Nautique Jan-Feb 2017_FAview

SEEN & HEARD
Man In The Middle Of
NAUTIQUE JAN/FEB 17
16
Marine Conservation
Just like the ripple effect, one person’s
actions can influence waves of change.
Prof Chou Loke Ming obtained his PhD in Zoology
from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in
1976. He retired in 2014 after 37 years of service to
the NUS. Since then, he has been Adjunct Research
Professor at the Tropical Marine Science Institute,
with past and current joint adjunct appointments at
the Department of Biological Sciences and the Lee
Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
Raffles Marina is honoured and privileged that Prof
Chou has for many years served as a Member of
Raffles Marina’s General Committee and as Chairman
of the Conservation Sub-Committee.
The International SeaKeepers Society promotes
oceanographic research, conservation and education,
through direct involvement with the yachting community.
SeaKeepers enables the yachting community to take
full advantage of their unique potential, to advance
marine sciences and to raise awareness about global
ocean issues.
For his research at the Reef Ecology Lab in NUS, on
the diversity, ecology, and restoration of coral reef
ecosystems in Singapore and the Southeast Asian
region, Prof Chou was recently conferred SeaKeeper of
the World, Singapore, by the International SeaKeepers
Society. Over 150 VIP guests were in attendance to
celebrate the unveiling of the SeaKeepers Asia outreach,
headed by Raffles Marina Member Julian Chang.
Prof Chou also coordinated and edited the 2009 State
of the Marine Environment Report for the East Asian
Seas for the United Nations Environment Programme.
His current research focus is reef restoration and he
is particularly interested in how corals can be reestablished
in the highly turbid conditions of rapidly
developing coastal areas.
Prof Chou has been a member of the Scientific
Advisory Committee of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring
Network (International Coral Reef Initiative), serving
as its Chairman from 2003 to 2005. He has actively
contributed to the regular regional compilation of the
~
Prof Chou Loke Ming
health of coral reefs for the Status of Coral Reefs
of the World reports published by the Australian
Institute of Marine Science and the Status of Coral
Reefs of East Asia published by Japan’s Ministry of
Environment since 1988.
Currently an Honorary Fellow of the Singapore
Institute of Biology and a Fellow of the Singapore
National Academy of Science, Prof Chou has provided
consultancy services in the field of marine environment
management to international agencies like United
Nations Environment Programme, Food & Agriculture
Organization and the World Bank, as well as to many
national agencies.
His passion for marine conservation saw him teaming
up with Francis Lee, President of Raffles Marina (RM)
on a number of initiatives since 1988 when the latter
was Commodore of Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
(RSYC). Both facilitated the Singapore Reef Survey that
involved over 150 trained volunteer divers under the
Singapore Marine and Reef Conservation Committee.
It included representation from Singapore Institute of
Biology, Singapore Underwater Federation and RSYC.
The survey mapped out four main areas in Singapore
with healthier reefs and the results were incorporated
within the two editions of the Blue Plan that were
submitted to the government. Prof Chou together
with Mr Lee co-chaired the Aseanarean Expeditions
and organised the scientific support for the trips to
the marine parks of Thailand in 1996 and Indonesia
in 1999.
With RM’s support, Prof Chou has carried out a number
of research projects at the marina. These include the
utilisation of species to improve water quality and
more recently, the marine biodiversity within and
without the marina. The latter study indicated that
the marina supported a higher biodiversity than the
surrounding waters and can function as a marine
refugia. The significance of this study is that when
carefully managed, coastal development can be carried
out without obliterating marine biodiversity.