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Garden City Fund
Conservation & Research

Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey II

26 March 2026

Partner with us to establish critical biodiversity baselines for Singapore's marine future through a five-year survey by National Parks Board and National University of Singapore, enabling informed conservation and development planning whilst advancing scientific discovery through research into poorly understood marine species and previously unsurveyed sites.

Lady crouching down to take a photo of marine life in an intertidal survey

  • The Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey II (CMBS II) is a five-year programme by National Parks Board and National University of Singapore, led by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) of the Faculty of Science, and the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI).

  • The programme is seeking S$5 million in funding to establish a biodiversity baseline of Singapore's key marine areas that may be impacted by future developments such as land reclamation and coastal protection against sea-level rise.

  • This initiative was mooted in response to the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and builds upon the success of CMBS I, which led to the discovery of 37 species new to science and more than 300 species new to Singapore through the efforts of global experts and 478 volunteers over 5 years.

Why Support CMBS II?

Informed Development Planning: The survey will provide comprehensive baseline data of key areas that might be impacted by future developments, such as coastal protection against sea-level rise and land reclamation. The findings will enable planners and policymakers to make scientifically grounded decisions by providing comprehensive baseline data of key areas, helping identify critical areas to safeguard and develop necessary mitigative measures where development is inevitable.

Scientific Discovery: CMBS II allows for research into poorly understood biomes including cryptobiome organisms, symbionts, and nektonic species that play important roles in ecosystem functioning but have never been systematically studied in Singapore or Southeast Asia. Additionally, critical, but understudied habitats, such as the estuarine sandy shores will also be studied.

Address Knowledge Gaps on Previously Unsurveyed Areas: CMBS II targets several key sites that were not surveyed in CMBS I.

Climate Resilience: With the valuable insights gathered through CMBS II, planners and policymakers may respond to urgent conservation needs as Singapore faces climate change impacts including sea-level rise, and rising sea surface temperatures that threaten marine biodiversity.

How You Can Support

We are seeking S$3.5 million in remaining funding over five years (from 2025-2030), with donations going towards:

  • Manpower and research operations

  • Transportation including boats and vehicles

  • Consumables

  • Equipment

  • Expert and staff travel

  • Expedition/Workshops

Your support will engage volunteers in surveys, sorting, photography and outreach, raising awareness of marine ecosystems whilst building local technical capabilities for taxonomy and species identification.

We would like to thank donors who have contributed to CMBS II:

  • Dalio Philanthropies

  • GSK-EDB Trust Fund

  • HSBC

  • ExxonMobil Asia Pacific

Dalio Philanthropies is thrilled to support CMBS II and continue our partnership with NUS, a scientific leader in the region. With 80% of the world’s ocean still unexplored, biodiversity surveys like this are a necessary foundation for any impactful marine management strategy. This initiative will help establish these critical baselines for understanding and protecting marine ecosystems, driving conservation and critical use efforts, particularly in Southeast Asia.
— Ms Gretchen Wagner, Executive Director, Dalio Philanthropies
As a global biopharma leader, we want to play our part in protecting and restoring the planet’s health. This makes our business more resilient and allows us to deliver the products that patients rely on.
— Mr Lim Hock Heng, Trustee, GSK-EDB Trust Fund, Vice President and Site Director, GSK (Quality Road)
The effects of climate change pose an existential threat to our rich marine biodiversity, and we all have a role to play to help conserve Singapore’s coastal and marine habitats. The results of the second survey, supported by HSBC’s contributions to the Garden City Fund, will help to identify critical areas to safeguard and enable informed decisions on developing more holistic marine conservation strategies and plans. We look forward to our continued partnership with NParks.
— Mr Wong Kee Joo, CEO, HSBC Singapore
ExxonMobil aims to contribute to the well-being of the communities and environment where we operate, and helping to protect biodiversity is important to this objective. Singapore’s rich marine biodiversity is special and we hope that the study’s insights will equip future generations with more knowledge to protect and care for our environment.
— Ms Geraldine Chin, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd

Ready to support marine conservation?

Contact Garden City Fund at garden_city_fund@nparks.gov.sg to explore partnership opportunities that will contribute to Singapore's marine biodiversity knowledge and conservation for future generations.

Join us to protect Singapore’s marine biodiversity.

Two males sieving sediment over a tray in the aquarium
Sieving sediment in the aquarium
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