A STOMPer came across many interesting things at the beach near Jalan Menpurong, and would like to share his find with fellow STOMPers.
In an email to STOMP today (April 26), the STOMPer says:
"These pictures were taken at the beach near Jalan Mempurong.
"Parts of the sea wall have been damaged, and if nothing is done, further damage will result in more soil erosion.
"The sea cockroaches (Ligia hawaiiensis) live near rocks on the beach. These are isopods and they move with very fast speed. If you go near them, they will scatter in all directions.
"In another picture, you will see a group of barnacles that attach themselves to rocks, piers and the hull of ships. These common littoral animals are actually crustaceans and not molluscs.
"They are fouling organisms. Their presence is often serious enough to slow ships down. Scraping them off is an expensive and laborious task. Recently, barnacles have become useful in dentistry since their strong protein cement has been found to be useful in fitting dentures.
"The concrete pier at the beach is very popular with anglers . You can see men, women and children here daily as they cycle here to fish and enjoy the fresh air by the sea."
