ST Explains How Sisters' Islands Marine Park is bringing science from lab to life

The Sisters' Islands Marine Park, which reopened to the public on Oct 28, is not just a place to bring people closer to Singapore's underwater life.

- Shabana Begum and Chin Hui Shan

It is also a living laboratory for marine scientists in Singapore to study corals, fish and other marine creatures that adorn the country's coastal areas - and where people can get up close with the research.

By allowing people to peer into the carved openings on the new floating boardwalk to see coral experiments or wade in the lagoons to see how seagrass and mangroves can be restored, the revamped Big Sister's Island will help bring marine science from lab to life.

But the marine science scene in Singapore extends beyond the marine park. As part of a region thronging with islands and coastal seas, many research groups in Singapore are embarking on research to better understand marine biodiversity.

On Oct 28, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee gave an update on some of these research programmes, including the launch of Singapore's second comprehensive marine biodiversity survey.

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE SECOND COMPREHENSIVE MARINE BIODIVERSITY SURVEY?

The first survey that was completed almost a decade ago had mapped out the types of marine life found across three habitats in Singapore's waters - intertidal mudflats, coral reefs, as well as the soft, submerged parts of the sea floor. Through these surveys, an estimated 72,000 specimens were collected. From them, over 37 species new to science and more than 300 species never found in Singapore before were discovered.

"While (the first phase) was a huge step forward in revealing Singapore's marine biodiversity, not everything could be covered," said Associate Professor Darren Yeo, head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at NUS.

The museum is one of three organisations helming the new, roughly five-year survey, alongside the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and the National Parks Board (NParks).