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LIM, Shirley

PhD, PGDipTHE
Associate Professor
Head, NSSE & Assoc Dean, System Innovations
67903808
shirley.lim@nie.edu.sg
NATURAL SCIENCES & SCIENCE EDUCATION
OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
NIE7-03-75
intertidal marine ecology, environmental biology

A quantitative marine ecologist by training, Assoc Prof Lim received her PhD based on her research work on the ecology and population genetics of a sub-arctic clam in Hudson Bay, Canada. From 1990 to 1992, she worked at the Huntsman Marine Laboratory ( St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada) as the research scientist in-charge of a government project on the effects of salmon cage farming on benthic organisms. Ever since her return from Canada in 1992, she has served actively in the Singapore Institute of Biology’s 19th to 32nd Councils, holding diverse portfolios such as Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary. She is the first lady to be elected as President and was at the helm of the society for five years (2000-2005).

At present, she is Head (Natural Sciences & Science Education) as well as Associate Professor, teaching many biological sciences courses. She was awarded the Certificate of Commendation for Excellence in Teaching in 1998 and 1999. For the past 11 years, Assoc Prof Lim has been actively involved with the organization of the 1st to 10th Singapore Biology Olympiads, national competitions held annually to select JC students to represent Singapore in the International Biology Olympiads (IBO) as well as in the training of the short-listed students. She has successfully led 10 national teams with outstanding performances to Belgium (2001), Latvia (2002), Belarus (2003), Australia (2004), China (2005), Argentina (2006), Canada (2007), India (2008), Japan (2009) and Korea (2010).

During her sabbatical leave in 2003, Assoc Prof Lim spent two months teaching a “Scientific Thinking Programme” workshop for the Ministry of Education, one month guest-lecturing at a summer Marine Ecology course at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (Thailand) and 2½ months conducting field work in southern Thailand, hosted by Walailak University. She has also conducted several “Scientific Thinking Programme” workshops for ELEMENTZ and the West 1 Cluster.

Assoc Prof Lim participated in the 13th International Marine Biology Workshop in 2005 (Feb) at the Moreton Bay Research Station where she spent three weeks investigating the standing behaviour of littorinids as well as sampling fiddler crabs for comparative morphology studies. More recently, a life-long dream of working with Dr John Christy came true in Aug 2010 when she conducted field work at The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.  This was followed by another field expedition to the Gerace Research Center in The Bahamas to investigate the temperature profile of ghost crabs in 2011 (Jan – Feb).

Academic Background

  • PGDipTHE 2000 (Nanyang Technological University)
  • Ph.D 1990 (University of Western Ontario)
  • M.Sc. 1985 (National University of Singapore)
  • BSc. 1980 (Hons. in Zoology, University of Singapore)

Professional Organisations

  • Life Member, The Singapore Institute of Biology
  • The Crustacean Society (USA)
  • Malacological Society of London (UK)

Awards

  • Public Administration Medal (Bronze), 2008

Courses

  • AAB202 Animal Diversity and Evolution
  • AAB203 Ecology
  • AAB304 Quantitative Biology
  • MLS809 Advanced Biostatistics
  • MLS861 Comparative Functional Anatomy
  • MLS864 Current Topics in Animal Behaviour
  • MLS868 Seminars in Zoology

Research Interests

Research Grants (past 5 years)

  • RI 8/10 SL Habitat adaptations of ocypodid crabs in coastal marine ecosystems (2011 – present)
  • OER 20/10 TAL Partnership for change towards science as inquiry in elementary science classrooms: Collective responsibility of teachers and students
  • RI 7/09 SL The utility of molluscs as environmental indicators (2010 – present)
  • RS 4/08 SL Ecology of intertidal crustaceans and molluscs (2008 – present)
  • RP 34/2007 SL Ecology and community succession of submerged aquatic vegetation and related impacts on water quality of Lower Seletar Reservoir (2007 – 2011)
  • RI 6/06 SL Examining teachers’ understanding of inquiry based learning in primary schools (2006 – 2009)

Professional Activities

  • Vice-Chairperson, International Biology Olympiad Steering Committee (Prague, Czech Republic) (2008-present)
  • Co-Chairperson, Organizing Committee of the International Biology Olympiad 2012 (Singapore)
  • President, The Singapore Institute of Biology (2000-2005)
  • Board member, Singapore Science Centre (1999-2005)
  • Singapore Biology Olympiad Organizing Committee (1999-2010)
  • Council member, Singapore National Academy of Science, SNAS (1997-2005)
  • Editorial board member of SNAS journal, Cosmos (2002-2011)
  • Advisory Editorial Board member, Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin (2005-2011)

Graduate Supervision (past 5 years)

  • Current students:
    • Wong Yee Man, PhD student since Jan 2008
    • Frederick Talaue, PhD student since August 2010
    • Theresa Su Linting, MSc student since Jan 2009
    • Chin Pooi Pooi, MSc (Life Sciences) student since 2009
    • Karen Ng Lee Jiun, MSc (Life Sciences) student since 2009
    • Ng Guohui, MSc (Life Sciences) student since 2009
  • Students who have graduated:
    • Justina Lu Zhen Hui, MSc (Life Sciences), 2011
    • Lee Pei Sze, MSc (Life Sciences), 2011
    • Poon Chew Leng. PhD, 2010
    • Kalpana Subramaniam, MSc (Life Sciences), 2010
    • Chuah Ching Ee, MSc (Life Sciences), 2010
    • Adeline Yong Yean Pin, MSc (Life Sciences), 2009

Conferences & Workshops

  • European Science Education Research Association Conference, Lyon, France (5 -9 September 2011)
  • X International Symposium on Littorinid Biology and Evolution (ISOLBE) 2011, St. Petersburg, Russia (24 – 29 July 2011)
  • The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii (6 – 9 June 2011)
  • National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida (3 – 6 April 2011)
  • 23rd Biennial Conference of the Asian Association for Biology Education, Singapore (18 – 20 October 2011).
  • World Congress of Malacology, Phuket, Thailand (21 – 23 July 2010)
  • The 7th International Crustacean Congress, Qingdao, China (20 – 25 June 2010)
  • Workshop on Crustacean Bioturbation: Fossil and Recent, Lepe, Spain (30 May – 5 June 2010)
  • The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting, Tokyo, Japan (20 – 24 September 2009)
  • IX International Symposium on Littorinid Biology and Evolution 2008, Baiona, Spain (2 – 7 September 2008)
  • The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2008, Galveston, U.S.A. (9 –13 June 2008)
  • Conference of Asian Science Education 2008, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (20 – 23 February 2008)
  • 21st Pacific Science Congress, Okinawa, Japan (12 –18 June 2007)
  • International Conference on “Science education for the next society”, Seoul, Korea
    (16 – 18 November 2006)
  • The 13th International Marine Biology Workshop: The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia (7 – 25 February 2005)

BOOK CHAPTERS

Lim, S. S. L., & Ng, P. K. L. (2011). Formal biodiversity education. IN Ng, P. K. L., Corlett, R. T., & Tan, H. T. W. (EDS.), Singapore Biodiversity: An encyclopaedia of the natural environment and sustainable development (PP. 176-181). Singapore: Didier Millet.
Lim, S. S. L., Yeo, R., Ng, P. K. L., & Tan, S. K. (2008). Front lines. IN Ng, P. K. L., Wang, L. K., & Lim, K. K. P (EDS.), Private lives. An expose of Singapore's mangroves (PP. 91-114). Singapore: National University of Singapore.

BOOKS

Ng, P. K. L., Lim, S. S. L., Wang, L. K., & Tan, L. W. H. (2007). Private Lives: An expose of Singapore's shores (PP. 212). Singapore: National University of Singapore.

CONFERENCE PAPERS WITHOUT PROCEEDINGS

Yong, A. Y. P., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, June). Responsiveness of Ocypode ceratophthalmus populations in Singapore beaches to environmental stress. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Wong, Y. M., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, July). Shell morphology and microstructure of two Singapore littorinids, Echinolittorina malaccana and E. vidua. PAPER PRESENTED AT X International Symposium on Littorinid Biology and Evolution, St Petersburg.
Chin, P. P., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, June). The effect of temperature on heart rate and Q10 of the ghost crab Ocypode ceratophthalmus. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Tan, A.-L., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, April). Supporting teachers in teaching science as inquiry: What is the evidence for effective professional development (Singapore). PAPER PRESENTED AT National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.
Ng, K. L. J., Lim, S. S. L., & Shih, H. T. (2011, June). Is there plasticity in mouthpart and gastric mill adaptations to different habitats in Uca formosensis?. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Lim, S. S. L., Yong, A. Y. P., & Christy, J. H. (2011, June). In spite of its highly specialized claws, the ghost crab Ocypode guadichaudii is not a picky eater. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Su, T. L. T., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, June). Effect of mudskipper predation on brachyuran abundance and biodiversity in a Singapore mangrove. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Ng, G. H., & Lim, S. S. L. (2011, June). A unique crustacean community adapted to extreme salinity fluctuations in the vicinity of an urban Singapore concrete drain. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2011, Honolulu.
Lim, S. S. L., Yong, A. Y. P., & Ng, N. K. (2010, June). Comparison of gastric mill dentition and ossicles in three Singapore ocypodids. PAPER PRESENTED AT The 7th International Crustacean Congress, Qingdao.
Lim, S. S. L., Yong, A. Y. P., & Tantichodok, P. (2010, May). Comparison of burrow morphology of juvenile and young adult Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772) from Sai Kaew beach, Thailand. PAPER PRESENTED AT Workshop on Crustacean Bioturbation: Fossil and Recent, Lepe.
Lim, S. S. L., Tan, A. L., & Diong, C. H. (2010, October). Improving knowledge generation, critique and justification among graduate students in a zoological science course.. PAPER PRESENTED AT 23rd Biennial Conference of the Asian Association of Biology Education, Singapore.
Wong, Y. M., & Lim, S. S. L. (2010, July). Shell orientation and thermal tolerance in the Singapore littorinids, Echinolittorina malaccana and E. vidua. PAPER PRESENTED AT World Congress of Malacology 2010, Phuket.
Lim, S. S. L. (2010, May). Burrow structure and bioturbative activities of Uca annulipes and U. vocans in Singapore coastal habitats. PAPER PRESENTED AT Workshop on Crustacean Bioturbation: Fossil and Recent, Lepe.
Lim, S. S. L. (2010, June). Foraging ecology of Uca vocans in a Singapore mangrove. PAPER PRESENTED AT The 7th International Crustacean Congress, Qingdao.
Lim, S. S. L., Yong, A. Y. P., & Tantichodok, P. (2009, September). Ocypode ceratophthalmus: Precision engineers of sandy beaches. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2009, Tokyo.
Poon, C. L., Tan, A. L., Lee, Y. J., & Lim, S. S. L. (2009, November). Characterizing inquiry science @ Temasek Primary. PAPER PRESENTED AT International Science Education Conference 2009, Singapore.
Lim, S. S. L., Diong, C. H., & Khatijah, S. N. O. (2009, September). Influence of magnified reflections of male cheliped on female choice in Uca annulipes. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2009, Tokyo.
Kalpana, S., & Lim, S. S. L. (2009, September). Maxilliped setation in Uca perplexa and U. vomeris - evidence of habitat adaptation. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2009, Tokyo.
Wong, J. A. C., & Lim, S. S. L. (2008, June). Comparison of re-emergence rate and burrow residency duration in a droving species, Uca vocans and its sympatric associate, U. annulipes. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2008, Galveston.
Lim, S. S. L. (2008, February). Key factors in the development of science education in Singapore. PAPER PRESENTED AT CASE2008 Conference of Asian Science Education "Science education from the Asian perspective", Kaohsiung.
Lim, S. S. L., Tan, X. T., & Diong, C. H. (2008, June). Foraging ecology of Uca annulipes in two mangrove microhabitats in Singapore. PAPER PRESENTED AT The Crustacean Society Summer Meeting 2008, Galveston.
Lim, S. S. L. & Fahmy, M. S. (2008, September). Is 'standing' posture an effective behavioural adaptation to reduce heat stress in Echinolittorina malaccana?. PAPER PRESENTED AT IX International Symposium on Littorinid Biology and Evolution 2008, Baiona.
Yong, A. Y. P., & Lim, S. S. L. (2007, June). Distribution and abundance of ghost crabs, Ocypode ceratophthalmus in relation to abiotic factors and human disturbance on Singapore beaches. PAPER PRESENTED AT 21st Pacific Science Congress, Okinawa.
Liam, H., & Lim, S. S. L. (2004, December). The fiddler crab dilemma: Where shall we make our burrows?. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia 2004, Singapore.
Lim, S. S. L., & Goh, B. P. L. (2004, December). The secret's in the "beans": Teaching community ecology concepts in the classroom. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia Conference 2004, Singapore.
Lim, S. S. L., & Lim, T. M. (2004, December). The route to the International Biology Olympiads - the Singapore approach. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia Conference 2004, Singapore.
Rosiah, A., & Lim, S. S. L. (2004, December). Effect of presence of pneumatophores on the burrow morphology of Uca annulipes in the field and in a simulated experiment. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia Conference 2004, Singapore.
Tan, P. C., & Lim, S. S. L. (2004, December). The effects of snail size, density and temperature on duration of movement and habitat selection in Littoraria sp. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia Conference 2004, Singapore.
Lee, S. L., & Lim, S. S. L. (2004, December). A periwinkle's 'fine balance' for survival under heat stress at Tanjung Chek Jawa, Singapore. PAPER PRESENTED AT Biology in Asia Conference 2004, Singapore.
Lim, S. S. L., & Heng, M. M. S. (2003, March). Density and burrow morphology of Uca annulipes in three habitats at a mangrove patch in Pasir Ris Park, Singapore. PAPER PRESENTED AT 20th Pacific Science Congress, Bangkok.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Lim, S. S. L., & Kalpana, S. (2011). Maxilliped-setation adaptations to habitat and sexual dimorphism of feeding claw in Uca perplexa and U. vomeris. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 31,(3), 406-412.
Lim, S. S. L., Yong, A. Y. P., & Tantichodok, P. (2011). Comparison of burrow morphology of juvenile and young adult Ocypode ceratophthalmus from Sai Kaew, Thailand. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 31,(1), 59-65.
Yong, A. Y. P., Lim, S. S. L., Kaenphet, A., & Tantichodok, P. (2011). Evidence of precision engineering in the excavation of Ocypode ceratophthalmus burrows in the west and east coasts of Thailand. Crustaceana, 84,(5-6), 749-761.
Lim, S. S. L., & Wong, J. A. C. (2010). Burrow residency and re-emergence rate in a droving species, Uca vocans (Linnaeus, 1758) and its sympatric associate, U. annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) (Brachyura, Ocypodidae). Crustaceana, 83,(6), 677-693.
Yong, A. Y. P., & Lim, S. S. L. (2009). The potential of Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772) as a bioindicator of human disturbance on Singapore beaches. Crustaceana, 82,(12), 1579-1597.
Lee, S. L., & Lim, S. S. L. (2009). Zonation and heat tolerance of three littorinid gastropods on the rocky shore of Tanjung Chek Jawa, Singapore. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 57,(2), 551-560.
Lim, S. S. L., & Lim, C. K. (2008). Running speed of Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) and Uca vocans (L., 1758). Crustaceana, 81,(11), 1367-1380.
Lim, S. S. L. (2008). Body posturing in Nodilittorina pyramidalis and Austrolittorina unifasciata (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Littorinidae): a behavioural response to reduce heat stress. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 54,(1), 339-347.
Lim, S. S. L., & Tan, T. L. (2008). The use of infrared spectroscopy as a test for species-specific pedal mucus in gastropod molluscs - a comparative study in Moreton Bay and Singapore. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 54,(1), 349-354.
Lim, S. S. L., & Heng, M. M. S. (2007). Mangrove micro-habitat influence on bioturbative activities and burrow morphology of the fiddler crab, Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837). Crustaceana, 80,(1), 31-45.
Lim, S. S. L., & Rosiah, A. (2007). Influence of pneumatophores on the burrow morphology of Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) in the field and in simulated mangrove micro-habitats. Crustaceana, 80,(11), 1327-1338.
Lim, S. S. L. (2006). Fiddler crab burrow morphology: How do burrow dimensions and bioturbative activities compare in sympatric populations of U. vocans (Linnaeus, 1758) and Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837). Crustaceana, 79,(5), 525-540.
Lim, S. S. L., Lee, P. S., & Diong, C. H. (2005). Influence of biotope characteristics on the distribution of Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) and U. vocans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) on Pulau Hantu Besar. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 53,(1), 111-114.
Lim, S. S. L. (2004). A comparative study of some mouthpart adaptations of Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) and U. vocans (Linnaeus, 1758)(Brachyura, Ocypodidae) in relation to their habitats. Crustaceana, 77,(10), 1245-1251.
Lee, S. L., & Lim, S. S. L. (2004). Do diameters of burrows and food pellets provide estimates of the size structure of a population of Dotilla myctiroides on the sand-flats of Ao Tung Khen, Phuket, Thailand?. Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin, 65,(), 55-60.
Lee, P. S. &, Lim, S. S. L. (2003). Distributional patterns and species density of a fiddler crab community (Uca annulipes and U. vocans) at Telok Assam, Bako National Park, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal, LVIII,(79), 183-198.
Lim, S. S. L., & Diong, C. H. (2003). Burrow-morphological characters of the fiddler crab, Uca annulipes (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) and ecological correlates in a lagoonal beach on Pulau Hantu. Crustaceana, 76,(9), 1055-1069.