Using Mesocyclops to control Aedes in Singapore

Yang Ziying and other students from Raffles Junior College
as well as students from 19 secondary schools in Singapore

Geographic focus: Singapore

Date completed: 2002

Reducing the population of mosquitoes from the genus Aedes would greatly help control dengue epidemics in Singapore. Because chemical control agents present a serious threat to environmental quality in the densely populated country, efforts have focused on use of biological agents, such as the crustacean Mesocyclops, which eats mosquitoes. A team of students representing 20 schools in the Singapore measured water characteristics (pH, temperature, light intensity, etc) and used GIS to map their data to create a country-wide survey Mesocyclops distribution. To build upon their research, the team recommended that additional studies determine the ecological consequences associated with using Mesocyclops as a biological control agent and, if appropriate, a Mesocyclops breeding program be established.

Topics / keywords: Epidemics; Biological Control Agents; Dengue Eradication  

Project (pdf - 0.3MB)