SIT launches conservatory for mangrove preservation

The facility will be completed in December 2025.

To preserve mangroves and introduce new species, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) announced plans to establish a conservatory, which was supported by the Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore (FRCS) through a $680k donation over three years.

In a statement, SIT said this project is part of its “10 Acts for Good” initiative to celebrate its 10th anniversary as an autonomous university.

The new mangrove conservatory will be located next to the upcoming Punggol Coast MRT station and the centre of JTC’s Punggol Digital District. 

SIT said its staff and students will benefit from learning opportunities at the conservatory. The public will also be involved as this will serve as a platform for them to learn and contribute to mangrove preservation, it added.

Experiments and simulations will be conducted to identify mangroves that can help Singapore and the region address global warming and rising sea levels, increase biodiversity, and maximise carbon sequestration, SIT said.

“The Mangrove Conservatory will be very special, as it will help to address climate challenges and simulate Singapore’s climate in controlled environments, and with our public outreach and education efforts, we can raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection in a very tangible way,” said SIT Associate Professor Cesar Jung-Harada.

Compared to other mangrove research conducted in open areas, SIT’s conservatory will create a controlled environment that simulates Singapore’s climate change and sea level conditions. 

Through this facility, sea-level-rise-ready mangroves will be developed to protect the country’s shorelines and cultivate climate-resistant mangrove forests for carbon sequestration.

SIT hopes to involve experts working on applied research projects, community volunteers, and agencies such as the National Parks Board, and Conservation International in the facility.

The construction of the facility will begin in July 2024 and is expected to be completed by December 2025.

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“With further support from FRCS, SIT will expand mangrove research and development to ecological restoration at nearby Coney Island and Pulau Ubin. These places will have a large mangrove forest that will boost authentic learning opportunities for students,” SIT said.