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NG Juat YingHonours Student (Alumna) |
Projects
My honors project is on macrobenthic biodiversity in Singapore’s marinas. Macrobenthos play important roles in marine habitats as bioturbators and a source of food for bottom feeders. Due to their sensitivity to the environment, they can also be useful bioindicators. However, most studies on Singapore’s marinas focus on epifauna and surveys on benthic biodiversity is relatively less. This project aims to survey the soft bottom sediments of a few marinas, and compare spatial and temporal differences in benthic communities. This potentially reveals whether coastal developments such as the construction of marinas can support biodiversity.
History and Research Interests
I am a Year 4 undergraduate pursuing B.Sc (Hons) in Life Sciences (Specialisation in Environmental Biology) in National University of Singapore. After volunteering for the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS) a few years ago, I was intrigued by the myriad of marine life that was found in a city as developed and urbanised as Singapore. Subsequently, I did my UROPS under CMBS with the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) on the diet of Glycera tridactyla, where I picked up some skills on the taxonomy of polychaetes. My exposure to Singapore’s marine biology scene has sparked my interest in marine biodiversity (especially invertebrates), marine conservation and sustainable coastal development.