Thoughts on Conservation

Before the rain
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. March 2014)

Before the rain comes & pours its sorrow to you

Before you grow old & walk away from Her

Before She becomes too distant a memory; Her scent, all too foreign; Her place, one forgotten

Before the future walks ahead of you & laughs at your follies

We do what we can - 

For what we can do, 

Is the best we can do

For Her.

& I will fix you...

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein

When it comes to conservation, a little part of me dies inside. The future seems pretty (very, extremely) bleak. Some people try their hardest, while others simply cannot be bothered. It's tough. But I suppose, we do what we can.

Legislation, to some, may seem like a means of putting blind words into action; action that never truly addresses the root cause of issues. But the fact is, legislation makes things happen! With over 39% of mangrove shield lost between the period of 1973 & 1996, the Mangrove Trimming & Preservation Act was enacted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in 1996. It regulated the alteration of mangroves through permits & banned the use of certain chemicals on mangroves. It is predicted by FDEP that 'within 15-30 years, mangrove habitats can once again become well-established if conditions are suitable.' Although the success of such initiatives tend to be uncertain, I'd reckon it beats idly watching the depletion of mangroves & awaiting its extinction.

I'm so proud to proclaim that efforts have also been made here in Singapore as well. Organised by volunteers of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the International Coastal Clean-up Singapore (ICCS) has been mobilising thousands of individuals & groups (private organisations, government bodies & institutions) across the island for clean-ups at beaches & mangroves. In fact, just last week, students from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES), in NUS, had their annual mangrove clean-up, under the ICCS, at Lim Chu Kang. Such activities enable individuals to understand the reality & extent of mangrove pollution, & physically reduce the stress faced by mangroves (although their physical presence in the mudflats probably have some detrimental impact on the mangrove as well). I find it encouraging to know that awareness is being raised & action is being taken to ensure the conservation of mangroves in Singapore.

Perhaps, all is not loss. Perhaps, the accumulation of our individual & communal efforts to conserve mangroves will, one day, yield fruits & I shall look forward to the coming of that day! But for now, we shall do what we can!

References:

• ICCS. 2014. International Coastal Cleanup Singapore. [ONLINE] Available at:http://coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg/aboutcleanup.html. [Accessed 15 September 14].
• FLMNH. 2003. FLMNH Icthyology Department: South Florida Aquatic Environments. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/SouthFlorida/mangrove/Conservation.html. [Accessed 15 September 14].
• Mangrove Action Project. 2014. About Us | Mangrove Action Project. [ONLINE] Available at:http://mangroveactionproject.org/about-us/. [Accessed 15 September 14].
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 2012. FDEP Office of Submerged Lands and Environmental Resources: Mangrove Coordination. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/mangroves/. [Accessed 15 September 14].

Mad Mangroves: Death by Disaster

Yes, mangroves are beautiful places.
Yes, I love mangroves. 
Yes, they are in danger. Very much, indeed.

DEATH BY DISASTER:

The anthropogenic threats faced by mangroves today

I spy with my little eyes...
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. March 2014)

We are a species driven by self-interest, living in a massive bubble of what some people call 'The Unknown', or what I call 'Our Ignorance'. Oh, what great abilities we possess, but what narrow minds we have! 

With approximately 35% of global mangroves being lost in a mere span of 20 years, mangroves have been one of the most neglected & threatened biomes in the world. Why are they loss? How have they been loss?

The predicted relative rise in sea levels has been said to be the greatest threat to existing mangroves (Gilman et. al 2008) & mangroves are likely to be completely loss in the next 100 years, should current situations persist (Duke et. al 2007). Historically, mangroves have been able to keep pace with changes in sea levels & maintain their relative position in the tidal frame. However, the recent rate of increase of sea levels has been far greater than the rate at which mangroves can adapt to it, putting them at the vulnerable risk of inundation. How then is the rise in sea levels even related to us? Climate change, of course! The 5th Assessment Report released by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that anthropogenic causes have increased land surface albedo & the production of greenhouse gases - factors that exacerbate & enhance the rate & extent of climate change.

Together with growing developmental pressures (i.e. urbanisation & industrialisation) & competition for land, many mangroves now face a situation termed 'Coastal Squeeze', where the seaward margin of a mangrove retreats upslope while its landward margin is constrained by a fixed barrier (which could be in the form of concrete pavements, roads or buildings). It is, thus, not difficult to foresee the possible bleak or non-existent future of mangroves with these 2 anthropogenic factors coming in play.

As much as I'd love to claim that such losses have nothing much (or nothing at all) to do with us, I'm afraid that would be too big a lie to tell. Dear you, I don't really want to know what other disasters you are capable of creating. I'm interested to know how you're going to fix the ones you have created. 

References:

• -, D.A. Friess, J. Phelps, R.C. Leong, W.K. Lee, A.K.S Wee, Sivasothi N., R.R.Y. Oh, E.L. Webb, 2012. Mandai Mangrove, Singapore: Lessons for the Controversy of South-east Asia's Mangroves. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, -, 55- 63.
• -, S. Sandilyan, K. Kathiresan, 2012 Mangrove Conservation: A Global Perspective. Biodiversity Conservation , 21, 3523- 3542.
• INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE. (2014) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (New York Cambridge University Press)

Baby, you're a madness of a mangrove!

So there are a whole lot of habitats out there - 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater & 43 marine eco-regions, to be exact! I'm thinking of the handful of habitats I've encountered &...I really could do with more travelling![1]

They say falling in love is one of the greatest feelings. I always had the notion I'd fall in love with people, I never thought I'd fall in love with a place. I guess I was wrong. Hence, this evening, I shall begin with something close to home & closest to my heart:

THE MAD, MAD MANGROVE!

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at high-tide
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. April 2014)

The madness begins with my encounter with a mangrove. My first experience in the mudflats probably wasn't the cleanest, but it was one hell of an experience! It included trudging through knee-high mud & marinating in the stench of sulphide! But let me assure you, it was all worth it!

You don't need statistics to tell you the richness of its biodiversity, you simply need to open your eyes to observe all the life around you -Footprints of migratory birds, brightly-coloured crabs, worms, camouflaged horseshoe crabs, crocodiles, mud-skippers, snakes, fireflies (Yes, there are fireflies!!), etc. You'd probably figure out that the biodiversity per unit area in mangroves is MAD! It really is that blatant & brilliant - brilliantly blatant & blatantly brilliant!

Unknown Bug
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. March 2014)

Tree-climbing Crab
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. February 2014)

Monitor Lizard
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. February 2014)

Underside of a Horseshoe Crab
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. February 2014)

Estuarine Crocodile
(Photo taken by Joeline Lim. April 2014)

Mangroves are located in the inter-tidal zones of sheltered shores, estuaries, tidal creeks, backwaters, lagoons, marshes & mudflats of the tropical & subtropical latitudes [2]. They are characterised by pretty mad conditions: (1) High salinity (2) Water-logged, anaerobic soil (3) Fluctuating tides.Yet these are the very conditions that make them so, so special (to me, at least)!

It is a beautiful privilege to be able see how organisms have adapted to such mad conditions! 

You can find tree-climbing crabs climbing trees during high tide to keep from drowning. I was told that you can predict the incoming tide level just by observing how high these crabs climb. 

Additionally, mangrove plants have adapted to the high salinity environment by excreting excess salt through their leaves! (So there was one fine day, I tried licking a leaf of an Avicennia to taste it for myself; YES! IT WAS SALTY!) & the leaves of the Excoecaria Agollocha (commonly known as 'Buta Buta') turns from a lush green to a bright orange-red when excess salt has accumulated in it & eventually sheds its salty leaves! 

You see, my dear friend, it's in these little details of a place that makes it all the more beautiful!

Be sure to stay-tune for Mad Mangroves: Part II!

References:

• [1] World Wildlife Fund. 2013. WWF- Major Habitat Types. [ONLINE] Available at:http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/. [Accessed 31 August 14].
• [2] -, S. Sandilyan, K. Kathlresan, 2012. Mangrove Conservation: A Global Perspective. Biodiversity Conservation, -, -.