Marine life affected by 2024 Pasir Panjang oil spill showing signs of recovery
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A second study, led by the National Institute of Education (NIE), examined the health of marine snails affected by the spill, compared to those found at other beaches the oil didn’t reach.
PHOTO: DR BEVERLY GOH, NIE
- Natural recovery is underway among marine life affected by the Pasir Panjang oil spill.
- Studies found oil in sediments undetectable by November 2025 in some areas.
- NParks launched a national programme with partners to track marine recovery until end-2026, strengthening science-backed future oil spill responses.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – When two vessels collided near Pasir Panjang Terminal in June 2024, the resultant oil spill killed marine life, which are showing signs of recovery, a research study found.
Samples collected from St John’s Island and Lazarus Island showed that the amount of oil in the sediments has also decreased.
Initial findings from the study were shared at the National Parks Board’s (NParks) inaugural oil spill management symposium on May 16 at Jurong Lake Gardens.
Titled Building Knowledge, Bridging Stakeholders, it hopes to improve Singapore’s response to such incidents.
Among those who attended were the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, and the ITOPF, a global non-profit which responds to oil, chemical and cargo spills.
Participants discussed oil spill responses, crisis communications and wildlife care.
The 2024 spill was caused by a collision between Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima and Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour. It ruptured one of the latter’s oil cargo tanks, releasing 400 tonnes of oil into the sea.
It was the worst oil spill in Singapore in a decade.
Oil slick washed up onto several beaches, including Labrador Nature Reserve, Sentosa and East Coast Park.
The cleanup operation took more than two months to complete.
Four Dutch crew members were handed fines in April 2025 for failing to discharge their duties properly.
The last major oil spill in Singapore was in 2010, after a tanker and a bulk carrier collided near Changi. About 2,500 tonnes of oil flowed into the sea.
In 1997, close to 28,500 tonnes of oil entered the Singapore Strait after two tankers collided.
Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry Alvin Tan, who attended the launch on May 16, said several volunteers, public officers and partners helped contain the 2024 incident.
Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry Alvin Tan, who attended the launch on May 16, said several volunteers, public officers and partners helped contain the 2024 incident.
PHOTO: NPARKS
NParks worked with the scientific community and volunteers to assess the ecological impact of affected sites.
He said: “While they discovered that there was no significant impact during the preliminary surveys, the longer-term repercussions can unfold.”
Effective oil spill management must go beyond quick responses, and has to be grounded in science, data and long-term mitigation strategies, he said.
Natural recovery
In early 2025, NParks worked with the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML) and the National Institute of Education (NIE) to launch a national monitoring programme to study the recovery of marine diversity and habitats after the incident.
Two studies were rolled out and are slated to be completed by end-2026.
In the first study, researchers from TMSI and SJINML collected samples from Bendara Bay at St John’s Island and Eagle Bay on Lazarus Island quarterly after the accident.
Dr Tan Koh Siang, principal research fellow at TMSI, said his team tracked the amount of oil that remained in the sediment, and found it had reduced significantly.
By November 2025, the oil was undetectable.
Close to 11,000 specimens have been collected, and researchers are studying which species were most affected to determine their recovery patterns.
There was also an increase in the amount of marine life present, said Dr Tan.
The second study, led by NIE, examined the health of marine snails affected by the spill, compared to those found at other beaches the oil didn’t reach.
The team, which included 100 citizen scientists, collected marine snail samples from 10 sites including Pasir Ris Beach, Changi Beach, Lazarus Island and St John’s Island for a year.
The citizen scientists, who are volunteers, attended a training workshop in biomarker observation. Some collected samples and processed them in the lab.
The study found that marine snails exposed to the oil had worse biomarkers compared to those found elsewhere.
One of the research studies involved collecting marine snail samples from more than 10 coastal sites.
PHOTO: DR BEVERLY GOH, NIE
NIE senior lecturer Beverly Goh said the study can be used to monitor changes in marine environmental conditions.
She said: “It’s like when coal miners lower canaries into the mine. When the canary gets stressed, they know there might be a gas leak.
“So, we can do the same thing with these organisms. Once they become abnormal, we can investigate and do something (about it).”
