Lecture: Knowing the Reef: Community Insight and Scientific Understanding

Coastal communities and island populations, such as those in Singapore and Bintan, are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise. Coral reefs play a critical role as natural breakwaters, aiding to defend against coastal erosion. However, their survival is threatened by the implications of Singapore’s urbanisation on Bintan —through economic and touristic development—, alongside overfishing, rising sea temperatures, and the potential runoff impacts of industrial developments such as petrochemical plants. The lecture opens with a presentation by Professor Ute Meta Bauer (School of Art, Design and Media, NTU) on sea-based livelihoods in the Riau Archipelago and features lectures by coral restoration diver Rudi (Bintan Black Coral Dive) and Associate Professor Peter Todd, (Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, NUS; Director, Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS ) with a response by Dr Karenne Tun (Director, Coastal and Marine Branch, National Biodiversity Centre, NParks), moderated by Associate Professor Laura Miotto (School of Art, Design and Media, NTU). The session explores current coral restoration projects initiated by Rudi in Bintan, including nature-based solutions, highlighting their significance for coastal communities reliant on reef coastlines for their livelihood. Returning to urban Singapore, Associate Professor Todd will discuss eco-engineered seawalls that function as surrogates for natural habitats, supporting coral growth while simultaneously serving as coastal defense structures against rising tides.

Tuesday Lecture

26 August 2025, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

The Hall, NTU CCA, Blk 6 Lock Road, #01-10 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108934

Image Credit: Coral Tree Nursery, Coral Restoration Project initiated by Rudi and Bintan Black Coral Dive Centre, Bintan Island, Indonesia. Photo by Udin.

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture series returns for its second cycle for the 2025 Fall Semester. Each session features researchers from the Climate Transformation Programme, alongside contributors from other academic fields, as well as artists, architects and advocates. In this second iteration, the series is framed with policy relevance in mind, with respondents from various government agencies and other fields offering immediate commentary.

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series is organised by members of the Climate Transformation Programme (CTP) Cross-Cutting Theme 1: Sustainable Societies research team, Senior Principal Investigator Professor Ute Meta Bauer, research fellow Joshua Gebert, research associate Ng Mei Jia and research assistant Angela Ricasio Hoten.

Sustainable Societies

Senior Principal Investigator, Professor Ute Meta Bauer (NTU ADM)

Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Laura Miotto (NTU ADM)

Principal Investigator, Professor Dr Thomas Schroepfer (SUTD)

This Lecture Series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant [MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme.

Speakers

Ute Meta Bauer is a Professor at the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU), and Principal Research Fellow at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA Singapore). Having served as the Founding Director of NTU CCA Singapore for over a decade, her work as educator and curator over the past years has focused on Climates. Habitats. Environments. Her current research projects include Climate Transformation Programme: Sustainable Societies Research Cluster (2024–Present), Developing and Evaluating Digital Tools for Participatory Climate Change Mitigation (2025–Present) and previously, Climate Crisis and Cultural Loss (2021–2024), Environmentally-Engaged Artistic Practices in South, Southeast Asia and the Pacific (2021–2023), and Understanding Southeast Asia as a ‘Geocultural’ Formation (2021–2023).

Peter Todd is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore, NUS, the Principal Investigator of the Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, NUS, and Director of the Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS. As an experimental marine ecologist, Prof Todd focuses on organism-environment interactions in nearshore waters. His more applied work includes the ecological engineering of seawalls to enhance biodiversity and re-establish ecosystem services on heavily modified shorelines.

Rudi is a diver from Bintan Island dedicated to restoring marine ecosystems, particularly coral habitats. Graduating from Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, he focuses on coral restoration and monitoring. He began his conservation work with the Bintan Black Coral Dive Centre and now continues these efforts with PT Buana Mewawisatama, in the field of coastal ecosystem conservation.

Respondent

Dr Karenne Tun is the Director of the Coastal and Marine Environment Branch at the National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board (NParks). She joined NParks in 2013, after a 18-year circuit within academia, non-profit organisation and private environmental consultancy, and during which time she obtained her PhD from the National University of Singapore where she focussed on developing tools for coral reef monitoring and management. Karenne’s current work at NParks covers issues related to the management and conservation of Singapore’s coastal and marine environment and the biodiversity they support.

Moderator

Associate Professor Laura Miotto is an award-winning exhibition designer and educator. With 20 years of experience in design as both creative director and architectural designer, she has developed a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions. She is Associate Professor (Practice) at the School of Art, Design and Media, NTU, and Co-Director of the MA in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices at NTU/ADM. Her work focuses on heritage interpretation and design strategies involving sensorial experience in museums, thematic galleries, and public spaces. Her interests include environmentally informed architecture, conservation of zoological/botanical collections, and biodiversity in Southeast Asia, bridging culture and science.