New $60m marine science institute launched to help Singapore, region with ocean challenges

SINGAPORE -  A landmark national research initiative on marine science was officially launched on Sept 22, with a remit to help Singapore and the broader South-east Asian region deal with challenges ranging from coastal development to climate change. 

The $60 million National Institute of Marine and Ocean Sciences, dubbed NIMOS, is established by National Parks Board (NParks) with the National University of Singapore (NUS). 

The previous two marine science research programmes were five-year programmes funded to the tune of $25 million each. Both programmes were also more focused on applying science to domestic challenges, such as identifying sustainable engineering measures and solutions to create new marine habitats.

The launch event at the NUS University Hall Auditorium was attended by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, as well as some 150 researchers, university representatives and government officials. 

NIMOS director Huang Danwei, a coral biologist, said the launch of the new institute comes as several changes are expected in Singapore’s sea spaces. Regionally, too, the waters of South-east Asia are under stress from coastal development and climate change. 

In Singapore, he pointed to the recently announced plans for a new western island as an example of how partnership between scientists and government agencies will be paramount for securing a sustainable sea space for Singapore. 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had in August announced plans to merge several Southern islands to reclaim a new western island for industry, energy and defence needs. 

At the same time, Singapore will soon also welcome its second marine park at the nearby Lazarus-South Kusu reef. The second marine park was first announced in May 2024, but has not been officially gazetted. 

Said Huang: “As a small, highly urbanised island nation at the centre of one of the world’s most intensively used marine regions, Singapore can serve as a living laboratory for the future of tropical coastal environments.

“Our goal is therefore larger than understanding Singapore’s seas. It is to develop the science and tools for sustaining marine ecosystems alongside economic development—solutions that Singapore can demonstrate locally and contribute to a rapidly changing South-east Asia.”

He noted that coastal cities in South-east Asia are expanding and becoming more urbanised, taking the path that Singapore took years earlier.

Huang added that Singapore has played a prominent role in the High Seas Treaty, a hard-fought global deal that aims to protect the marine life of two-thirds of the ocean.

NIMOS will start by operating as a virtual institute while longer-term facilities are being developed, NUS said in a statement.

Its permanent home on the NUS campus is expected to include wet science laboratory facilities and collaborative office space for project teams.

Huang said the institute will not compete for limited funding and resources through competitive grant calls.

Instead, research teams will be assembled to take on projects co-developed by principal investigators, NIMOS and NParks.

Outlining the objectives of NIMOS for the years ahead, Huang said the institute will develop tools to enable marine ecosystems to withstand multiple stressors while continuing to provide the essential services Singapore relies on, among other things. 

Ecosystems provide natural benefits like improving water quality and supporting populations of marine life.

This includes understanding which organisms and processes are critical for maintaining ecosystem functions, and whether ecosystems are performing the functions society depends on.

Over the next decade, NUS and the institute will also offer a total of 22 post doctoral research scholarships supporting the growth of local expertise and projects.

Addressing guests, Chee said the institute will help Singapore “make good decisions supported by science”.

On western island, he noted that it is important for the Republic to plan ahead for its future strategic national needs, even as it recognises that the area is rich in biodiversity.

Said Chee: “I think members of the marine research and conservation community would agree with me that this is something that we need to do our best, to preserve as much as possible to minimise the impact as far as we can.”

He said the institute’s work can deepen Singapore’s understanding of the marine environment, assess the choices and trade-offs, and help make informed decisions about how its limited marine space is used.

NIMOS’ approach will help the Republic better understand the cumulative effects of climate change, human activity and other pressures on our marine environment over time,” he added.

He pointed out that the waters around Singapore have always been important to its development as a nation.

“How we understand, protect and manage them will become even more important in the decades ahead, as the demands on our limited marine space continue to grow,” said Chee.

“Our investments in marine science today are therefore investments in Singapore’s future. The better we understand our marine environment, the better equipped we will be to make sound decisions.”