Environmental Management

Singapore is a highly industrialised nation and the management of pollutant discharge into the marine environment is a major concern. Marine bioassays or bioindicators can be used as tools to monitor pollutant concentration and their effect on both the environment and on marine organisms. As a result, better management plans can be developed.

Some projects are:

Marine bioassays/bioindicator species development of sensitive bioassays for marine pollution monitoring & assessment

The main aim of this project is the development of protocols for the rapid assessment of marine pollution using biological early warning signals, and investigative techniques using cellular, physiological, biochemical and molecular responses in various marine organisms subjected to stress from selected pollutants.

Monitoring of tributyltin (TBT) pollution using marine gastropods as bioindicators

Tributyltin (TBT) is a toxic ingredient in anti-fouling paint used to discourage marine growth on ships' hulls. The high volume of marine traffic in Singapore waters might raise concentrations of TBT to levels detrimental to marine life. Monitoring of TBT by analytical methods is expensive and time-consuming. A more cost-effective means of determining ambient concentrations in the environment is desirable.

The objective is to develop a semi-quantitative TBT monitoring protocol using marine gastropods as bioindicators of pollution and endocrine disruption.

This research involves the determination of the distribution, abundance and diet of gastropods capable of undergoing imposex in local waters; quantification of TBT levels in the diet and tissues of these gastropods; and establishment of a dose-response relationship between TBT and quantifiable morphological characteristics.