In small, highly urbanised island nations like Singapore, nature conservation and development walk a tight rope in balancing utilisation and conservation to ensure that current needs are addressed without jeopardising the needs of future generations. Rapid coastal transformation since Singapore’s independence in 1965 has dramatically altered coastlines and impacted the coastal and marine environment. Despite this, coastal biodiversity has shown stubborn resilience and continues to persist to this day, albeit with altered habitat baselines, in part due to various coastal management measures that were implemented over the decades. An in-depth review of the evolution of Singapore’s marine conservation and management since 1965 revealed four defining phases that collectively shaped the contemporary landscape. The history traces back to several pivotal projects in the mid-1980s that laid the groundwork for adopting a science-based approach to coastal resource conservation and management, ultimately leading to the development and adoption of the Integrated Urban Coastal Management (IUCM) strategy, which strives to balance sustainable development with marine conservation. IUCM has allowed Singapore to remain agile and adapt to the changing geopolitical and socioeconomic realities of the day. Along the way, key iconic programmes were initiated to meet marine conservation goals and promote active stewardship of nature.