The Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea is an informal political process that began in 1990. Amongst others, the workshop formed a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Marine Scientific Research and also held Group of Experts Meetings (GEM) on Biodiversity.

As a result of this dialogue process, multilateral biodiversity studies have resulted. Some of these efforts are reflected here. For more information about the process, see:

• Djalal, H, 2000. South China Sea Island Disputes. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 8 (The Biodiversity of the South China Sea): 9-21.
• The South China Sea Informal Working Group webpage, University of British Columbia, Canada.
• The South China Sea Virtual Library. Ed.:David Rosenberg.

Arising from the Workshop on Biodiversity Assesssment, May 1997, Singapore, The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 8 entitled "The Biodiversity of the South China Sea" was published on 31st March 2000. Two papers in this volume deal with the political and biodiversity issues of the South China Sea:

• Hasjim Djalal. South China Sea island disputes. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 8 (The Biodiversity of the South China Sea): 9-21. [pdf, 678KB]
• Ng, P.K.L. & K.S. Tan, 2000. The state of marine biodiversity in the South China Sea. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 8 (The Biodiversity of the South China Sea): 3-7. [pdf, 253KB]

The abstracts and pdfs of all 16 articles of this volume are available here.

The 1997 workshop proposed a multi-lateral eexpedition in the South China Sea in uncontested waters and in August 1999, an expedition proposal was submitted by NUS to Hasjim Djalal.

28 March 2001 - Ex Anambas proposal is presented to the 11th Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea in Cengkareng, Jakarta by Hasjim Djala, Abdul Gani Ilahude & N. Sivasothi.

11-22 March 2002: Ex Anambas is conducted in the Anambas and Natuna Islands of Indonesia. For a background to the process, please see Overview. Researchers in multi-lateral teams explored a total of 60 sites - freshwater streams, beach, rocky shores, mangrove and coral reefs. Together, they dived, trawled and used traps and nets to collect some 3,000 specimens.

2nd October 2002 - Abdul Gani Ilahude & N. Sivasothi present the expedition report and overview to the 12th Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea in West Jakarta. Report and pdf.

It was also reported that a list of scientific papers as a result of the expedition was to be published in a special supplement of the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. A provisional list of authors and titles was provided. The date of final submission was set as September 2003.

17th September 2003 - Progress Report for EX ANAMBAS 2002, an initiative of the Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea, submitted to the 13th Workshop held in Medan, Indonesia,17th September 2003. By N. Sivasothi, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 5p. <pdf>

22 March 2004 - The Scientific Results of the Anambas Expedition 2002 is published as the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 11, 22 March 2004. 130p. See the abstracts and pdfs of papers. Available for download: Contents & Foreword - Overview.

Expedition Storyboard for Press briefing, 21st March 2002 by N. Sivasothi, Singapore.

Reef fish by Yusri bin Yusuf, Malaysia.

May-June 2002 - Article: Light and harmony for region's scientists. By Lea Wee, Singapore, May-June 2002. P.5.

May-June 2002 - Article: An expedition with a dual mission. By Michelle Chow, Knowledge Enterprise, Vol. 1, No. 10. <pdf>

3rd May 2002 - Seminar: Department of Biological Sciences, NUS, Singapore: "Biodiversity And Diplomacy On The High Seas: Exercise Anambas, A Confidence Building Measure For Countries Of The South China Seas." N. Sivasothi & Tan Heok Hui, Raffles Museum Of Biodiversity Research (RMBR), Department of Biological Sciences, NUS. Friday, 3 May 2002: 4 - 5 pm. LT32, Blk S1A, Science Dr 4, NUS. Abstract.

Date unknown - "Explorations in the South China Sea". By ?Chen I-Shiong, National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Taiwan. <pdf>

22nd March 2002 - Media report: Unexplored islands yield 1,000 marine species. By Chang Ai-Lien, The Straits Times, Singapore.

22nd March 2002 - Media report: New marine species discovered in South China Sea during expedition. Channel News Asia, Singapore. <pdf>

12th March 2002 - Press release. Anambas Expedition, a Confidence Building Measure for Managing Potential Conflict in the South China Sea, March, 9 - 23, 2002. Department of Foreign Affiars, Republic of Indonesia.

9th March 2002 - Press release. Exercise Anambas. Corporate Communications/Media, National University of Singapore. <pdf>