NUS is first to partner SLA to promote use of GPS framework for environment research

1. 19 March 2010 - The Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) are collaborating to promote the use of a Singapore Satellite Positioning Reference Network (SiReNT) GPS reference station for the first time for engineering, recreational and scientific activities.

2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed between SLA and TMSI at NUS to inaugurate the 6th SiReNT station - the SIReNT Pulau Semakau Reference Station (SSMK).

3. The new SiReNT reference station is part of a network of SiReNT stations owned by SLA and is located at Pulau Semakau.

4. TMSI will provide expertise on applications of GPS reference to study 5 key areas namely coastline retreat and erosion; beach profile monitoring; inter-tidal habitat and bio-diversity mapping for Singapore; land subsidence studies; and real-time integration with environmental monitoring sensors.

5. Professor Peter Ng Kee Lin, Director of Tropical Marine Science Institute at NUS: “The Tropical Marine Science Institute is pleased to collaborate with the Singapore Land Authority to explore the optimisation of available resources. The 6th SiReNT station can break new ground in the way we collect and analyse data while lending greater understanding of contributing environmental factors in our joint study. In addition, the inclusion of SSMK to the existing reference network can impact the way we evaluate our coasts and marine life for conservation and management by an estimated 50% increase in efficiency and even present new cost- saving measures.”

6. SiReNT will provide round-the-clock, real-time and post-process GPS correction data that is based on a Singapore reference frame, allowing data to be easily obtained with no downtime. It will also increase the coverage of existing SiReNT network for current SiReNT uses and at the same time provide a unique opportunity to researchers for environmental monitoring and management.

7. The research conducted by TMSI at NUS with input from SLA’s SiReNT system will study the bio-diversity of St John’s Island and Pulau Semakau over a period of five years, where there are already environmental mapping and inter-tidal activity monitoring.

8. “This collaboration between SLA and TMSI is a perfect match - SiReNT provides highly accurate positioning data and the experts from TMSI harvests the data for environmental and earth monitoring purposes, all in support of the various economic, social and scientific activities,” said Mr. Soh Kheng Peng, Chief Surveyor of SLA.

9. As Pulau Semakau is mainly a man-made landfill island, the new SSMK Reference Station can also be used to carry out land subsidence measurements and monitoring of tectonic movements and their impacts. The addition of the SSMK Reference Station will also enable SiReNT to provide higher accuracies for real-time positioning accuracies in the surrounding southern region of Singapore.

10. In conjunction with the inauguration, a seminar was held where experts from various fields discussed how environmental mapping and monitoring, understanding earthquake process and urban building monitoring can be strengthened with special reference to high accuracy GPS applications in environment and earth sciences.

For more information, please contact:

About National University of Singapore (NUS)
The National University of Singapore is a leading research-intensive university centred in Asia. Ranked in the top 30 worldwide, NUS offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 22 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner for Singapore’s 5th RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are world class, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences, medicine, social sciences, natural sciences and at the intersection of these disciplines to address issues such as ageing and sustainability. 

For more information, please visit: http://www.nus.edu.sg/. 

About Tropical Marine Science Institute
The Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) is an institution formed within the National University of Singapore. The Institute’s funding comes from a variety of sources which enables the TMSI to undertake a wide spectrum of research in tropical marine science. The major research areas are Marine Environmental Management; Underwater Remote Sensing and Oceanography.

Through active collaboration with academic, government and industrial sectors, TMSI aims to play a strong role in promoting integrated marine science, in R&D, as well as to establish itself as a regional and international education and training centre. TMSI is a centre of excellence for research, development and consultancy in tropical marine science as well as environmental science. With its multi-disciplinary research laboratories and active international links, it handles projects relevant to Physical Oceanography, Acoustics, Marine Biology, Marine Mammals, Biofuels, Water Resources and Climate Change. TMSI also provides postgraduate research opportunities.

About SLA
Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is a statutory board with the Ministry of Law. Its mission is to optimise land resources for the economic and social development of Singapore. SLA is responsible for the direct management of some 14,000 hectares of State land and about 5,000 buildings. It is also in charge of land sales, leases, acquisitions and allocation, developing and marketing land-related information, and maintaining the national land information database through digitised land information services.

SLA is also the national land registration authority for property transactions, and the issuance and guarantee of land titles in Singapore. It also manages and maintains the national land survey system, including the defining of boundaries or legal limits of properties based on a coordinated cadastre survey system.