TOH Tai Chong



Senior Lecturer, College of Alice and Peter Tan



Email: Taichong.toh(at)nus.edu.sg, Taichong.toh(at)gmail.com

Website


Research Focus

My current research focuses on examining and improving the effectiveness of propagating sexually derived scleractinian corals for rehabilitating coral reefs. My work utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to provide a comprehensive assessment of this approach, covering a diverse range of topics including biology, aquaculture, bioeconomics, ecological modelling and experimental ecology.


Academic History

B.Sc. (Hons) in Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2009)
Honors thesis: Osteoinductive Effects of 1α,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore (2014)
Dissertation title: The use of sexually propagated scleractinian corals for reef restoration


Professional Appointments

  • Collaborator - Singapore Biodiversity Research Symposium 2014
  • Symposium session chair - 9th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability (ICECESS), Hiroshima, Japan
  • Reviewer - 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) conference proceedings 
  • Reviewer - Zoological Studies
  • Reviewer - Journal of Marine Biology and Oceanography


Awards and Research Grants

  • Student award (2014) - Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium (APCRS)
  • SingHaiyi Scholarship (2014) - National University of Singapore.
  • Graduate Scholar Award (2013) - 9th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural and Social Sustainability (ICECESS)
  • Part-time teaching assistant award (2012) - NUS Faculty of Science
  • Student Travel Award (2012) - International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS)
  • Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund (2012) - Wildlife Reserves Singapore
  • Best oral presenter award (1st runner-up) (2011) - 16th Biological Sciences Graduate Congress
  • Promising Young Researcher Award (2010) - Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, A*STAR
  • Student Poster Presentation grand prize winner (2009) - International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Singapore Affiliate


Publications

Toh Tai Chong*, Peh Jia Wei Kassler and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Heterotrophy in recruits of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 46(5): 313-320.
*Corresponding author

Toh Tai Chong*, Ng Chin Soon Lionel, Guest James Rolfe and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Grazers improve the health of scleractinian coral juveniles in ex situ mariculture. Aquaculture 414-415: 288-293.
*Corresponding author

Ng Chin Soon Lionel, Toh Tai Chong and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Current status of coral reef restoration in Singapore. In: Proceedings of the The Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment 2013 pp. 546-558.

Toh Tai Chong*, Ng Chin Soon Lionel and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Enhancing resilience of coral reefs through active restoration: Concepts and challenges. In: Proceedings of the The Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment 2013 pp. 528-545.
*Corresponding author

Toh Tai Chong*, Peh Jia Wei Kassler and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Early onset of zooplanktivory in equatorial reef coral recruits. Marine Biodiversity 43(3):177-178.
*Corresponding author

Toh Tai Chong* and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Aggregated settlement of Pocillopora damicornis planulae on injury sites may facilitate coral wound healing. Bulletin of Marine Science 89(2):583-584
*Corresponding author

Ng Chin Soon Lionel+, Toh Tai Chong*+, Toh Kok Ben, Guest James Rolfe and Chou Loke Ming (2013). Dietary habits of grazers influence their suitability as biological controls of fouling macroalgae in ex situ mariculture. Aquaculture Research DOI:10.1111/are12128
*Corresponding author
+These authors contributed equally to this work

Kwek Yan Chong, Marcus Aik Hwee Chua, Mei Lin Neo, Daniel Jia Jun Ng, Siti Maryam Yaakub, Tai Chong Toh, Kim Shan Wee and Dingli Yong (2013). Impacts of Development on Biodiversity of Singapore. In Appleton (Ed.) 2013 Values in Sustainable Development, Routledge, New York, USA. Pp 286-298.

Toh Tai Chong*, Guest James Rolfe and Chou Loke Ming (2012). Coral larval rearing in Singapore: Observations on spawning timing, larval development and settlement of two common scleractinian coral species. In Tan (Ed.) 2012, Contributions to Marine Science, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore. Pp. 81-87.
*Corresponding author