Marine biologist Sam Shu Qin recognized as finalist for Singaporean of the Year award

Marine biologist Sam Shu Qin, 35, is a finalist for the Singaporean of the Year award. She co-founded Our Singapore Reefs, a group focused on cleaning coral reefs and raising awareness about marine biodiversity after witnessing pollution during a dive in 2017. Since its inception, the initiative has removed over 12,000 pieces of rubbish, weighing more than 3,000 kg, through 81 dive clean-ups with over 1,000 volunteers. The group also organizes monthly beach clean-ups and educational events on marine conservation. Our Singapore Reefs conducts six to eight dive clean-ups annually, primarily removing plastic bottles, food packaging, and fishing lines. Ms. Sam also teaches students about marine protection in Indonesia.