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Associate Professor

Teik Beng Jeffrey Kwik

Lead - Rotary-SIT Mangrove Conservatory
Programme Lead - Applied Sustainability Talent Programme
Module Lead - SDE3001 Environmental Sustainability Measurement
Module Lead - SBE3132 Aquaculture Science and Principles
PhD, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Cluster:
Engineering
Email
LinkedIn

Biography

I am currently an Associate Professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology involved environmental sustainability research and education. Prior to SIT, I was a senior researcher at the National University of Singapore studying various aspects of community ecology and biology in Singapore’s aquatic habitats; a lecturer at the University of Queensland co-ordinating their Australian marine biology programs; and a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic teaching aquaculture, fish husbandry, health, and disease management. I am a fish biologist and ecologist with experience studying fishes in both freshwater and marine habitats, and across tropical to temperate ecosystems in countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia. My specific areas of expertise include the trophic and community ecology, growth and development, invasive biology, reproductive biology, and the sensory biology of fishes. Since 2005, I have been involved in several PUB-commissioned grants involving applied research projects involving water sustainability including studying the freshwater fish communities and characterizing the food webs in the reservoirs and waterways of Singapore; researching the environmental impacts of floating solar panels on the aquatic and avian communities within and along the perimeters of reservoirs; and more recently, investigating the applications of nature-based solutions (i.e. biomanipulation techniques) for improving water quality and controlling nuisance issues (i.e., midges) in Singapore’s reservoirs.  At SIT, I am currently designing and developing the Rotary-SIT Mangrove Conservatory for mangrove research, outreach and education; researching biodiversity enhancement techniques on eco-friendly adaptive seawalls and understanding the fish communities along the reclaimed shorelines of East Coast Park.

SIT Appointments

  • Module Lead - SBE3132 Aquaculture Science and Principles
    – Present
  • Programme Lead - Applied Sustainability Talent Programme
    – Present
  • Lead - Rotary-SIT Mangrove Conservatory
    – Present
  • Module Lead - SDE3001 Environmental Sustainability Measurement
    – Present

Education

  • PhD
    National University of Singapore , Singapore
  • MSc
    University of Queensland , Australia
  • BSc (Hons)
    Flinders University of South Australia , Australia
  • Dip. Biotech
    Singapore Polytechnic , Singapore

Professional Memberships

  • Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (Research Associate)
    – Present
  • Aquatic Ecosystems Health & Management Society (Advisory committee of the South East Asia Chapter, Singapore Coordinator)
    – Present
  • Philippine Journal of Systematics (Associate Editor)
    – Present
  • Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (Associate Editor)
    – Present
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Research Interests

  • Environmental and Water sustainability
  • Biodiversity and Conservation in Urban Environments
  • Marine and Freshwater Community Ecology
  • Fish biology and ecology

Current Projects

  • Fish communities along reclaimed shorelines of East Coast Park. (Co-principal investigator)
    – Present
  • Adaptive Eco-Friendly Seawall for Coastal Protection. (Co-principal investigator)
    – Present
  • UrEco 2030+: Optimizing Urban Ecosystem Services Model for Urban Climate and Biodiversity in Singapore towards 2030 and Beyond (Co-principal Investigator)
    – Present
  • Rotary club-SIT Mangrove Conservatory project (Principal Investigator)
    – Present

Past Projects

  • Large-scale biomanipulation feasibility trials for water quality and environmental management, based on food web dynamics and ecosystem stability in Singapore reservoirs. (Co-principal investigator)
    –
  • Investigating the impacts of the installation of floating solar panels on the aquatic and lake margin communities in Upper Peirce and Tengeh reservoirs. (Co-principal investigator).
    –
  • Biodiversity and Biological Interactions in Singapore’s Reservoirs and Waterways—A study of Food Web and Trophic Structure, and Implications for Environmental and Water Quality Management. (Co-principal investigator).
    –
  • Study of the environmental effects of floating solar panels in Tengeh reservoir. (Co-principal investigator).
    –
  • Biodiversity and biological interactions in six Singapore reservoirs—A pilot study of food web and trophic structure, and implications for environmental and water quality management. (Project manager)
    –
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Journal Papers

  • Teo XS, Lai KS, Kwik JTB, Mowe MAD & Yeo DCJ (2026) Gut microplastics of two non-native freshwater fish species, Geophagus altifrons and Cichla orinocensis, in Singapore reservoirs. Aquatic Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-026-10312-3

  • Kwik JTB, Liew JH, Lim BHR & Yeo DCJ (in prep for submission to Journal of Applied Ichthyology) Electrofishing as an effective method for quantitative assessments of fish communities in the reservoirs in Singapore.

  • Kwik JTB, Sin TM & Ng KLP (in correction for Raffles Bulletin of Zoology) Reproductive biology of tropical scorpaenoids of Singapore.

  • Kwik JTB, Chang JWJ, Low BW, Liew JH, Tan CLY & Yeo DCJ (in prep.) Strangers no more: a 10-year update on South American ocellate river stingrays, Potamotrygon motoro (Potamotrygonidae), in Singapore's reservoirs. 

  • Wilkinson CL, Lim BHR, Liew JH, Kwik JTB, Tan LYC, Tan HH & Yeo DCJ (2022) Empirical food webs of 12 tropical reservoirs in Singapore. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e86192. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e86192

  • Wilkinson CL, Kwik JTB, Ow AMW, Lim BHR, Liu SS, Tan CLY, Saw ACY, Liew JH & Yeo DCJ (2021) Rehabilitation of a tropical storm-water drain: assembly of a novel community. Ecological Engineering 161, 106150.

  • Kwik JTB & Lim KKP (2020) Scorpionfishes (Teleostei: Scorpanenoidei) of Singapore. Nature in Singapore 13: 11-26.

  • Kwik JTB, Lim RBH, Liew JH & Yeo DCJ (2020) Novel cichlid-dominated fish communities in tropical urban reservoirs. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management. DOI 10.1080/14634988.2020.1778308

  • Tan HH, Lim KKP, Low BW, Kwik JTB, Liew JH & Yeo DCJ (2020) Annotated checklist of non-native freshwater fishes of Singapore, with notes on early records on native fish species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68: 150-195.

  • Kwik JTB (2018) Length-weight relationships for three species of common scorpaenoids from Singapore. Journal of Applied Ichthyology DOI: 10.1111/jai.13586.

  • Liew JH, Jardine TD, Lim BHR, Kwik JTB, Tan HH, Kho ZY & Yeo DCY (2018) Bottom-up influences on tropical freshwater food web structure support the “environmental filtering” hypothesis. Limnology and Oceanography DOI: 10.1008/ino.10813.

  • Lim RBH, Liew JH, Kwik JTB & Yeo DCJ (2018) Bayesian Belief Network to assess and predict aquatic food web biomanipulation. Ecological Modelling DOI:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.06.017

  • Lim NKM, Tay YC, Srivathson A, Tan JWT, Kwik JTB, Baloglu B, Meir R & Yeo DCJ (2016) Next-generation freshwater bioassessment in the tropics: eDNA reveals high species richness and reservoir-specific species communities. Royal Society Open Science DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160635.

  • Kwik JTB & Yeo DCJ (2015) Differences in fish assemblages in protected and non-protected freshwater streams in a tropical urbanized country” accepted in Hydrobiologia DOI: 10.1007/s10750-015-2344-8.

  • Ng HH, Low BW, Kwik JTB & Yeo DCJ (2013) The tables are turned: an invasive species under potential threat. Biological Invasions 2013: 1-5.

  • Kwik JTB, Kho ZY, Quek BS, Tan HH & Yeo DCJ (2013) Urban stormwater ponds in Singapore: potential pathways for spread of alien freshwater fishes. Biological Records 2(3): 239-245.

  • Lim KPK & JTB Kwik (2012) Records of the Chinese cyprinid fish, Toxobramis houdemeri in Singapore. Nature in Singapore 5: 271-273.

  • Kwik JTB (2012) Controlled culling of venomous marine fishes along popular beaches: A case study of public safety management in the marine environment. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement No.25: 93-99.

  • Chou LM, Huang DW, Tun PPK, Kwik JTB, Tay YC & Seow LY (2010) Temporal Changes in Reef Community Structure at Bintan Island (Indonesia) Suggest Need for Integrated Management. Pacific Science 64(1): 99-111.

  • Kwik JTB, Chen PZ, Sin TM & Ng PKL (2010) Diel variations and diversity of fish communities along the unreclaimed shallow coastal of coastal habitats of Changi Point Beach, Singapore. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58(1):125-135.

  • Whitehead DL, Kwik JTB & IR Tibbetts (2008) Ampullary organ morphology and distribution of the estuarine long eel-tailed catfish, Euristhmus lepturus. Zoomorphology 128(2): 111-117.

  • Kwik JTB & IR Tibbetts (1999) An assessment of carbon dioxide gassing as a sampling technique for studies of the nekton of soft-sediment intertidal pools. Hydrobiologia 405: 217-222.

Conferences

  • Learning from Aliens: New directions in Environmental Humanities Research and Practice at National University of Singapore from 4-5 May 2023. Oral presentation “A home away from home: The establishment of alien cichlids in Singapore’s reservoirs”.

  • 3rd Philippine Symposium on Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Quezon City, Philippines from 9-11 November 2022. Oral presentation “Comparative ecomorphology and the trophic roles of introduced and native snakeheads in Singapore’s urban reservoirs” and guest speaker for special session “Floating Solar Photovoltaics in Natural Lakes: Good or Bad?”.

  • 2nd Philippine Symposium on Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Quezon City, Philippines from 11-14 December 2018. Oral presentation “Biodiversity and ecology of the fish community in a rehabilitated urban waterway in Singapore”.

  • Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference in Melbourne, Australia from 7-11 October 2018. Oral presentation “Distribution, ecology, and potential establishment of the non-native ocellate river stingray, Potamotrygon motoro (Potamotrygonidae)”.

  • Marine and Freshwater Invasive Species – Ecology, Impact and Management conference in Argentina from 2-5 May 2016. Oral presentation “Novel cichlid-dominated fish communities in tropical urban reservoirs within Southeast Asia”.

  • 1st Philippine Symposium on Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Manila from 7-10 June 2016. Oral presentation “Electrofishing as an effective method for quantitative assessments of fish communities in the reservoirs in Singapore”.

  • International Conference on Challenges in Aquatic Sciences Conference in – 15-18 March 2013 at Keelung City, Taiwan. Oral presentation “Natural freshwater streams of Singapore: The last refuge for native fishes in an urbanized country”. 

Books

  • Low BW, Tan HH, Kwik JTB, Zeng YW & Yeo DCJ (2024) “Freshwater Fishes” in Singapore Red Data Book, Red Lists of Singapore Biodiversity. National Parks Board, Singapore. Pp 336-344. ISBN: 978-981-18-9903-4.

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