Profile
Dr. Neo Mei Lin
Dr. Neo Mei Lin
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr. Neo Mei Lin is a familiar face at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, having started her research work on the iconic giant clams since 2006. She is also a post-doctoral fellow in the Reef Ecology Laboratory at the Department of Biological Sciences, NUS.
Her current research interests include the mariculture of marine invertebrates (giant clam, sea urchin), experimental marine ecology, population genetics, and marine conservation. Mei Lin is also an advocate for science communication and to bring a voice for the conservation of under-appreciated marine invertebrates.
On top of her research, Mei Lin gives talks to various schools and organisations, as well as volunteers in local conservation groups to promote marine conservation messages and educate fellow volunteers.
Areas of Interest
- Experimental marine ecology
- Culture of marine invertebrate species
- Invertebrate larval biology and ecology
- Population genetics and phylogeography
- Fate of microplastics in invertebrate larvae
- Marine biodiversity and conservation
- Science communication
Active Research Projects
- 2020 – present: Reducing marine litter by addressing the management of the plastic value chain in South-East Asia (SEA circular)
- 2020 – present: Microbial transformation of plastics in Southeast Asian seas: a hazard and a solution
- 2020 – present: Advancing mariculture of Indo-Pacific species for research, conservation, and sustainable aquarium trade
- 2020 – present: Desktop assessment of the state of knowledge for marine aquaculture in a tropical urban port environment
- 2019 – present: Revealing the genetic connectivity of endangered giant clams in Malaysia for transboundary conservation
Past Projects
- 2019 (Sep): Development of a database for marine debris research in ASEAN, China, South Korea and Japan
- 2019 (Feb): State of Play on marine plastics research in ASEAN region
- 2017 – 2018: Distribution, abundance and population structure of giant clams of Perhentian Islands, Terengganu
- 2017 – 2019: Understanding the pathways of inorganic carbon transport in the fluted giant clams using molecular biology approach
- 2016 – 2021: Understanding the evolutionary history and population genetics of coral reefs in Singapore
- 2016 – 2020: Developing the cultures of tropical model organisms (sea urchin, polychaete worm, ascidian)
- 2016 – 2018: Study of the phylogeography of giant clam populations in the South China Sea and East Asia Sea
- 2015 – 2019: Prioritising conservation for giant clams – An trifecta assessment based on threat, phylogenetic and functional diversity
Publications
- Tan EYW, ZBR Quek, ML Neo, C Fauvelot & D Huang (2021) Genome skimming resolves the giant clam (Bivalvia: Cardiidae: Tridacninae) tree of life. Coral Reefs.
- Lim LJW, JBY Loh, AJS Lim, BYX Tan, YCA Ip, ML Neo, R Tan & D Huang (2020) Diversity and distribution of intertidal marine species in Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68: 396–403.
- Lyons Y, ML Neo, A Lim, YL Tay & D Vu Hai (2020) Status of Research, Legal and Policy Efforts on Marine Plastics in ASEAN+3: A Gap Analysis at the Interface of Science, Law and Policy. COBSEA, UNEP and NUS.
- Chew SF, CZY Koh, KC Hiong, CYL Choo, WP Wong, ML Neo & YK Ip (2019) Light-enhanced expression of Carbonic Anhydrase 4-like supports shell formation in the fluted giant clam Tridacna squamosa. Gene 683: 101–112.
- Enricuso OB, C Conaco, SLG Sayco, ML Neo & PC Cabaitan (2019) Elevated seawater temperatures affect embryonic and larval development in the giant clam Tridacna gigas (Cardiidae: Tridacninae). Journal of Molluscan Studies 85(1): 66–72.
- Neo ML, KK Lim, S-Y Yang, GY Soong, GD Masucci, P Biondi, HB Wee, H Kise & JD Reimer (2019) Status of giant clam resources around Okinawa-jima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Aquatic Conservation – Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29(6): 1002–1011.
- Oh RM, ML Neo, NWL Yap, SS Jain, R Tan, CA Chen & D Huang (2019) Citizen science meets integrated taxonomy to uncover the diversity and distribution of Corallimorpharia in Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 67: 306–321.
- For full publication list, please see: https://meilin5giantclam.wordpress.com/publications/
Selected Media Stories
- The Straits Times (Branded Content), 7 Feb 2021: “Meet the S’porean women redefining success on their own terms”
- The Straits Times, 6 Jun 2020: “World Oceans Day: Looking out for coral reefs during Covid-19 and beyond”
- The Peak Singapore, 12 Mar 2020: “Saving the environment the right way”
- The Straits Times (Branded Content), 4 Nov 2019: “The road less travelled”
