Protecting Singapore’s marine biodiversity

Aramco volunteers recently participated in its second coastal clean-up and collected more than 110kg of marine litter at East Coast Park.

Marine litter poses environmental, economic, health and aesthetic threats, including the loss of biodiversity and degradation of marine and coastal habitats and ecosystems. From 2019 to 2021, the Singapore authorities collected between 3,640 and 4,000 tons of floating debris annually from 10 beaches and coastlines across the island.

To do its part to protect Singapore's marine biodiversity, 24 Aramco employees, family members and sponsored students participated in a coastal clean-up at East Coast Park organized by the Singapore National Parks Board (NParks) on 11 February 2023.

Marwa Al-Khuzaim, Managing Director of Aramco Singapore said, “Environmental stewardship is integral to Aramco's approach in operating our business sustainably and responsibly. We believe that everyone has a part to play and by partnering with NParks, our employees and their family members, we hope to preserve Singapore's marine biodiversity for the local community to enjoy for generations to come.”

To date, Aramco has donated over S$500,000 (US$396,000) to Garden City Fund's Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme and educational program to promote the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems. Previously, Aramco volunteers had also performed coral nursery maintenance work at the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre and participated in a coastal cleanup at Bendera Bay on St. John Island.

"We are encouraged by Aramco’s support in raising awareness on the importance of our marine ecosystem and involvement in protecting Singapore’s marine biodiversity. The volunteers’ efforts will not only contribute to cleaner waters for the benefit of our corals and the surrounding ecosystem, but also provide important data to educate the public on marine debris issues," Dr Jeffrey Low, Senior Manager, Biodiversity, National Parks Board.

The coastal clean-up also provides an opportunity for Aramco volunteers to learn more about the impact of marine trash to the environment while keeping Singapore beaches clean.

“The beach clean-up is a meaningful activity and I hope that my children, through hands-on experience, will better understand the impact of marine litter and learn to appreciate and take better care of our coastal environment,” said Nur Farhani Asmawi, Talent Acquisition Manager, Aramco Singapore.