Marine trash sampling at Selimang Beach on 07 July 2018

Join us for a marine debris sampling event at Selimang Beach! Data on both macro-debris (>5 mm) and microplastics (1 – 5 mm) would be collected from 20 quadrats (2.5 m by 2.5 m) in a systematic manner and supplies such as trash bags, sieves and gloves would be provided. Your participation would contribute valuable data to the NUS-NParks Marine Debris Monitoring Programme and would be used to establish the baseline data of marine trash in Singapore. Interested to find out more? Please refer to the webpage here: https://coastalcleanup.wordpress.com/nus‒nparks-marine-debris-monitoring-programme/

The sampling would be done at at Selimang Beach on 07 July 2018, Saturday, 8:30am - 11:00am. Two-way bus transport from Sembawang MRT would be provided. Alternatively, participants could catch bus 882 from opposite Sembawang MRT, alight at "Opp Jalan Janggus" and walk for 10 minutes to get to the end of Jalan Selimang Road. More details about bus 882 can be found here.

About the site: Selimang Beach is a less-known stretch of beach located at the end of Jalan Selimang Road near Sembawang beach. It is located next to PA Sembawang Water Venture Club and Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang Mosque. Due to the rough terrain of this beach, it is limited to participants aged 15 years old and above.

Itinerary:

• 8:30am (15 min) – Bus transport from Sembawang MRT to end of Jalan Selimang Road.

• 8:45am (15 min) – Safety and procedure briefing. Apply insect repellent, and distribution of gloves and trash bags.

• 9:00am (10 min) – Set up of quadrats and allocate participants to quadrats

• 9:10am (60 – 90 min) – Begin macro-debris and microplastics sampling; Categorisation, counting and data recording of macro-debris.

• 10:40am (15 min) – End of sampling and data recording; Transport of trash bags to Trash Disposal Point; Debrief

• 11:00am – End of event

Things to note:

1. Cleanup supplies such as gloves, trash bags, and weighing scales will be provided.
2. You must wear hard-soled covered shoes or booties to protect your feet from hazards, else you won’t be able to participate in the sampling. Slippers and sandals are not allowed.
3. A change of clothes is recommended after a sweaty workout.
4. Long pants are recommended to protect your legs from insect bites.
5. We will continue the sampling in rain (bring rain gear) but cease if there is threat of lightning.

Things to bring:

1. Water bottle (with at least one litre of water)
2. Hat, sun block and/or insect repellent
3. Reusable raincoat/poncho (we will work in light rain)
4. Change of clothes for public transport

Be prepared:

1. Sleep early the night before
2. Have a decent breakfast– It’s hard work!
3. Be punctual as the tide waits for no one!
4. Please read our advice to participants to prepare yourself for the sampling exercise!

Thank you for your interest and see you on the beach!