangroves expecting to have a muddy adventure. We were guided by Dan’s friend and associate (now our friend) who researches this and other areas.

Please visit this site to learn more:
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/mandai/

1 comment:

Sivasothi said...

Crabs from top to bottom:
Selatium brocki,
Episesarma
sp.,
Episesarma sp.,
Epixanthus dentatus (forceps crab).