Resorts World Sentosa’s S.E.A. Aquarium and the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) will collaborate on research projects and educational activities about building climate resilience.
The partnership was marked by an underwater signing on April 30. The first of its kind in S.E.A. Aquarium’s history, Assistant Professor Kyle Morgan from NTU Singapore and Abel Yeo from S.E.A. Aquarium’s education, research and conservation team dived into S.E.A. Aquarium’s Shipwreck Habitat to sign the memorandum of understanding (MOU) underwater.
The collaboration aims to bring together the expertise and resources of both S.E.A. Aquarium and EOS, a research institute at NTU Singapore that focuses on natural hazards and climate research, to help address the urgent global crisis of climate change.
NTU and RWS will leverage this partnership to showcase EOS marine science research relating to coral reefs, mangroves and climate change. Visitors will get to learn about the diverse ecosystems of Singapore's blue spaces and the broader Southeast Asian region.
This partnership will see the use of S.E.A. Aquarium’s Rainbow Reef as a teaching facility for NTU students and to test field equipment. S.E.A. Aquarium will also provide a space to showcase research done by EOS and to deploy sensors measuring sea temperature and levels.
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Joint research projects undertaken by the partners will focus on super corals and climate science. Additionally, visitors can look forward to ocean webinars and short educational videos developed by EOS for use in S.E.A. Aquarium’s programmes.
Research on climate change aimed to foster sustainable societies is at the core of EOS’s research, says Morgan. “It takes collective effort for effective change, and I am glad that Resorts World Sentosa recognises the impact of climate change and is opening an outlet for the sharing of knowledge and resources to contribute to climate research. With a shared passion for environmental stewardship, I hope the collaboration between RWS and EOS will catalyse meaningful change towards a more climate resilient future.”
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In 2022, RWS launched the RWS-NUS Living Laboratory, a five-year research collaboration to enhance marine biodiversity and create innovative sustainable tourism solutions for RWS and Singapore.
“We are elated to announce this collaboration that has been long in the making,” says Nicholas Derbyshire, who leads the research and conservation team at S.E.A. Aquarium. “Sustainability has been embedded in the heart of RWS’s business since the integrated resort was first built over 10 years ago. We strongly believe that leveraging the expertise of EOS will be a key driver to tackling climate issues, which is a pertinent problem today.”
Photos: Resorts World Sentosa
