Orang Laut SG, an initiative to preserve the maritime heritage of islanders living on Pulau Semakau, has called for cultural and social impacts to be considered, as well as continued access to the surviving islands, coral reefs and coastal waters. “Environmental assessments alone cannot account for the loss of heritage, community access, livelihoods, traditional knowledge and relationships with the sea.”
S’pore to map out marine, coastal habitats following news of western island reclamation
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 04, 2026, 04:38 PM with photos by Lim Yao Hui
SINGAPORE - Plans are underway to use high-resolution satellite imagery to map out how coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves have changed over the years along Singapore’s coastlines.
The new images of the different types of coastal and marine habitats will update maps previously created in 2018 and 2011, according to a National Parks Board (NParks) tender seen by The Straits Times.
The tender was published on Aug 25, two days after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at the National Day Rally that a new “western island” to meet industry, energy and defence needs in the coming decades would be created by merging several southern islands through reclamation. This could include Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong.
NParks’ group director for the National Biodiversity Centre Karenne Tun said the map will quantify any changes to the habitats since 2018, supporting sea space and conservation planning across Singapore, while complementing research studies by various agencies.
“As with previous mapping efforts, the geospatial dataset from this study will be made publicly available,” said Tun, who noted that the exercise is part of NParks’ regular efforts to study the Republic’s coastal and marine habitats.
The mapping exercise comes amid concerns from scientists, nature groups and other members of the marine community about the reclamation plans to create a new western island.
Singapore has already lost more than two-thirds of its coral reefs and more than 45 per cent of its seagrass to land reclamation and coastal development. An estimated 85 per cent of mangroves and tidal flats have disappeared, mostly since 1953.
The NParks study is expected to take 15 months to complete, and excludes marine waters in the Pedra Branca area, according to tender documents.
Marine scientists said the mapping exercise is timely as the coastline has likely changed considerably due to events like sea-level rise, climate-driven storm surges and marine heatwaves.
Huang Danwei, deputy head of the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said the results from the study will be critical for mitigating the impacts of ongoing coastal development projects and planning upcoming projects.
Accurate maps will provide a reference point to measure changes post-construction and help reshape reclamation profiles to avoid destroying productive coral reefs, dense seagrass beds, or mangrove forests that store significant amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, he noted.
Knowing the precise boundaries and areal estimates of coastal and marine habitats are important for making predictions about biodiversity as the environment changes, he added, explaining that such knowledge can more accurately characterise and project how species that form the foundation of ecosystems will be distributed.
“Such projections are important not just for ecosystem management, but also are helpful for long-term planning of navigational routes and the sea space in general.”
Agreeing, coral scientist Sam Shu Qin, who co-chairs voluntary network Friends of Marine Park, said the mapping exercise is a step towards evidence-based identification of conservation areas or places to prioritise for intervention.
“Researchers, educators and nature groups could use the data to support research and communicate the importance of Singapore’s remaining coastal and marine habitats and wildlife,” she added.
Marine biologist Ow Yanxiang, who co-led the city-state’s inaugural seagrass restoration project, said the data will help track cumulative changes to the coastal environment since 2018, especially since environmental impact assessments for developments in these areas are often conducted independently of one another.
The senior research fellow at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory said: “Our coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves forests have survived our nation’s many years of growth and development, so can we engineer ways to build our future with nature, instead of over it?”
Beyond the ecological impact, dive operators, nature guides, and descendants of those who once lived in the affected islands are calling on authorities to also study the social, recreational and heritage impact of the reclamation project.
Pulau Hantu, for instance, is often regarded as the heart of Singapore’s recreational diving scene, according to Serene Pek, co-owner of Cuddlefish Divers.
Pek cited the island’s sheltered conditions, manageable depths for beginners, and rich biodiversity, including seahorses, nudibranchs, and sharks. In 2025, about 60 per cent of her company’s operations, roughly 200 trips, were conducted at Pulau Hantu.
She said: “While we understand the need for Singapore to plan for its future development, we hope that careful consideration can be given to preserving areas that support recreation, conservation, education and community activities, so that future generations can continue to enjoy and appreciate these unique marine ecosystems.”
Ng Lee Kiang, co-founder of the nature education firm Young Nautilus, is concerned that the sediment plumes from future reclamation could ripple outwards, impacting not just Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau, but nearby sites like Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and St John’s Island, where her company regularly runs programmes.
She said: “As educators, our deepest hope is that generations to come will still have the chance to experience, appreciate and learn about the rich marine biodiversity we are fortunate to have today.”
Non-governmental organisation Orang Laut SG, which began as an initiative to preserve the maritime heritage of islanders living on Pulau Semakau, a subset of Singapore’s seafaring natives, has called for cultural and social impacts to be considered, as well as continued access to the surviving islands, coral reefs and coastal waters.
It said: “Environmental assessments alone cannot account for the loss of heritage, community access, livelihoods, traditional knowledge and relationships with the sea.”
