The study will map the entire coastline of mainland Singapore, its offshore islands and reefs, but it will exclude the marine waters around Pedra Branca.

Pulau Ubin’s Chek Jawa and Pulau Semakau have been chosen as ground‑truthing sites where satellite data will be checked against on‑site observations.

NParks says the updated map will support seaspace and conservation planning, complement research under its Marine Climate Change Science Programme, and the resulting geospatial dataset will be made publicly available.

Building on the 2011 and 2018 habitat maps, the new exercise will quantify changes since 2018, giving policymakers a clearer picture of how coastal and marine habitats have shifted over time.

Although the tender was announced shortly after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mentioned possible merging of western islands for new industries, NParks clarified that the mapping exercise is not linked to that proposal.