Jurong Island- Man-made island off Jurong Industrial Estate, amalgamation of several offshore islands- From 1960s onwards, 3 big oil companies housed their facilities in the various offshore islands which later formed Jurong Island:- Pulau Ayer Chawan for Esso- Pulau Merlimau for Singapore Refinery Company- Pulau Pesek for Mobil Oil- Jurong Island's refineries process 1.3 million barrels of crude oil per day, turning it into petrol, kerosene and jet fuel sold locally and abroad- Chemicals and industrial wastes are emptied into the sea (Organotin and Irgarol-1051)• Pulau Bukom• Widened with land reclamation

- Originally a mangrove swamp- Current site of the Shell's oil refinery and plants for manufacture of chemicals- Shell's association with the island dates back to 1891, when the company used the island to store kerosene- Shell is currently extending its facilities on the island.

• The chemical waste from these industries are highly toxic and poisonous

• Pulau Busing• Heavily industrialised; home to oil and

chemical storage facilities, at least one marine offshore terminal, and a fuel oil refinery.

• In January 1997, a major oil spill from a tanker at the Busing Terminal brought pollution to the island's waters

• Ejection of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere from exhaust fumes from container ships can cause water pollution.

Impacts on Marine Life• The oil penetrates and opens up the structure

of the plumage of birds, reducing its insulating ability, and so making the birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water

• Oil spills affect other marine animals similar, reducing their insulating ability and making them vulnerable to temperature fluctuations.

• Water Pollution causes run off of nutrients and nutrient pollution, leading to rapid growth of macro algae. This affects the submerged plants as they could block off the sunlight entering water, leading to higher death rate of the submerged plants, resulting in a lack of food for marine animals resulting in the food chain balance being disrupted.

• Sedimentation as a result of oil refinery and exhaust fumes create a pollutant cover and reduces visibility, affecting the marine plants as it blocks out sunlight.

• The particles may accumulate in the air and cause air pollution, affecting the respiratory systems of both marine and land animals, causing respiratory problems.

• The polluted conditions of the water eventually leads to a lack of habitation. Marine plants die off due to increased competition for sunlight due to increased algae growth.

• Zooplankton and small fish would be unlikely to adapt to change in aquatic conditions. Even if they survive, it is likely for them to starve due to the lack of aquatic plants to feed on.

• As these primary consumers accidentally take in poisonous waste (due to the lack of food), through bioaccumulation, as we move down the food chain, increased toxins would result in predators dying off, ultimately resulting in the coastal areas being uninhabitable for marine life.

Ways to counter pollution

To combat oil pollution• Impose regulations on the factories which

discharge these pollutants into the water• These regulations could make it compulsory

for factories to treat these discharges, removing these pollutants before releasing it to the sea

• Impose policies for these factories to limit their waste discharge so as to create minimal, or optimally no damage to the environment at all

• Create governmental plans on distribution of land area could be plotted such that nature and technology is able to co-exist together

• Bioremediator chemicals (hydrophic) can be used in the case of an oil spill or to clean the waters of oil.

• To combat water pollution• Feedback systems to monitor the conditions of

the water, allowing for detection of abnormalities

• Allows quick and immediate action to be taken to curb the problem

• Introduce a new herbivorous species into the ecosystem, oneleast affected by nutrient run-off

• Demanding; requires sustainability• The herbivore would be keep the macroalgae

population in check • When species become established into the

ecosystem it would effectively prevent a bloom of macroalgae.

• The sedimentation problem can be solved with underwater filters to remove the silt.

The Southern Islands

Islands occupied

by Petroche

m-ical industrie

s

Islands occupied

by chemical storage facilities

Islands occupie

d by the

tourism industr

y

Sentosa, Lazarus Island,Kusu Island, St. John’s island, Sister’s Island

• Sentosa is a tourist hotspot for Singapore• Over 5 million visitors each year• Many beaches and swimming lagoons, as well

as beachfront resorts and watersport activities.• However, many hotels lack adequate waste

water treatment and release dirty water into the sea

• Also, some tourists litter• All these causes the coastal area to be

polluted• Lazarus Islands is used for recreational

activities, like fishing• There have been signs of overfishing in the

region.• The Sister’s Islands are used for recreational

activities such as snorkelling, camping and having a picnic.

Impacts on Marine Life• The poor sewage system releases untreated

discharge into the seas, resulting in water pollution hence adversely affecting marine life

• Many tourists visit the area, more waste is produced

• They might not be environmentally conscious; they might litter, or even throw into the water

• At the beach parties and events, the people are usually feeling hyped up, and not bother finding a bin

• Some might even find fun in throwing litter into the sea

• Marine animal might choke on these litter, or get trapped as a result of this litter and then die eventually

• Littering brings about the presence of impurities in the water, causing water pollution

• Tourism usually features ferries rides• Sometimes these ferries might by accident

slice through coral reefs, or kill marine animals similarly

• Exhaust fumes also pollute the waters and poison marine life

• Overfishing in Lazarus Island, would tip its ecosystem off balance

• Fishes are usually the primary or secondary consumer of the water plants, thus there might be an overgrowth of certain water plants

• Their predators are affected as well. The predators of these fish would have tough competition over the scarce amount of food available for them

• With snorkelling in Sister’s Islands, the snorkelers might accidentally damage a coral reef while diving

• Sunscreen lotion they might apply would affect the water as they contain chemicals which block out UV light, leading to rapid viral infection

• Eventually the coral bleaches and die off, and coral reefs are destroyed in the process

• Soft corals are threatened the most.

Ways to counter pollution• Educate the public on how they can do their

part in protecting the marine environment, keeping it clean and unpolluted

• During beach parties, much litter could be strewn across the beach

• Have people patrol the area and be on a lookout for litter bugs

• Encourage them to constantly remind one another not to pollute the area

• Heavier penalties serves well as a good deterrent

• Impose policies disallowing deforestation for islands being developed for tourism

• Saves the environment, and makes technology and nature co exist

• Ensure that there is proper sewage/waste management systems

• Alternative energy e.g. Green Energy Machine System by IST Energy

• Allows us to use turn waste into useful energy• This provides an alternative to the depleting

fossil fuel resource pool, and at the same time, reducing the emission of exhaust fumes that contribute to sedimentation and water pollution.

• Fishing on Lazarus Island should be limited to certain seasons (periods of time where fish is abundant to allow for adequate numbers for recovery of fish stock)

• Restrict to certain areas which constantly rotate to prevent overfishing

• Constant monitoring of the quality of water at all times (especially the water’s nitrate content) to ensure that it is fit for habitation.

• Current Measures:• Signs discouraging people from littering are

put up

Pulau Pawai, Pulau Sudong and Pulau Senang• These three islands are used by the SAF,

Mindef and the navy for training.

Impacts on Marine Life• Live firing area means a lot of ammunition are

used during the practices. During these times, some non-biodegradable waste (especially heavy metals) from the ammunition could be released into the sea, which are extremely toxic and would result in deaths of marine life, especially so as it passes down the food chain. Also, the particles might affect the respiratory systems of the marine animals.

Live Firing area

Pulau Sudong

Done by Szeto Kah Keong and Glen Yeo(4S4)

Current Measures:• e.g. Pulau Semakau• Landfills lined with impermeable memberanes• Clay & leachates treated at leacheate treatment plants• Regular water tests conducted to check conditions of the membrane

Exploring Chek Jawa

Referenceshttp://www.wildsingapore.com/places/cityreefs7.htmhttp://www.pcs.gr.jp/doc/esymposium/12172/98_mark-heau-e.pdfhttp://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1438_2009-02-06.htmhttp://coralreef.nus.edu.sg/conserve/conserve.htmhttp://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/coralhard/coralhard.htmhttp://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/news/pulauhantu/http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/sji.htm