First Workshop by Visiting Scientists: Sea Anemone Workshop Singapore, 15 – 21 June, 2011

Workshops by Visiting Scientists are an integral part of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey of Singapore.

Dr Tan Swee Hee (right) and Dr Daphne Fautin
during her last visit to Singapore in 2009.
Photo taken by James Koh and posted on the Raffles Museum News blog.

Dr Daphne Fautin will be returning to Singapore to conduct the Sea Anemone Workshop in June!

Dr Daphne Fautin is a sea anemone biologist whose major research interests include the taxonomy and systematics of sea anemones, and their symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Recently, Dr Fautin has examined the symbiotic relationship of a new species of anemone with sand-dwelling gastropods from Saipan. In addition, she has documented 16 species of anemones on the shores of Singapore, ten of them new occurrence records.  She maintains the database Hexacorallians of the World (http://hercules.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/anemone2/index.cfm) that holds an inventory of documented species of anemones and their allies.

The workshop is organized by the Tropical Marine Science Institute and the Raffles Museum for Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore and will be held at St John’s Island Marine Laboratory, Tropical Marine Science Institute.

The workshop aims to impart to participants the necessary skills and knowledge to identity tropical sea anemones effectively. This workshop focuses on hands-on laboratory sessions where participants will learn to prepare collected anemone specimens for identification, including through histological examination. Field trips will also be conducted during the course of the workshop to complement the laboratory work and to generate discussions on anemone ecology and habitats. The workshop program will focus on:


The full workshop program consists of a seven-day residential course covering lectures, laboratory work and field trips. Due to logistic constraints, only eight places are offered for full participants. Priority will be given to postgraduate students and researchers conducting studies in anemone biology or undertaking taxonomic and biodiversity studies of sea anemones.

More details on the RMBR news blog.

More about Dr Daphne's last trip Great Anemone Hunt in Singapore including a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work done in identifiying sea anemones.