McKenzie, Len J., Yaakub, Siti Maryam, Tan, Ria, Seymour, Jamie, and Yoshida, Rudi L. (2016) Seagrass habitats of Singapore: environmental drivers and key processes. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 34 (1). pp. 60-77.

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Abstract

Seagrasses are an important component of the marine ecosystems of Singapore. Using various assessment activities, we confirm 10 seagrass species within the waters of Singapore, with an additional two species under review for synonymy. Using long-term monitoring we examined the key attributes that affect the resilience of Singapore's seagrasses. We defined five broad categories of seagrass habitat in Singapore as estuary, coast, rocky fringing reef, sandy fringing reef, and patch reef. We identify the key features of the habitats and provide some insight into the drivers of change. In their natural state, seagrasses appear to follow a unimodal pattern of growth annually, which peaks in the late intermonsoon period prior to the onset of the southwest monsoon. Light availability appears to be the critical factor for seagrass growth in Singapore, and environmental factors, which modify the interactive effect of light availability and temperature are possibly the main drivers of change. Finally, we synthesised our understanding of seagrass ecosystems by classifying the attributes of the species present, meadow structure, and their possible drivers into a framework to assist ongoing monitoring and management decision-making. We also discuss the implications of seasonal growth in the Singapore context and identify research gaps that need to be urgently addressed. This understanding will help to better focus seagrass management and research in Singapore.

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