Baseline Ecology and Population Assessment of Marine Catfish of the Channel Waters, Eastern Johor Strait

Supervisor

Singapore's coastal waters, though heavily modified, continue to support diverse marine life under increasing pressure from coastal development, maritime activity, and aquaculture. Among these species, marine catfishes (family Ariidae) are ecologically important components of coastal food webs, yet little is known about their distribution, abundance, habitat use, or movement patterns in Singapore. This project will investigate wild ariid catfish populations in the western waters of Pulau Ubin. Through targeted surveys, species identification, and tag-recapture studies, the project will establish baseline data on species diversity, distribution, relative abundance, age and growth, and population connectivity. Historical records will be compared with contemporary observations to assess changes in species occurrence and distribution over time. Marine catfish are also relevant to human communities as their venomous fin spines can inflict painful injuries on fishers and coastal users. Understanding their movements and interactions with people can therefore support both biodiversity management and human–wildlife coexistence. The findings will provide the first comprehensive baseline assessment of marine catfish populations in Singapore and contribute to the conservation and management of the nation's coastal biodiversity.

01 Aug 2026 - 01 Aug 2028

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