Underwater meadows: Jillian Ooi merges science and art to save seagrass

MALAYSIANSKINI | Marine scientist Jillian Ooi never expected to be chosen as one of six researchers from around the world to receive this year’s Pew Marine Fellowship.

First of all, her topic of research is on seagrass meadows, which she acknowledged is “not a sexy thing”, especially when compared to scientists studying the much more widely-appealing marine animal conservation.

Secondly, Ooi, who is also artistic and music director for contemporary gamelan ensemble Rhythm in Bronze, said she could not resist “slipping in some music work” into her submission for the Pew Marine Fellowship.

She said she had proposed creating what she described as a “multi-disciplinary gamelan piece” to raise public awareness of the importance of seagrass meadows, which serves as a nursery for juvenile fish and feeding grounds for animals such as dugongs, turtles and seahorses.