Decrease in fish

There are several species of fish that are being affected by land reclamation projects in Singapore. One reason for the decreasing amount of fish in surrounding waters would be the decrease in water quality, making it hard for the species to thrive and survive. Another reason would be that the clearing of land causes the clearing of the fish’s home and shelter.

One such example would be the damselfish. Damselfish are one of the most commonly found species in tropical waters such as Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore alone, there are over 39 species of damselfish discovered, and many more which have not been identified. These fish are said to play an important role in the aquatic food chain due to the abundance of fish that can be found. Damselfish are reef fish, and they reside in the coral reefs found in oceans and seas. They feed on phytoplankton that are found in the water.

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The Bengal Sergeant (Abudefduf bengalensis), one of the species of damselfish found in Singapore 

Image taken from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/11511554426/

In the process of landfills and clearing of land, the coral reefs that damselfish reside in are destroyed. Because of this, numbers for damselfish have been dropping over the years.