Many famous scientists have visited and studied local flora and fauna including Alfred Russell Wallace, who with Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. The two guide books that are being launched today are about our mangroves. Many people think of mangroves as muddy, mosquito-infested swamps which could be removed for better use. Although not much is left of the mangroves in Singapore, these areas still have important functions in nature. The mangrove ecosystem acts as a nursery, supporting many commercially important organisms such as crabs, fish and prawns at critical stages of their growth.
Mangroves protect the coast by absorbing the energy of high waves and storms.
Mangrove forests act as a buffer between the land and sea trapping sediment and mud from land, stabilising shorelines and also preventing clouding of water that could cause sea corals to die. At the same time, mangroves provide opportunity for recreation and ecotourism. This has been exploited in Malaysia, in Kuala Selangor and Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia. Quite incredibly, even in the little mangrove that we have, research in the 1990s alone has led to the discovery of nine new species of animals. Hence, our mangroves are still very interesting places to visit with the anticipation of more discoveries to come.