Over 6,500 taxa of flora and fauna recorded in first extensive biodiversity survey of Singapore’s Southern Islands

Singapore, 31 May 2025 – The National Parks Board (NParks) has completed the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey, culminating in the first comprehensive biodiversity database of the Southern Islands – one of the most extensive databases for small island archipelagos in the region. The survey collated over 30,000 biodiversity records spanning about 1,500 flora taxa and 5,000 fauna taxa. The findings underscore the rich biodiversity supported by the Southern Islands’ terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which include coastal habitats that are rare on mainland Singapore. 

To strengthen the assessment of species’ local conservation status and bolster biodiversity conservation efforts, NParks has also established a Singapore Species Specialist Group (SgSSG) comprising taxonomic experts, specialists and authors across the fields of academia, civil society and government. The group is part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is one of 10 national species specialist groups worldwide.

These collective efforts will allow us to better conserve our natural heritage in our City in Nature. The announcements were shared at the launch of the 14th edition of the Festival of Biodiversity, Singapore’s biggest biodiversity festival, by Minister for National Development Mr Chee Hong Tat. Minister Chee hosted Guest-of-Honour Minister for Digital Development and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, Mrs Josephine Teo. Members of the public can visit biodiversity-themed booths, participate in family-friendly workshops and enjoy other activities at the Festival held at the Plaza, National Library Building, from 31 May to 1 June. 

NParks commenced the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey in January 2020, comprising field surveys and an extensive literature review of secondary data. The survey documented both terrestrial and marine species, while also covering the islands’ history and geology. This provides a holistic overview that is essential for developing practical and relevant marine conservation and heritage management strategies for the area. In total, the survey compiled over 9,000 records for the flora (plants, macroalgae and fungi) database, and over 20,000 records for the fauna database.

Under fauna, about 5,000 taxa were recorded, of which over 1,000 are terrestrial and nearly 4,000 are marine. Of these, 44 native species were not previously known to be found on the Southern Islands. These include 12 butterfly species and 10 moth species, the White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus), and molluscs such as the Money Cowrie (Monetaria moneta), which is Critically Endangered in Singapore. The survey also highlighted how the natural coastal habitats there continue to be a stronghold for species that are not found elsewhere in Singapore, like Giant Clams (Tridacna spp.) and the Yellow-lipped Sea Krait (Laticauda colubrina). 

Under flora, the survey documented a number of nationally Critically Endangered and Endangered species on the Southern Islands. This includes the Paramignya scandens var. ridleyi – a Critically Endangered climbing plant from the citrus family – which was newly recorded on Lazarus Island, marking its first known occurrence on the Southern Islands. The islands are also a refuge for species that are rare or extinct on the mainland, such as the Seashore Nutmeg (Knema globularia) and Api-api Jambu (Avicennia marina). Some of these findings were first shared in a 2020 update, which marked the halfway point of the two-year study. Additional discoveries will be published in upcoming chapters of the survey’s e-publication later this year.  

The findings of the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey have been published online in 16 chapters, now accessible on NParks’ website at https://go.gov.sg/sibs. The remaining three chapters – covering terrestrial plants, other insects and the conclusion – will be published by the end of the year. 

Following the publication of the third and most comprehensive edition of the Singapore Red Data Book (RDB3) in 2024, a Singapore Species Specialist Group (SgSSG) has been established under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC). Co-chaired by NParks and the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Science, this national species specialist group provides a formal platform for local taxonomic group experts to collaboratively review and update the Singapore Red List. 

Through the SgSSG, the scientific community can propose updates to the Red List whenever new species are discovered or when new information warrants a revision of a species’ conservation status. These changes will then be reviewed by the relevant experts in the group. Additionally, the group can facilitate periodic reviews of whole taxonomic groups when necessary. Overall, this helps to strengthen the assessment methodology and ensures the Red List remains current to support biodiversity conservation efforts.

The SgSSG comprises more than 100 experts and specialists from academia, civil society, and government, each bringing a wealth of experience across fields such as taxonomy, ecology, conservation and governance. Including many of the contributors to the RDB3, the SgSSG will progressively expand to incorporate additional local taxonomic group experts and is set to become the largest multidisciplinary group of taxonomic experts in Singapore.

In 2024, NParks launched its podcast series, ‘That’s Wild’, bringing together subject matter experts from NParks and the local nature community to discuss biodiversity-related topics relevant to Singapore and the region. 

Following the positive reception of its first season, the second season has been launched in conjunction with the Festival of Biodiversity 2025. The debut episode, released today, explores frog conservation, while upcoming episodes will cover topics such as native insect diversity, the use of plants in local cuisine, and illegal wildlife trade. 

Members of the public can tune in to ‘That’s Wild’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube for new episodes that will be released monthly.

In conjunction with the Festival of Biodiversity, Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) launched the third and final set in the stamp series featuring critically endangered flora of Singapore. The set features four native Critically Endangered coastal plant species which are under NParks’ Species Recovery Programme – Ficus stricta, Ormocarpum cochinchinense, Queen Coralbead (Nephroia orbiculata), and Sea Trumpet (Cordia subcordata). The first two sets, ‘Flora of Singapore’s Freshwater Swamp Forests’ and ‘Flora of Lowland Dipterocarp Forests’, were launched in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Members of the public can purchase the stamps at the Festival of Biodiversity as well as at all post offices, philatelic stores and online at shop.singpost.com. 

- End -