SINGAPORE – From a mysterious sea lettuce field to the rediscovery of a lost walnut tree, The Straits Times highlights some of the rare finds from Singapore’s shores and beyond, published in 2023.
These records of the island’s natural history were published in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum’s magazine “Nature In Singapore”, which records articles about the flora and fauna here.
Mysterious algae bloom
Scientists in Singapore were surprised when parts of Lazarus Island’s beach turned fluorescent green in June 2022.
The change was due to a blanket bloom of Ulva, a type of algae, which had never been officially observed on Singapore’s south coast.
Worryingly, the edible algae mats Ulva This genus choked seagrass meadows, depriving them of light and oxygen.
Seagrasses play a key role in fighting climate change and the growth of lettuce fields is putting this “precious ecosystem” at risk, researchers Pavarne Shanti, Adrian Dwiputra and Tasha said.・Mr. Vadia Sarila stated in a record published in January 2023.
Around the world, seagrass meadows absorb global warming carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
These grasslands, which remain unprotected in Singapore, provide shelter and food for a diverse community of animals, from sea cucumbers to dugongs.