Prof CHOU Loke Ming
Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore
Title: Rehabilitating Singapore’s impacted coral reefs
Biography
Biography: Prof CHOU Loke Ming
Abstract
Singapore’s rapid coastal urbanization since the 1960s resulted in a 65% loss of its coral reefs to land reclamation. Increased sedimentation reduced underwater visibility from 10m in the early 1960s to less than 2m now. Reef rehabilitation to increase coral cover of degraded reefs and promote colonization of non-reef areas however, is deemed viable based on predictable mass spawning events, recruitment and vigorous growth. Techniques employed should be compatible with the high sediment load and destabilized reef substrate. Fixed horizontal table nurseries were most suitable for sites with sediment-coated substrate as they elevated the fragments above the bottom while the supporting mesh net on which coral fragments were placed reduced sediment accumulation around them. Of the 1,251 fragments from 22 hard coral genera raised in the nurseries over a year, 92% survived. The observation is part of an on-going project aimed at assessing 1) if rehabilitation can effectively assist with degraded reef recovery, 2) whether “new” reefs can be created in non-reef areas, and 3) the survivability of corals in close vicinity to coastal development. Results from the project when completed will help to establish protocols to support management decisions on reef rehabilitation.