National Parks Board holds first Oil Spill Management Symposium to deepen understanding of oil spill response in Singapore and enhance capabilities and partnerships across sectors

NParks will continue to explore other ways we can involve and train more citizen scientists to contribute towards our oil spill response efforts in future. 

Research projects underway to better understand ecological impact of June 2024 oil spill

Following the oil spill in June 2024, it was announced that NParks would be working with the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute, St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and NIE to develop and implement an integrated oil spill response and habitat recovery plan. As part of this plan, a research programme was launched in early 2025 to ascertain the longer-term impact of the oil spill.

The research projects under the programme build on the preliminary biodiversity surveys carried out by NParks, scientist and volunteers in the immediate aftermath of the June 2024 oil spill. This will provide a more complete picture of Singapore’s marine biodiversity and inform future studies and recovery strategies in the event of another oil spill.

Preliminary findings show oil no longer detectable in sediment of impacted sites

Both research projects collected samples from marine life living in sediment, as well as marine molluscs from intertidal areas affected and unaffected by the June 2024 oil spill. The first study, led by the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, aims to observe changes in the macro-benthic infaunal[1] communities in the Southern Islands post-spill. Sediment samples were obtained quarterly from impacted sites at Bendera Bay on St John’s Island and Eagle Bay on Lazarus Island. Similar samples were collected from Kusu Island and Small Sister’s Island, which served as control sites. These samples were used to track the amount of oil that remained in the sediment, as well as the changes in abundance and diversity of marine life in the sediment.

Field sampling has been completed, and detailed identification work is ongoing to determine which species were most affected, and understand their recovery patterns. Samples so far show that the amount of oil in the sediment at Bendera Bay on St John’s Island and Eagle Bay on Lazarus Island fell over time – from higher levels in August 2024 to undetectable levels by November 2025. At both sites, there were substantial fluctuations in infaunal abundance in the 12 months following the oil spill, indicating a flux in the ecosystem as marine conditions changed after the oil spill. The dominant infauna also differed by location. Altogether, these are encouraging signs that suggest natural recovery processes could be underway at these sites.

The second study led by NIE looked at how marine organisms could be used to monitor environmental stress. Over a one-year period, researchers collected mollusc samples from ten coastal sites affected and unaffected by the 2024 oil spill, including Pasir Ris Beach, Changi Beach, East Coast Park, Lazarus Island and St John’s Island. The mollusc samples were then tested for cellular, biochemical and molecular changes, to see if they showed any signs of stress before any major damage is visible. Preliminary results suggest that the molluscs’ biomarkers responded differently to sites that were affected by the oil spill, compared to unaffected sites. This indicates that this method of measuring these biomarkers could be used in the future to monitor any key changes in marine environmental conditions following such spill events.   

Further findings from both studies will be shared when ready.

Fostering community stewardship of our marine heritage

Singaporeans can play a key role in safeguarding Singapore’s marine environment. This was shown during the June 2024 oil spill, when over 700 volunteers were deployed in beach patrols, and reporting sightings of oil stains and oil-slicked wildlife. To further encourage citizen engagement, 100 citizen scientists were enlisted and trained to participate in the NIE-led study, where they attended a training workshop in biomarker observation, and joined the research team in monthly field sampling as well as processing samples in the laboratory. 

NParks will continue to train more citizen scientists to conduct long-term biodiversity monitoring surveys at selected sites across Singapore, as part of the Intertidal Watch programme.

About the Symposium

Themed “Building Knowledge, Bridging Stakeholders”, the Oil Spill Management Symposium will be held from 16 to 17 May 2026 at Jurong Lake Gardens, with talks, panel discussions and workshops on ongoing research, oil spill response and monitoring capabilities, governance, science communication and wildlife care. Members of public are also able to attend the first day of the Symposium virtually via a livestream.

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