Sisters’ Islands Marine Park to be conservation site

SINGAPORE — The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park is set to become a site for marine conservation, research, outreach and education, under plans revealed by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Saturday.

The 40ha park, the first marine park in Singapore, stretches around the Big Sister’s and Small Sister’s Islands, and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor.

On Big Sister’s Island, a floating pontoon will be set up by early 2018, while intertidal pools and a boardwalk will be installed by the end of that year. These will allow the public to get up-close with marine and terrestrial biodiversity. A coastal plant conservation area and forest trails will also be established.

Small Sister’s Island, meanwhile, will be home to the Republic’s first turtle hatchery and a coral nursery by the end of next year, among other things. It will also be a site for marine conservation research, playing host to visits by schools and organisations to learn about the marine research taking place in the country’s waters. KENNETH CHENG