The Mangrove Lab, NUS

Undergraduate Honors students

Lim Kiah Eng

Mapping the global value and distribution of mangrove tourism

My research aims to determine the monetary value of mangrove tourism at a global scale via online data mining. Values will be taken from activities in mangrove patches as well as areas adjacent to mangroves, and summed to obtain a final estimate of tourism value for the mangroves. I hope that this study will contribute towards mangrove conservation efforts as well as policy planning.

Lim Yen Ting

Evaluating the health of mangroves using remote sensing

My research assesses mangrove health in Singapore using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and supervised classification. Fieldwork will also be conducted at selected mangrove sites around Singapore to obtain ground-referencing data on the location and health of the mangroves on-site. which will be used for verifying the classification results. The evaluation of mangrove health could highlight mangrove habitats of higher vulnerability in Singapore and better inform decision-makers on key areas for the effective protection of mangroves.

Previous Honors students

Aleena Kua (2017)

Salinity and nutrient thresholds to mangrove seedling growth

I studied the effect of salinity and soil conditions on the early growth of Avicennia alba through a multi-factoral mesocosm experiment over 120 days.

Seah Li Yi (2017)

Mangrove leaf litter descomposition

I studied the influence of microbial activity on decomposition rates of mangrove leaves, and quantified the rate of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous leaching.

Teo Rui Xiang (2016)

Mapping mangrove deforestation due to oil palm in north Sumatra, Indonesia

I mapped the status of mangroves along the north coast of Sumatra from 1990 to 2016. North Sumatra lost approximately 11 000 ha of mangroves over this time period, mostly due to oil palm.

Fang Ruoming (2016)

Monitoring mangrove deforestation in the Mahakam Delta using Systems Dynamics

I used the Systems Dynamics framework to model the processes that contribute to mangrove deforestation in Indonesian Borneo.

Ong Wei Bin (2015)

Measuring microclimate regulation in Mandai mangrove

I undertook a novel experiment to show that Mandai mangrove can cool local microclimates by as much as 3 degrees Celsius. This is an important but under-researched ecosystem service.

Zheng Zhangxin (2015)

Cultural ecosystem services of mangroves in Singapore

I interviewed visitors to a number of mangroves across Singapore to understand their motivations and how much they would be willing to pay for mangrove conservation.

Lee Min Lin (2015)

Participatory mapping of cultural ecosystem services on Pulau Ubin, Singapore

I used participatory mapping to understand people's perception towards different parts of Pulau Ubin. I hope my research will help to make informed decisions regarding future development.

Leon Gaw (2014)

Mapping mangrove deforestation in southern Myanmar

I mapped mangrove loss in Tanintharyi Myanmar using remote sensing. The results are being used by our NGO partner to provide recommendations for coastal management policies in Myanmar.

Tan Xiao Yi (2014)

Mangrove deforestation in Singapore and southern Malaysia

My honours thesis involves utilizing historical photographs and maps, remotely-sensed imagery (e.g. landsat, Pleiades) and GIS to identify changes in mangrove cover in Singapore and Southern Johor.

Leong Mun Kidd (2014)

Impacts of oil spills on mangroves in southern Singapore

I monitored several aspects of the mangrove ecosystem in order to assess impact and recovery after an oil spill on Pulau Semakau, southern Singapore.

Chewng Wenzhao (2013)

Community approaches to coastal management in Thailand

I studied community-based coastal management in Bangkok and their impact on the protection of the shoreline at different scales.

Isaac Low (2012)

3D terrestrial laser scanning of mangrove root structures

I used novel 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanning to characterize surface and vegetation roughness in Mandai mangrove with changing water height.