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As an undergraduate, I had the privilege of exploring Singapore’s varied marine habitats—from seagrass meadows and intertidal reefs to heavily urbanized coastlines. These field experiences revealed the stark juxtaposition of nature and human development, deepening my curiosity about the ecological consequences of anthropogenic activities.
My research experience ranges from enhancing biodiversity along grey coastal infrastructures to identifying species capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions. During my PhD, I investigated the risk of coral reef ecosystems to microplastic pollution through surveys, experiments, and both statistical and ecosystem models to understand its distribution and impact. Now, as a Research Fellow, I am working to optimize the benefits of hybrid shorelines through a multifaceted approach.
Research interests
Research interests
Coral reefs, biodiversity, ecological engineering, ecosystem functioning, nature-based solutions, plastic pollution
Research group: Maximizing the beneficial environmental effects of tropical hybrid shorelines (MaxBETH)
Research group: Maximizing the beneficial environmental effects of tropical hybrid shorelines (MaxBETH)
As the demand for coastal protection intensifies in the face of climate change and urbanization, alternatives to traditional hard engineering ─ such as ‘hybrid’ and ‘green-grey’ shorelines ─ are gaining traction. However, even these solutions require a very substantial built component. Given the projected scale of coastal protection required for a safe future, it is critical that the negative environmental impact of any coastal construction is kept to a minimum and the positive effects are maximized. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how integrated nature-based solutions affect sediment dynamics, gas transfer, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem functioning. These are all interrelated and should be examined together. Here, we will compare both traditional coastal engineering structures (“grey solutions”) and natural coastal ecosystems (“green solutions”) to quantify the relative degree of additionality such integrated solutions can provide.
Specifically, we will:
Assess the challenges and benefits of scaling up hybrid shoreline solutions.
Identify the impacts of hybrid shorelines on biophysical processes.
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