Formation. St John's Island's original area of was expanded by through land reclamation in the 1970s. In 2006, Lazarus Island and Seringat Island were merged and then connected to St John's via a causeway. St John's coastline comprises sandy beaches, quarry rocks to prevent erosion, lagoons, cliffs, and mangrove swamps. Like Singapore, St John’s has an equatorial climate with rainfall throughout the year, especially during the first half of the Northeast Monsoon. In 2020, restricted access to the protected lagoon, Bendera Bay, was opened to the public via programmes. Biodiversity The island’s tropical forest and marine habitats are home to crustaceans and cetaceans in the Singapore Strait and land animals. The island is also surrounded by coral reefs. The nationally critically endangered Asian Drongo Cuckoo can be found on the island, as well as nesting grounds of the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle. St John's Island is covered by natural vegetation (32.0%), the majority of which is managed coastal vegetation (60.6%). More than 258 species of vascular plants have been recorded on the island, including several nationally critically endangered species such as the Podocarpus Polystachyus R Br (Sea Teak) and the Xylocarpus rumphii (Meliaceae). The Sentosa Development Regulations (1997) were implemented to protect the biodiversity of Singapore’s offshore islands. Among other regulations, it prohibits killing or capturing any animal, bird, insect, or plant. Demographics From 1962 to 1963, there were more than 400 islanders. Between 1976 and 1977, the residents of St John's Island, Lazarus Island and Seringat Island were relocated to the mainland, and the remaining four permanent islanders on St John's left in 2017. St John’s Island English Primary School, the only school on the island, was shut down in 1976. St John's Island currently has no permanent residents. Notes References Bibliography External Links St John's Island management (Singapore Land Authority) Islands of Singapore Southern Islands