N. Sivasothi
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Description
N. Sivasothi is a senior lecturer with the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore. He is also a Research Affiliate of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) and coordinates the museum’s volunteer group, Toddycats!. Sivasothi is also nicknamed ‘Otterman’ for his fascination with the animals and his studies on them.
Sivasothi is at home in the mangroves, which have been the backdrop to his research, education and conservation activities since late 1980's when he first ventured into mangroves as an NUS undergraduate student. The problem of marine trash and abandoned drift nets was clearly evident in his surveys so he agreed to coordinate the first mangrove cleanup in 1997. He has been the national coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup in Singapore since 2001.
Among the first to blog about green issues in Singapore, Sivasothi is now the editor of Habitatnews. He also manages and regularly contributes entries to various nature-related blogs. Of course he did not limit his efforts in promoting Singapore’s biodiversity to just the world wide web. Siva is an active nature guide and frequently organises various workshops, roadshows and fieldtrips to give animals and plants a voice. In fact, it was his efforts in promoting biodiversity that helped bring Pulau Ubin’s Chek Jawa to public attention, which started the effort to save the wetlands from reclamation in 2001.
Selected publications:
Bayen, S., O. Wurl, S. Karuppiah, N. Sivasothi, H. K. Lee and J. P. Obbard, 2005. Persistent organic pollutants in mangrove food webs in Singapore. Chemosphere, 61(3): 303-313.
Friess, D. A., J. Phelps, C. R. Leong, W. K. Lee, A. K. S. Wee, N. Sivasothi, R. R. Y. Oh and E. L. Webb, 2012. Mandai mangrove, Singapore: Lessons for the conservation of Southeast Asia’s mangroves. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 25: 55-65.
Ng, P. K.L. & N. Sivasothi, 1999. A guide to the Mangroves of Singapore: 1: the ecosystem & plant diversity. Singapore Science Centre, 160 pp.
Ng, P. K.L., N. Sivasothi, K. S. Tan, K. K. Lim & D. H. Murphy, 1999. A guide to the Mangroves of Singapore: 2: Animal Diversity. Singapore Science Centre, 168 pp.
Sivasothi, N., 2000. Niche preferences of tree-climbing crabs in Singapore mangroves. Crustaceana, 73(1): 25-38.
Sivasothi, N., 2001. Chek Jawa–lost forever. Asian Geographic, 10: 12-25.
Sivasothi, N., and B. H. M. Nor, 1994. A review of otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Lutrinae) in Malaysia and Singapore. Hydrobiologia, 285(1): 151-170.
Other Resources
Tan, R. 2004. Wild people: Siva. http://www.wildsingapore.com/riablog/people/siva.htm. (Accessed January 2013).
References
Chang, A-L., & T. Koh, 2011. Sustainable Development. Pp. 206-211. In: Ng, P. K. L., R. T. Corlett & H. T. W. Tan (editors), Singapore Biodiversity. An Encyclopedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development, Editions Didier Millet, Singapore, 552 pp.
