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Habitatnews 2002-05: Sunday, 10th March 2002
The Habitat Group's Nature Information List
To subscribe, email: habitatnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Current nature-related news busy Singaporeans might otherwise miss
More information and archives at: <http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg>
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Marine Life Special

1. An old man and the sea,
2. Dugongs disappearing worldwide due to human overload,
3. Raising Dugong ­ what¹s best for Gracie?
4. World's 10 richest reefs hammered by humans
5. "Developing a Chek Jawa GIS Data Base" by Dr. Kumaran Raju
6. International team embarks on South China Sea expedition EX ANAMBAS

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---> [1] An old man and the sea by Chompoo Trakullertsathien,
Bangkok Post, 7th February 2002
<http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/070202_Outlook/07Feb2002_out41.html>
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Ahmad Kaewthong, headman of Ban Jao Mai, and his efforts to restore the
seagrass ecosystem, protect the dugongs and restore the livelihood of his
village.

---> Thanks to Nick Baker, 21 Feb 2002. "Here's a wonderful story about one
man and his efforts to restore seagrass ecology and dugongs in Trang
Province, Thailand."


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---> [2] ENS: Dugongs disappearing worldwide due to human overload
<http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2002/2002L-02-13-01.html>
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CARTAGENA, Colombia, February 13, 2002 (ENS) - The dugong, a marine species
that is a key indicator of coastal health, is vanishing in the 37 countries
and territories, environment ministers from around the world meeting here
were told today. Where dugongs cannot thrive, coastal environments will soon
fail to support people as well, the new report warns.

---> Thanks to Sasi Nayar, 15th February 2002.


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---> [3] Raising Dugong ­ what¹s best for Gracie?
By Carolline Durville, Asian Diver, date unknown.
<http://www.asiandiver.com/themagazine/marinelife/dugong.html>
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About the captive baby dugong, found entangled in nets, and since raised by
the Underwater World Singapore. Includes a QuickTime video of Gracie.

Look at the index for marine life articles for other interesting stories
including one about the Manado coelacanth.
<http://www.asiandiver.com/themagazine/marinelife/>

---> Thanks to Ria Tan, 31 Jan 2002

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---> [4] ENS: World's 10 richest reefs hammered by humans
<http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2002/2002L-02-21-01.html>
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WASHINGTON, DC, February 21, 2002 (ENS) - Fishing with explosives and
poison, overfishing, sedimentation and pollution from activities on land are
wiping out the world's coral reefs, according to two new reports presented
this week by conservation organizations based in Washington. Pressure on the
reefs is most intense in the coral triangle formed by Indonesia,
Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and southern Japan.

'Two of the top three reef hotspots are in Southeast Asia [Philippines and
the Sunda Islands of Indonesia], a result that squares with a separate
report from the World Resources Institute issued February 14 that adds to
the evidence of damage affecting the coral reefs of Southeast Asia.'

---> Thanks to Sasi Nayar, 22nd February 2002.


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---> [5] "Developing a Chek Jawa GIS Data Base" by Dr. Kumaran Raju
GIS Administrator, Land Transport Authority
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Friday 22 March 2002 12.30pm - 1.30pm

LT 4 (Block 7, Plaza Level)
National Institute of Education

How to get there? See: <http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/BDJC/nie.html>

About the Topic
---------------
Dr. Raju will explain the rationale and processes behind the development of
a GIS database for Chek Jawa. 'Friends of Chek Jawa', who collectively
provided the field and map data that make up the GIS database, initiated
this 'project'. This project is not supported by any funding and was carried
out to provide a common 'home' for the ecological, geomorphic, bathymetric,
management and photographic data. The Chek Jawa GIS has no real ownership;
it belongs to all. The GIS is still developing and will continue to grow as
additional data and information come to hand.

About the Speaker
-----------------
Dr. Raju is a hydrogeologist with expertise in GIS and Remote Sensing. He is
currently the GIS administrator in the Land Transport
Authority, Singapo re. His responsibilities include maintaining the Road
Information database and researching on the migration of database from the
CASSINI coordinate system to SVY95. Dr. Raju is a committed
environmentalist, serving as a volunteer in the Nature Society of Singapore
and has participated in various ecological surveys as a volunteer.

Dr. Raju was a research scientist in the Asian Elephant Research and
Conservation Centre in Bangalore. He was also a research associate at the
Indian Space Research Organization in Bangalore and a project associate at
the Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University in Chennai, India.

This seminar is organised by Humanities & Social Studies Education AG

Source: Thanks to S. M. A. Rashid, 9th March 2002


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---> [6] International team embarks on South China Sea expedition
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Note to Habitatnews subscribers - the Singapore team of seven
includes your friendly Chek Jawa guides: Joelle Lai, Zeehan Jaafar,
Darren Yeo and myself.

The National University of Singapore
Press Release, 9th March 2002

EXERCISE ANAMBAS

Exercise Anambas is an exploratory expedition to study the biodiversity of
the poorly explored islands of Anambas and Natuna of the Republic of
Indonesia. It will be the first expedition of its kind in history involving
scientists from the territories surrounding the South China Sea.
Participants are from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Chinese
Taipei, Malaysia, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Thailand and
Vietnam.

The participants, who will meet in Singapore on Sunday 10 March 2002, will
be involved in a 10-day expedition aboard the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) research vessel, the Baruna Jaya VII, from 11 to 20 March
2002, followed by a three-day post-expedition workshop in Singapore.

The group will leave via Batam on Monday 11 March 2002. This scientific
expedition is being led by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research of
the National University of Singapore and the (LIPI).

The results of the biodiversity survey will be published in a special
scientific volume for use by scientists internationally. The area has not
been surveyed scientifically for more than 100 years, and the biodiversity
of the area is almost unknown. This is also the first time a large group of
scientists from different countries are working together on a biodiversity
project, and the expedition will not only contribute towards regional
cooperation, but also towards the future conservation of the marine
environment.

The proposal for this expedition was submitted by the Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research of the National University of Singapore, in February
2000 to the South China Sea Workshop, at the recommendation of the Workshop
on Biodiversity Assessment in May 1997. The 11th Workshop for Managing
Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea adopted the proposal as a
confidence building measure in Jakarta on March 2001.

For more information, please contact:

Assoc Prof Peter Ng
Email: peterng@..., Tel: +65-874-5082,
Director, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
National University of Singapore

Mr N. Sivasothi,
Email: sivasothi@..., Tel: +65-874-8869
Research Officer, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
National University of Singapore
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