Visitors for December 2003:

Name: Dr Akiko Hayashida
Affliliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Aglicalture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan
Research topic: Geographical variation among squirrel, especially neighboring Isthmus of Kra in Thailand
Duration: 15 to 23 December
Host: Mrs. C. M. Yang

Name: Dr. Hiroshi Suzuki
Affliliation: Kagoshima University, Japan
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of marine crabs
Duration: 13-26 Dec 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Time: 8:15PM SGT (GMT+08:00)
Venue: Lecture Theatre 24, Science Faculty, NUS

The Convention on Biological Diversity - ironic consequences
for the exploration and identification of biodiversity?

by A/Prof Peter Ng
Director, Raffles Museum of Biological Research, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

ALL ARE WELCOME!
Please register with Greasi by 1st Dec 2003.
Tel 6874-5082

Visitors for November 2003:

Name: Dr. Patrick Grootaert
Affliliation: Department Entomology
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium
Research topic: Taxonomy and systematic of Diptera (Dolichopodidae) from Singapore
Duration: 17 Nov - 13 Dec. 2003
Host: Mrs. C. M. Yang

Dr Patrick Grootaert, Head of the Department of Entomology at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, visited the RMBR in Nov/Dec 2003 to conduct research on dolichopodid flies in Singapore. Click here for more…

Name: Dr Christopher Glasby
Affliliation: Natural Sciences Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of polychaetes
Duration: 21 Nov-13 Dec 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng & Dr Tan Heok Hui

Name: Dr Colin McLay
Affliliation: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of brachyurans
Duration: 9-16 Nov 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Dr Indraneil Das
Affliliation: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Research topic: Herpetology
Duration: 3-8 Nov 2003
Host: Mr Kelvin Lim

Two separate MOCs were recently signed between RMBR and Prince of Songkhla University. The aims of the MOCs include fostering greater academic cooperation and promoting development in systematic biology and tropical ecology. Activities under these MOCs will include research collaborations, joint field expeditions, exchange of staff and students for consultation and training.

1. 16 OCT 2003
RMBR, NUS - Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani, THAILAND Signed by A/P Peter Ng for RMBR and A/P Sompong Thongphong for PSU

The MOC signing is featured on the Prince of Songkla University's website

2. 5 NOV 2003
RMBR, NUS - Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkhla University (PSU), Hat Yai, THAILAND Signed by A/P Peter Ng for RMBR and A/P Thawat Chittrakarn for PSU

Visitors for October 2003:

Name: Dr. Herbert Zettel (Vienna Natural History Museum, Austria)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of aquatic bugs
Duration: Oct-Nov 2003
Host: Mrs Yang Chang Man

Name: Dr Pilai Poonswad
Affliliation: Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Research topic: Biology of hornbills
Duration: 22nd Oct 2003
Host: Mr N Sivasothi

Name: Dr Regina Wetzer
Affliliation: Los Angeles County Museum, California, USA
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of isopods
Duration: 19-29 Oct 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Dr Neil Bruce
Affliliation: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of isopods
Duration: 19-29 Oct 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Dr Anne-Marie Bacon
Affliliation: Laboratoire de Paleoanthropologie et Prehistoire, College de France
Research topic: Examination of mammal collections for comparison with/identification of fossil material
Duration: 13 Oct-13 Nov 2003
Host: Mrs Yang Chang Man

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Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Time: 4:00PM - 5:00PM SGT

Indonesia's Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program

by Kassim Moosa
Indonesian Institute of Science

Venue: Lecture Theatre 20,
Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

ALL ARE WELCOME

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Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research,
Department of Biological Sciences,
National University of Singapore

Proudly presents:

The Search for the Indonesian Coelacanth - a living fossil extraordinaire

by Dr Kassim Moosa
Indonesian Institute of Sciences
& RMBR Visiting Researcher

Date: Saturday, 4th October 2003

Time: 2.30 - 4.00pm

Place: NUS Lecture Theatre 31 (Science Auditorium)
Blk S16 Level 3, Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore
Science Drive 1

Host: A/Prof Peter K. L. Ng
Director, NUS Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research

ALL ARE WELCOME

Sep
2003

Date: Sep 13 & 20

Event: International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Click here for more information

Feeding Diversity in Nematodes

By Wasim Ahmad
Department of Zoology
Aligarh Muslim University
India

Date: Thursday, 4th September Time: 2003: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Place:
Seminar Room 3
Blk S2 Level 2
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science
The National University of Singapore
Science Drive 4

Visitors may park at Carpark 10
See map

Host: Darren Yeo

All are welcome

Visitors for August 2003:

Name: Mrs Dewi Listyo Rahayu (Pusat Penelitian Oseanografi, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Research topic: Study on Hermit crab collection in the museum
Duration: 26 Aug-9 Sep 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng / Dr Darren Yeo

Name: Dr. Dewi Prawiradilaga
( Division of Zoology, Research Centre for Biology - LIPI, Bogor, Indonesia)
Research topic: Effects of forest disturbance on rainforest birds of Sulawesi.
Duration: 25th to 31st August 2003.
Host: Dr. N. Sodhi

Name: Dr Wasim Ahmad (Aligarh Muslim University, India)
Research topic: Nematode (roundworm) diversity in Singapore
Duration: 25 Aug-7 Sep 2003
Host: Dr Darren Yeo

Dr. Wasim Ahmad, a nematologist from Aligarh Muslim University, India, was on a visiting attachment to the RMBR in Aug/Sep 2003 to conduct a preliminary study of nematode diversity in Singapore. Click here for more…

 

Name: Dr. Shih Hsi-Te (Department of Zoology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1, Kuan Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, R.O.C.)
Research topic: Fiddler crabs, freshwater crabs
Duration: 12-24 Aug 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Mr. Tohru Naruse (Graduate School of Science, Marine Sciences,
Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.)
Research topic: Freshwater shrimps and crabs
Duration: 11-26 Aug 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Dr. Nathaniel Dominy (University of Chicago, USA)
Research topic: Relationship between seasonality and leaf mechanics
Duration: 8 Aug-1 Sep 2003
Host: A/P Hugh Tan

Name: Dr Shane Ahyong (Australian Museum)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of pea crabs
Duration: 4-16 Aug 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng

Name: Dr Peter Schwendinger (Geneva Museum of Natural History)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of spiders
Duration: 3-6 Aug 2003
Host: Dr Darren Yeo

Public Talk proudly brought to you by RMBR and Nature Society of Singapore

Date: Friday, August 29, 2003
Time: 7:00PM - 8:30PM SGT (GMT+08:00)

"Droughts in evergreen ranforests of Southeast Asia"

By Dr. Wolfgang L. Werner
South Asia Institue
University of Heidelberg, Germany

Venue: Auditorium (3rd floor), Geylang East Community Library

ALL ARE WELCOME!

The Natural History Museum – Business or Pleasure, Sir?

by Paul Clark
Decapod Consultant, Natural History Museum, London
Honorary Research Associate, RMBR, NUS

Hosted by A/P Peter Ng

Lecture Theatre 20
NUS

Date : 1st August 2003, Friday
Time : 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm

About the talk: About twenty-five years ago, an article on heart attacks appeared in the medical journal The Lancet. The author acknowledged that the profession least likely to suffer such a seizure was the museum curator! How life has changed from dusty image to vibrant extrovert for this world-renowned institute. The NHM is now expected to raise additional income, maintain its position as one of UK’s leading visitor attractions and continue to produce innovative research. This presentation will include a report on the invasions of the Thames by the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. Bring your own beta blockers.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Visitors for July 2003:

Name: Dr Yukio Iwatsuki (Miyazaki University, Japan)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of fishes
Duration: 30-31 July; 14 Aug 2003
Host: Mr Kelvin Lim

Name: Dr Indraneil Das (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of herptiles
Duration: 28 Jul – 1 Aug 2003
Host: Mr Kelvin Lim

Name: Dr. Dewi Prawiradilaga (Institute of Science, Indonesia)
Research topic: Relationship between seasonality and leaf mechanics
Duration: 25-31 Jul 2003
Host: A/P Navjot Sodhi

Name: Dr Paolo Mazzoldi ( Brescia, Italy)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of Gyrinidae (aquatic beetles)
Duration: 12-15 Jul 2003
Host: Mrs Yang Chang Man

Name: Mr Paul Clark (Natural History Museum, London, UK)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of marine crabs and larvae
Duration: 8 Jul-5 Aug 2003
Host: A/P Peter Ng
Click here for seminar annoncement

The Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium 2003 was held at Lecture Theatre 25, National University of Singapore on 11th & 12th of July 2003.

Guest of Honour: Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of State for National Development.

The event was jointly organised by:

• Nature's Niche (Botanic Gardens Shop)
• Singapore Institute of Biology
• NUS DBS Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research

  Read more>>

Visitors for June 2003:

Name: Mr Momomed M. Bahir (Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of freshwater crabs
Duration: 17-24 Jun 2003
Host: Dr Darren Yeo

Name: Prof. David M. Johnson
Institution: Professor of the Department of Botany-Microbiology &
Director of Jason Swallen Herbarium,
Ohio Wesleyan University, USA
Research topic: Annonaceae
Duration: 5-11 Jun, 2003
Host: Prof Benito C. Tan

PUBLIC SEMINAR jointly organised by NUS BEJC, RMBR, NSS with the cooperation of the Office of Public Affairs, American Embassy

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2003
Time: 7:00PM - 8:30PM SGT

Biology and biodiversity of Malesian Annonaceae (Custard apple family)
by
Prof. David M. Johnson,
Professor of the Department of Botany-Microbiology &
Director of Jason Swallen Herbarium,
Ohio Wesleyan University, USA

Venue: Auditorium (3rd floor) Geylang East Community Library (near Aljunied MRT Station)

Visitors for March 2003:

Name: Dr. Clyde Roper
Institution: Zoologist Emeritius,
National Museum Of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Research topic: Cephalopods
Duration: Mar 26 2003
Host: University Scholars Programme/Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research

Name: Ms Huei-Ping Shen
Institution: Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute
Research topic: Earthworm diversity in Singapore
Duration: 2-15 Mar 2003
Host: Dr Darren Yeo

Ms Huei-Ping Shen from the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, an expert in terrestrial earthworms, was on a visiting attachment to the RMBR in Mar 2003 to help in curation of our earthworm collections, and to study the terrestrial earthworm fauna of Singapore.
Click here for more…

Name: Dr David Gower
Institution: Reptile & Amphibia Research Group, Dept of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
Research topic: Biology of Caecilians
Duration: 2-3 March 2003
Host: Mr Kelvin Lim

Mar 26 - Assoc Professor Navjot Sodhi has been appointed the Associate Editor of the Auk for Conservation and Southeastern Asian Ecology as of March 2003. The Auk is a quarterly journal of ornithology with the highest impact factor among bird journals. It is published by the American Ornithologists Union, 'the oldest and largest organization in the New World devoted to the scientific study of birds.'

Mar 25 - Dr Clyde Roper gave a public talk at the Prince George's Park Residence (PGP) Lecture Theatre,
National University of Singapore.

Click here for more information

	Dr Roper (left) visiting the Public Gallery with RMBR Director, Prof Peter Ng (middle)
	Dr Roper checking out the Zoological Reference Collection with museum curator Ms Lua (middle) and Dr O' Riordan, Department of Biological Sciences

Visitors for February 2003:

Names:
1) Dr. Harold Voris (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA)
2) Dr. Bill Jeffries (Dickinson College, Carlisle, USA)
Research topic: Pedunculate barnacles
Duration: 17 Jan - 27 Feb 2003
Host: Mrs Yang Chang Man and Dr Serena Teo (TMSI)

Name: Dr Charles Santiapillai
Affliliation: Deputy Chairman, IUCN/SSC Elephant Specialist Group
Research topic: Wildlife ecology, specifically elephant ecology and conservation.
Duration: 16-21 Feb 2003
Host: Prof Peter Ng and Mr N. Sivasothi

Name: Dr Simon Pollard
Institution: Canterbury Museum, New Zealand
Research topic: Stalking spiders: spitting spiders and jumping spiders
Duration: 8-18 Feb, 2002
Host: Prof Li Daiqin

Dr Simon Pollard from the Canterbury Museum, New Zealand, who specialises in animal behaviour and spiders, visited the RMBR in Feb 2003 to conduct collaborative research on spider behavioural ecology.
Click here for more…

Name: Dr Peter Davie (Queensland Museum, Australia)
Research topic: Systematics and taxonomy of marine crabs
Duration: 27 Jan - 16 Feb 2003
Host: Prof Peter Ng

Dr Peter Davie, a carcinologist, was on a visiting attachment to the RMBR in Jan/Feb 2003 to conduct collaborative work on crab systematics.
Click here for more…

Name: Dr Victor B. Amoroso
Institution: Central Mindanao University, Philippines
Research topic: Ferns and fern allies
Duration: Feb 2003
Host: Prof Benito C. Tan

Prof Victor Amoroso visited the RMBR in Feb 2003 to conduct collaborative research on Philippine fern diversity.
Click here for more…

 

Visitors for January 2003:

Name: Mr Arvin C. Diesmos
Institution: Conservation International Philippines
Research topic: Taxonomy of Philippine/Sundaic amphibians
Duration: 9-22 Jan 2003
Host: Mr Kelvin Lim/Mr Leong Tzi Ming

Mr Arvin Diesmos of the Philippine National Museum visited the RMBR in Jan 2003 to conduct collaborative research on frogs.
Click here for more…

Name: Dr Richard Corlett
Institution: University of Hong Kong
Research topic: Diversity of flora of Singapore
Duration: 4-17 Jan 2003
Host: Prof Hugh Tan

Dr. Richard Corlett, from The University of Hong Kong, visited the RMBR in Jan 2003 to conduct collaborative research on the floral diversity of Singapore.
Click here for more…

January 13 - The Singapore History Museum will be closed officially in April 2003 for an extensive development project. During preparations for this exercise, they found some publications of the National Museum and others.

We acknowledge their kind donation to the RMBR with thanks:

National Museum Bulletin No: 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 (Part 1-16), 34, 35, - (most 2 sets or more) Malayan Museum Pamplets No: 1, 7, 9 - (many sets) Bibliography National Museum - few copies Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales: Vol. 130-134 (Part 1-4) Memoirs of Museum Victoria Vol. 57 No. 2 Nova Guinea Vol. 6, Part 2 Philippines Journal of Science Vol 128 No. 4 Journal of Taiwan Museum Vol XXXVII No.1

Special thanks to Dorothy Ng, Asst. Manager, Public Affairs, Singapore History Museum who facilitated the transfer.