The Biodiversity crew @ NUS

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) by Marvin Gaye

otterman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:28:56 +0000

“Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” was the second single from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album, What’s Going On.

Lyrics

“Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be
No, no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows
From the north and south and east

Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be
No, no
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury

Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be
No, no
Radiation underground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying

Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be
What about this overcrowded land?
How much more abuse from man can you stand?
Posted in music

Mongabay interviews Richard Corlett

otterman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:06:32 +0000

“Hunting across Southeast Asia weakens forests’ survival, an interview with Richard Corlett,” by Jeremy Hance. Mongabay.com, 08 Nov 2009.

Thanks to Ria Tan, WildSingapore News for the alert!

Posted in interview, people

The Straits Times: Peter Ng and the Dodo

otterman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:12:02 +0000

“Crab expert leads charge on climate: Prof Peter Ng and the Dodo,” by Chang Ai-Lien. The Straits Times, 07 Nov 2009 – link, pdf. Peter Ng’s mission is to build bridges between specialists in diverse disciplines.

PROFESSOR Peter Ng’s idea of heaven is to don his rubber booties and wade knee-deep in muddy swamps, trawling through the muck for new crab species.

Former students fondly remember a host of different crustaceans he kept as pets, including a huge coconut crab so strong that it broke out of its wire cage and probably ended up in someone’s cooking pot.
But these days, the internationally acknowledged crustacean expert is spending more time on dry land.

As a member of a new National University of Singapore (NUS) task force on environmental sustainability research, his first mission is to help build bridges between experts from diverse disciplines such as engineering, law, science and economics.

Only then is there any hope of dealing with complex environmental issues such as climate change, he says.

‘We need all players on board to strike a balance. Each pillar is strong as a single discipline, but environmental issues are multi-faceted and we need a big picture approach,’ says Prof Ng, 49, who is with the university’s biological sciences department, ’so the biologists and environmental scientists can study the impact on nature and biodiversity, and the economists and lawyers can formulate policies that will strike a balance between sustainability and economic development.’

NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan announced last week that a research cluster on environmental sustainability had been formed to develop solutions for problems such as pollution, the fuel crunch and global warming.

NUS intends to take the lead regionally in tackling such issues. Even its upcoming NUS University Town campus in Kent Ridge is being planned ‘green’, with sustainability at the heart of its design.

…But Prof Ng admits he is facing an uphill task in the imprecise field of climate change, where even experts cannot agree on how, or how badly, the planet will be hit by rising temperatures and sea levels.

‘There are no short-cuts or simple solutions here. We can only try our best to manage our losses and stave off defeat. But we also cannot afford to lose this battle as it’s the fate of humanity we are talking about here. It’s the fate of our future generations,’ he says.

The first challenge is to get researchers talking to each other.

‘Getting scientists from different fields to work together is one of the most challenging things on the planet. Like me, if I had a choice, I’d focus on crabs…Why should I care what a policymaker thinks?’

So what prompted him to move beyond crabs to climate change?

‘I believe that if you keep hurling crap at the environment, sooner or later it’s going to throw something back. We all agree that there’s a problem, and if we don’t do something, there will be no more new crabs to discover in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or anywhere else,’ he says.

He is leading the charge at the Tropical Marine Science Institute, which he heads.

The research facility was set up in 1998 to carry out research across marine disciplines, from studying water quality to the role of mangroves in the ecosystem and the impact of coastal development.

One promising project which has roped in experts from all fields aims to take the Garden City concept to the seas.

About 70 per cent of Singapore’s shoreline is composed of hardened structures such as sea walls and breakwaters, he explains.

Pilot projects on Pulau Tekong and St John’s Island are looking at how to attract marine life to such barren areas, by getting coral to take root, and sea life to congregate. So, marine engineers are working with biologists to design the best homes for coral, algae and sponges, in consultation with the National Development Ministry and urban planners.

Another project aims to showcase the rich animal and plant life in Singapore and the region to the public.

He is charged with moving the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research – a repository of the region’s rich wildlife – from its cramped quarters at the university’s science faculty to a spanking new building to be built on campus.

Fund-raising efforts to the tune of at least $30 million are under way, to create a full-blown natural history museum.

This will house over 300,000 preserved animal specimens, such as the highly endangered massive leathery turtle, which landed on the shores of Siglap beach in 1883, and the near-extinct cream-coloured giant squirrel, which was so common here 40 years ago that Prof Ng even had one as a pet.

The public will have free admission to the museum, which is expected to open in three years.

It will also showcase environmental research, such as how air and water quality is monitored, in a building which will itself boast green features, such as heat-reflecting glass panels and recycled materials.

‘It helps to put a face to the environmental effort, and animals and plants are this face. If you show people a beautiful flower or crab, they feel for it,’ says Prof Ng, who is married with three sons aged seven to 15.

‘And if you save one species, you will hopefully save a host of other creatures as well.’

PRESSING NEED FOR ACTION

‘I believe that if you keep hurling crap at the environment, sooner or later it’s going to throw something back. We all agree that there’s a problem, and if we don’t do something, there will be no more new crabs to discover in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or anywhere else.’

Prof Ng

AN ICON OF EXTINCTION

‘I love the dodo bird, it’s the icon of extinction. Man wiped it out in less than 100 years, and there isn’t a single preserved specimen left.

‘We recreated our model at the museum based on bones, skeletons and literature on the bird. We named it Clarence, and it’s the most accurate recreation around. Even the world’s dodo experts agree.

‘It shows that the creature was not the clumsy, stupid bird it has often been depicted as.

‘We are living in a world that is losing 50 to 100 species every single day. Singapore has already lost about half its animal species in the last 200 years, we need to act fast to slow this trend.’

Prof Ng
Posted in interview, museum, people

Mousedeer and Giant Clam articles in Nature Watch (Hons 2008/9)

otterman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:38:23 +0000

Neo Mei Lin (Marine Lab) and Marcus Chua (Systematics & Ecology Lab) have written about their study subjects – giant clams and mousedeer – in the latest issue of Nature Watch 17(2), Apr-Jun (2009).

The magazine, published by the NatureSociety (Singapore) [NSS], just came in the mail today, after great anticipation and it’s lovely reading with lots of colourful pictures. Celine Low, a member of NSS’ Vertebrate Study Group who volunteered with the mousedeer surveys is the lead author on the article.

Well done Mei Lin and Marcus!

Posted in article, hons

ST – “Environmental biology a hot subject”

otterman — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:16:52 +0000

“Environmental biology a hot subject,” by Grace Chua.
The Straits Times, 31 Oct 2009
NUS, NTU to offer more courses in recognition of field’s growing value

ENVIRONMENTAL biology is making a comeback here as well as worldwide, as universities recognise the discipline’s role in the study of climate change and environmental issues like pollution.

Both the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) plan to revamp their curricula to include more topics in the field, and the latter has applied for funding to set up a Research Centre of Excellence for environmental science.

As NUS’ biological sciences head Paul Matsudaira put it: ‘Singapore is at the epicentre of some of the major and most challenging environmental problems that have to be addressed.

‘The equatorial location is one asset, since tropical environmental problems are comparatively under-researched.’

Like other biology disciplines such as molecular biology and genetics, environmental biology is the study of living things, but in terms of their surroundings.

For example, it looks at how pollution and climate change affect species and biodiversity. Thus ecology, ecotoxicology and conservation biology might be considered aspects of environmental biology.

NUS, for instance, is offering several new courses on ecology and evolutionary biology this year, and in the last two years, it has hired at least four new faculty members in biology.

Meanwhile, NTU’s school of biological sciences has hired several international faculty members to study microbial ecology, said provost Bertil Andersson.

NTU’s attention to environmental biology, the school’s expertise in earth sciences and its experience in environmental engineering are all part of a new university-wide Sustainable Earth initiative, which is expected to be launched formally in February next year.

But these changes are not driven solely by university administrations. They have also come about because of rising student interest.

One in five life sciences majors at NUS, for example, now opts for environmental biology modules, up from 12 per cent seven years ago.

NUS started its integrated life sciences curriculum in 2001 and NTU started its School of Biological Sciences the following year, as part of a nationwide drive to train more students in the field.

But NUS biological sciences graduate Huang Danwei, now 28, felt he was not getting enough training in biodiversity and ecology. So in 2006, he and 10 others met the dean to propose curriculum changes.

The department listened to them, and classes in biodiversity and ecology are now available in the first- and second-year syllabuses.

There is demand for people with taxonomy skills and biodiversity know-how as fields like climate modelling and conservation grow.

For instance, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s Institute of High Performance Computing had a recent job posting for a research officer with ‘expertise in data management, database, climate change scenarios and biodiversity’.

But will these changes translate into real environmental policy changes or scientific advances?

Professor Matsudaira said he expects the biggest impact to come from the development of science-backed environmental policy, where Singapore will directly influence the Asia-Pacific region.

‘Because we are scientifically strong, we will train students and scientists for jobs in government, research and industry,’ he said.

However, students and universities should not jump on the bandwagon simply because the field is hot, warned National Institute of Education biologist Shawn Lum.

‘We should do it not because it’s a fad, but because as educational institutions and as a country, we value it as a worthy field and endeavour, and our interest in it is not going to fall by the wayside the moment the next big thing comes along,’ he said.

caiwj@sph.com.sg

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Posted in media

Sea wall “construction site” outside Frog lab

otterman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:36:50 +0000

Yes, the ruckus this past week is caused by Marine Lab's Lynette Loke's seawall project. Construction materials have been appearing outside the Frog Lab and over time, a mini-seawall factory appeared. Lynette told me another 180 tiles would arrive this evening.

But she has found help – the handy kungfu hands of a botanist no less, have been recruited to do the deadly dead of smashing tiles! How we love to see honours students hard at work – it motivates the rest of us!

Posted in fun, hons, Uncategorized

Nalini, evolab publishes in JEB, not worksafe for flies (with videos)

Gwynne — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:37:35 +0000

N. Puniamoorthy, M. R. B. Ismail, D. S. H. Tan & R. Meier 2009, “From kissing to belly stridulation: comparative analysis reveals surprising diversity, rapid evolution, and much homoplasy in the mating behaviour of 27 species of sepsid flies (Diptera: Sepsidae).” Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22, 2146-2156.

(Careful of impressionable minds looking over your shoulder while watching this)

The full list of videos can be accessed on the evolutionary biology website here

Posted in Uncategorized

Paul awarded President’s Graduate Fellowship

marcuschua — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:19:43 +0000

Congratulations to Paul Chen from the Systematics and Ecology Lab on being awarded the President’s Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to candidates who show exceptional promise or accomplishment in research. Only a number of Ph.D. research students are selected each semester by the University for the award.

Paul with his honors poster on stidulatory behaviour of Perisesarma eumolpe

Paul graduated from the B.Sc. (Honors) Life Sciences (Biology) class of 2008/09 with first class honors. His thesis work was featured in the Straits Times science section earlier this year. Paul currently divides his time between working at the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and teaching at NUS and intends to pursue a Ph.D. in crustacean behaviour starting Jan 2010.

Posted in news, people

Enoka in Sri Lanka – “A day in the field”

otterman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:52:01 +0000

Enoka is roughing it out in the field in Sri Lanka doing her field work. During one IM conversation – she bouncing around in a truck with a flashlight in her mouth and me comfortably at home, I persuaded her to send me this.

So now for a glimpse of “a day in the life” of a grad student in the field – she did a nice, quick job!

“A Day In The Field,” by Enoka PK Vidanage

Posted in field trip, fun, gradstudent

Job opportunity: Monitoring freshwater invertebrates

otterman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:33:46 +0000

Research Assistant/Technical Support Officer opportunities with the Department of Biological Sciences, NUS and the Public Utilities Board, PUB.

As Singapore is one of most water-scarce countries in the world, water management is critical. The Public Utilities Board recently commissioned the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences to develop a lentic macro-invertebrate biotic index for the island’s waterways, with an emphasis on shallow tropical lakes. This will now complement the extensive water quality sampling regime already in place.

We are seeking three Research Assistants and/or Laboratory Technicians to assist a team with monitoring freshwater invertebrates in Singapore.

The candidates should have:

either a polytechnic diploma or degree in biology or a related subject,
field experience,
preferably a Singaporean driving licence,
experience of ecological sampling protocols and/or freshwater macro-invertebrates. This would be advantageous but full training will be provided ‘on the job’.

The posts are initially for 6 months with a likely possibility of longer-term employment depending on the performance on the job and/or progress of the project. Positions are available immediately.

Interested candidates are invited to send their CV to Dr Esther Clews at dbsec@nus.edu.sg.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 29th October 2009.
Interviews will take place during the first week of November.

Dr Esther Clews
Postdoctoral Fellow
Marine Biology Laboratory
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
14, Science Drive 4, Blk S1,
#02-05 Singapore 117543
Phone: +65 6516 6867

Posted in job