Mud from land a threat to survival of corals in S'pore: Study

Reefs face risk of being smothered as coastal development in region is ramped up

- Shabana Begum

While corals in Singapore live in murky waters, future coastal development and climate change could send more harmful mud to the coral reefs, threatening their long-term survival.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found that it is mud from land—be it from reclamation or intense rainfall—that could smother corals and later impede their recovery from bleaching events.

The study, which was published in scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin in March, looked into six reefs in the Southern Islands. The results shed light on the possible dangers that healthy reefs in the region could face as coastal development ramps up in South-east Asia.

"As coastal development in the region increases, greater amounts of mud are being washed into the sea during rainfall events. Our study finds that even corals which have adapted to living in murky waters will struggle to grow when there is too much sediment," said Assistant Professor Kyle Morgan from the NTU Asian School of the Environment and the Earth Observatory of Singapore, who led the research.

The research also found that reefs with more mud settled on them exhibited slower recovery after coral bleaching events.

Bleaching is caused by marine heatwaves, where higher sea temperatures stress coral reefs, forcing them to expel the algae that give them their vibrant colours. This causes corals to turn an ashen white.