A Welcoming Dinner was held last night at the Mangrove Paradise Resort to celebrate the official
commencement of the highly anticipated Brunei Darussalam Expedition on Forest to Reef in
conjunction with the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition (MYCE) 2025, which is jointly
organized by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism through the Forestry Department and
the Department of Fisheries, partnered with the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Poni Groups.
The event was attended by Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab, Permanent
Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism as the Guest of Honor. Also in attendance
were the High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Deputy Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of
Primary Resources and Tourism, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Chief
Executive Officer of the Poni Group Sdn Bhd, Head of Departments from the Ministry of Primary
Resources and Tourism and the Scientific Researchers who participate and embarking in the weeklong expedition from 19th May to 25th May 2025. The expedition underscores the collective
commitment of researchers to understanding and preserving our planet's precious biodiversity.
Local and international researchers gathered for a Forest to Reef scientific expedition to be held on
Monday, 19th May 2025, aiming to foster collaboration, share insights, and build networking
opportunity among the diverse team of researchers and stakeholders with arrays of ecological
interest dedicated to exploring the interconnected ecosystems from the forest canopy to vibrant reef
environments.
Among the research fieldwork to be conducted at the dense mangrove forests of Pulau Selirong is the
determination of fauna and flora biodiversity and key parameters of mangrove as carbon
sequestration as well as breeding grounds for fish to develop comprehensive checklist and
conservation strategies in mangrove ecosystems. Another scientific research will be conducted at
Pulau Pelong-Pelongan for the assessment of the abundance of macro and microplastics in coral reef
ecosystems to determine Brunei Darussalam's marine conservation strategies and support regional
and international sustainability goals. Findings from this expedition will be shared during the Brunei
Darussalam Conference on Forest to Reef which will take place from 17th June to 19th June 2025 at
the International Convention Centre, Berakas.
