Loss of Aquatic Plants

Due to sedimentation and land clearing, two major types of aquatic plants are affected.

The first would be coral reefs. Much like mangrove forests, coral reefs can be found extensively all over Singapore. However, following the demand of more land space due to a growing population, the population of coral reefs decreased due to works that are occurring for land reclamation. It is estimated that over 60% of coral reefs have been destroyed, and majority of these losses are due to land reclamation projects throughout the years.

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One of the affected species of coral- the mushroom coral (Heliofungia actiniformis) 

Image taken from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/807219658/

It has been found that several species of these mushroom corals cannot be found in Singapore waters anymore, despite being discovered to exist in the 1950s-1960s. Marine biologists cite the increase in sediment load in the water as a cause of their extinction in Singapore. As some breeds of corals are less susceptible to sediment load and are unable to adapt to the changing conditions of the water, they eventually die off.

Corals provide shelter for several aquatic organisms in the sea, such as fish. Clearing these coral reefs could disrupt the food chain and ecosystem of these aquatic organisms that depend on it.

The second type of aquatic plant to be affected is the phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is a microscopic plant that cannot be seen by the naked eye, but if clustered, can be seen to tint the waters green due to the presence of chlorophyll. Phytoplankton obtain energy through photosynthesis, and ensure the balance in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the water. Phytoplanktons also play a major role in the aquatic food chain/web, as they are the base of the chain.

However, there has been a decrease in the amount of phytoplankton found in Singapore waters. Research conducted measured the amount of chlorophyll in the waters, which indirectly implies the remaining number of phytoplankton in the water. It has been found that despite having a suitable temperate for the growth of phytoplankton, Singapore actually has only a low level of phytoplankton. Reasons for this would be due the inability to obtain sunlight to photosynthesize, making it difficult for the species to thrive. This outcome could impact many aquatic species who depend on phytoplankton for survival, whether directly or indirectly.