BY ALEXIS GOH
On 12th October 2018, a group of us eager CN Yang scholars took a ferry over to St John’s Island. For most of us, it was our first time visiting one of Singapore’s Southern Islands, and we were looking forward to exploring what it had to offer.
Just a fifteen minute walk away and past many of the island’s feline inhabitants, we arrived at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML). SJINML is Singapore’s one and only offshore marine research facility. Right at the entrance of the lab, we were greeted by an interesting aquarium installation – an open-air mangrove-habitat tank, featuring tide levels that changed as if in nature. Spotted pufferfish and archerfish happily swum amongst the mangrove roots, and darted over the sea cucumbers at the bottom of the tank.
The SJINML staff welcomed us into the building and introduced us to the history of the island as well as conservation work the lab was involved in. There was even a reconstruction of the kind of infrastructure and measures being enacted in Singapore’s coral reefs to support their growth, as they play very crucial roles as habitat spaces and in protecting shorelines.
We were then brought into the seminar room, where on-site researchers briefly introduced their work to us. As expected, many of them were studying our rich local marine biodiversity as well as general oceanography. In particular, we saw exclusive research images of Polychaetes, or bristle worms, and learnt more about the impact of algal bloom in water bodies. The researchers emphasised the need for more marine research to be conducted locally.
After the seminar session, we were then split into different groups to go on a tour of the labs. The staff introduced us to equipment they used, such as a microscope that allowed them to study micro-organisms and other debris in flowing water. In the lab, a researcher was working on meticulously sorting shells into various size groups; outside in the coral nursery, others were conducting checks on coral growth and health. It was clear that these researchers were very serious and passionate about their work.
After some free time spent exploring the scenic and peaceful island, we once again climbed aboard the ferry and arrived back to mainland Singapore.
For those interested in marine biodiversity, the Young Marine Scientist Research Award is a collaboration between SJIML and Marine Science R&D Program (MSRDP) to provide passionate youths the opportunity to conduct marine research. More information can be found here: http://sjinml.nus.edu.sg/explore-menu-2/
Thanks for reading!