ReefDiary

Reefs in Singapore

There was once over 60 offshore islands and patch reefs around Singapore. However, since the mid 1970s, major land reclamation was carried out on the mainland as well as the offshore southern islands. Most of the southern islands were reclaimed, adding 1695 ha to Singapore's total land area. Some islands were merged as a result and the reef flats of many islands were reclaimed. Many coral reef organisms were smothered by the reclamation, while others were severely affected by the resulting increase in underwater sediments. Since 1986, most coral reefs in Singapore have lost up to 65% of their live coral cover. Visibility also dropped from 10m in the 1960s to 2m or less today.

posted by TheReefsLife's @ 5:25 AM