Singapore has set a new milestone in marine conservation with the launch of the 100k Corals Initiative. This project, the country's largest coral restoration effort to date, aims to plant 100,000 coral specimens gradually over the next decade and beyond.
As an initial step in this initiative, corals will be intensively cultivated at a new coral culture facility located at the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre on St. John’s Island. Managed by Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks), this facility will serve as a hub for developing healthy coral colonies.
Once the corals reach optimal growth stages, they will be transplanted to designated reef sites to restore damaged ecosystems or create new coral habitats.
The 100k Corals Initiative has successfully raised over S$2 million (US$1.4 million) through a collaboration between NParks, the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML), and several other donors.
The coral culture facility is targeted to be fully operational and open to the public by the second quarter of 2025.
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Urgent Action for Coral Conservation
This initiative was launched as a direct response to the challenges faced by Singapore's coral reefs. Speaking at the launch event on St. John’s Island, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee highlighted the serious threats to Singapore’s coral reef ecosystems posed by climate change and unsustainable human activities.
The increasing frequency of coral bleaching events, such as the fourth global bleaching event that occurred for the second time within a decade, underscores the urgency of coral conservation efforts.
Targeting Rare Species for Coral Restoration
Introduced in 2015 as part of NParks’ Nature Conservation Masterplan, the recovery program is designed to preserve biodiversity, with a focus on rare and endangered species.
At the new facility, cultivated coral species include several under the Species Recovery Programme, such as staghorn coral (Acropora digitifera) and plate coral (Acropora millepora).
Serving as an “ex-situ coral nursery,” the facility is equipped with six tanks capable of housing up to 600 small coral fragments (nubbins) at a time. These fragments are attached to specially designed frames to optimize cultivation under controlled conditions. Once mature, the corals are transplanted onto damaged reefs or used to establish new coral communities.
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The facility also utilizes a smart aquaculture system from Delta Electronics, developed through a two-year collaboration with NParks to support the 100k Corals Initiative. This system automatically monitors water conditions and transmits data to researchers for remote monitoring and quick interventions, such as addressing rising water temperatures to prevent coral bleaching.
