Thirty years of massive land reclamation programs compounded with regular dredging of shipping channels, has resulted in the widespread sedimentation of coral communities, posing the biggest threat to this area.

Description: Most of Singapore's reefs lie off the Southern Islands. This area is home to at least 197 species of hard corals.[7] The area supports a growing tourism industry, as well as some subsistence and sport fishing.

Threats: The Southern Islands reefs lie within the port limits of the world's busiest harbor, while the islands themselves support oil refineries, petrochemical industries, and slop-treatment plants. Thirty years of massive land reclamation programs compounded with regular dredging of shipping channels, has resulted in the widespread sedimentation of coral communities, posing the biggest threat to this area. Underwater visibility has been reduced from 12 meters in the 1960s to two meters today. The active growth zone of corals is now confined to the upper five meters of reef slopes. The news is not all bad: thanks to careful sewage and industrial treatment practices, these coral communities still survive despite their proximity to one of the most densely populated places on earth.