Marine biodiversity

Singapore is located within one of the few epicentres of marine biological diversity in the world, with more than 8000 species of animals and plants recorded from the island nation. Yet we know little about the natural history and taxonomy of marine organisms, which are the raw ingredients of knowledge required for effective marine environmental conservation and management.

This program aims to study biodiversity on the seashores and in the waterways around Singapore, as well as to examine sustainable ways to conserve and manage our living heritage.

Some projects are:

Marine molluscan biodiversity of Singapore waters

In spite of efforts in the past to describe and document the invertebrate fauna in Singapore waters, our knowledge of taxonomy and systematics of marine molluscs remains largely rudimentary. We know even less about their biology: their distribution, abundance, diet, growth, reproduction and dispersal are unknown even for common species. This study aims to identify and evaluate taxonomically problematic groups in Singapore and Southeast Asia using modern taxonomic methods. It also examines the biology of some of the Singapore's common shore molluscs in Singapore. The results will provide us with the necessary baseline knowledge to understand and conserve our living heritage.

Sustainable management of coral reef biodiversity and assessment of anthropogenic effects on the ecosystem

By monitoring species composition, abundance and distribution of local reef organisms, together with environmental parameters, we aim to establish reef communities as vital bioindicators of the environment. This work also contributes to the building up of our National Biodiversity Database, increasing the capability of TMSI to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment and formulating principles for sustainable practices.