NTU, S.E.A. Aquarium to collaborate on climate research, marine conservation

Delegates from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and S.E.A. Aquarium dived underwater to sign a document that marked a collaboration between the two institutions, paving the way for future projects for the conservation of marine biodiversity.

- Leow Wen Xuan

Using laminated paper and a pencil, Assistant Professor Kyle Morgan from NTU's Asian School of the Environment (ASE) and research and conservation executive Abel Yeo from S.E.A. Aquarium signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on April 30 in the Aquarium's Shipwreck Habitat exhibit.

The waterproof laminated paper was roughened with sandpaper so that the pencil mark would transfer and stay on the surface. It was the first time an MOU was signed underwater in S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa.

The two-year collaboration aims to bring together the expertise and resources of both S.E.A. Aquarium and NTU's Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), a research institute that centres on natural hazards and climate research.

Joint research projects undertaken by the S.E.A. Aquarium and EOS will focus on climate science and super corals - corals that can tolerate or recover from stress and successfully reproduce after stressors such as ocean warming.