RECONSTRUCTING THE GEOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL HISTORY OF REEFS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Shallow water tropical reefs form extensive habitats that play host to an immense diversity of species and provide a multitude of ecosystem services to large coastal populations. Yet, they are increasingly threatened by local- and global-scale stressors, including urbanisation and climate change. This has led to a rise in monitoring, conservation, and management actions to reverse some of these potential losses. Singapore, which lies at the periphery of the Coral Triangle region, has experienced a history of intense coastal development and urbanisation, representing an ideal location to understand reef trends amidst the backdrop of environmental change. Using methods from disciplines across ecology, palaeontology, and geology, I aim to characterise the historical baselines and the current status and trends of reefs in Singapore and the wider East Asian Seas region in order to provide an understanding of how these reefs have responded to change at different temporal and spatial scales.