Coral reefs at Pulau Semakau & Hantu 8,000 years old: NUS marine science director on Western islands' possible merge

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong revealed during the 2026 National Day Rally that the government is considering merging several Western islands, potentially including Pulau Semakau, Sudong, Bukom and smaller islands. The larger merged island could accommodate industry and power infrastructure. Huang, the NUS Marine Science Director, noted that the reefs on the merged islands have persisted for about 8,000 years, serving ecological functions such as providing food and preventing coastal erosion.

These reefs also act as a transition habitat between Southeast Asian reefs, supporting biodiversity and regional fisheries. Huang expressed concern that directly burying these reefs for land reclamation would result in their irreversible loss, as it would take another 8,000 years of suitable conditions to recreate them, which is unlikely given the ongoing climate change.

Huang suggested protecting natural coral habitats from reclamation and transplanting coral fragments onto adjacent reefs, as transplanted corals cannot replicate the ecosystem functions and services of existing reefs. The loss of these reefs would also impact research and future ecosystem services, including potential medical discoveries.

A form to gather community feedback has been circulated, with reactions from local marine enthusiasts and science creators.