110717 Terumbu Bemban and a little bit on "Forests, People, Environment" Exhibition at SBG

Terumbu Bemban has two patches of good coral growth on opposite sides, one patch is fairly small while the other is larger.


Ivan spotted a mosaic crab (Lophozozymus pictor) immediately upon arrival.


This hairy Pilumnus crab must really like seaweed.


Snapping shrimp.


There was quite a varied selection of hard coral, some not often seen in Singapore:

Beautiful pebble Astreopora coral.


Not sure which coral this is, Pachyseris?


Pachyseris coral.


Turbinaria.


Large colonies of Turbinaria.


Alicia spotted this small colony of Euphyllia coral.


Very tiny fungid coral, attached to substrate.


Adult unattached fungid coral.


Another type of fungid coral.


Herpolitha fungid coral, with some protuberances.


Looks like Pectinia coral.


Looks like Mussidae.


Acropora coral. There is at least one Tetralia nigrolineata bandit crab in this colony, can you see it?


Goniopora.


Galaxea.


Fish hiding in Turbinaria.


Exploring the glorious patch of coral.


Two common reef anemones side by side, Heteractis magnifica on the left and Entacmaea quadricolor on the right.


Closer look at Entacmaea quadricolor.


Ivan spotted this edwarsid anemone.


Alicia spotted this pretty Phymanthus anemone.


Nestled in rocks were strange polyps like this patterned corallimorph


and this cluster of polyps, each about 2 mm diameter excluding tentacles.


Soft coral (Alcyonacea).


Flatfish (Pardachirus pavoninus) hiding in plain sight.


Kok Sheng spotted this Chromodoris lineolata.


Ria spotted this pair of Phyllidiella nigra.


There were many of these Phyllidiella pustulosa around.


Quite a few of these Jorunna funebris as well.


Alicia noticed some odd looking lump on the sand which turned out to be a Discodoris boholiensis nudibranch.


Kok Sheng found this beautiful crinoid.


Large barrel sponge.



Kok Sheng noticed this weird growth. Not sure what it is, some sort of sponge?



After the shore trip, Ria, Ivan and I went to Singapore Botanic Gardens to listen to Jonathan's talk on Taking Stock of Singapore's Marine Biodiversity and to take a look at the Singapore Botanic Gardens "Forests, People, Environment" Exhibition (Ria has a full post on this exhibition here). The exhibition showcases, among other things, how Singapore has managed to develop our land yet preserve our greenery to such an extent that our plant coverage has actually increased recently despite ongoing development. It is a beautiful exhibition and a lot of effort had been put in to make it attractive and informative.