HKUST Department of Ocean Science - OCES

🌊 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱! 🌊

On October 12, our UG students volunteered as divers for the 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓! 🐠💙
This important event, coordinated by 𝐀𝐅𝐂𝐃, promotes sustainable management of coral reefs. It helps protect our coral reefs by:
1️⃣ Raising awareness about their value.
2️⃣ Collecting data to monitor their health.
Coral reefs around the globe are facing impacts from global warming and ocean acidification. In Hong Kong, they face additional challenges like habitat loss, pollution, and ghost nets. 😞🌊

Together, we can make a difference! 🌟 Let’s protect our underwater treasures for future generations. 🌍💪

📸 Swipe to see our amazing students in action!
🌍💚

📸🐬 Dolphin Watching Adventure! 🐬📸
Last Saturday, we embarked on an unforgettable boat trip to witness the beauty of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, as known as Chinese white dolphin. 🌊✨
Did you know that younger dolphins often have a darker grey coloration, while adults can appear lighter or even pinkish? 🐬💖 Check out our photos and videos to see some of these incredible creatures in action! You might notice that some dolphins aren’t white at all – they’re just the juveniles!
We were thrilled to see so many dolphins swimming around and being playful! 🐬💦 However, it's important to remember that their habitat is threatened by pollution, fishing activities, and habitat loss. That’s why conservation efforts are vital for their survival! 🌍💚
A special thanks to the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society for their invaluable guidance and for sharing their knowledge with our OST students! 🙌💙 Together, we can make a difference for these magnificent creatures!
👉 Swipe to see more amazing moments from our trip! 📷✨

🌊✨ Last week, the ‘Science Major Week’ (Oct 20-31) was kicked off! This is an incredible opportunity for our School of Science students to dive in and explore various majors while discovering the admission criteria🎉

OCES hosted engaging afternoon and evening sessions. A heartfelt thank you to Prof. Julian Mak and Prof. Charmaine Yung for introducing the OST program to science students! We also had three current students shared their inspiring journeys in the OST program, providing valuable insights into internships and exchange opportunities! 🌏📚

A special shoutout to SCI/HOME for the fantastic arrangements and delicious pastries! 🥐

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday! Your participation made this event a resounding success! 💙

🌟 Congratulations to Our UG Students! 🌟

We are thrilled to announce that our undergraduate students, Horace and Harun, have been awarded “The David England HK Natural History Award 2025” from the Hong Kong Natural History Society! 🏆🎉

This prestigious award recognizes the impressive contributions they have made to research, volunteering, and nature conservation in Hong Kong. 🌿🌊

✨For more details, check the link in our bio🔗

🌍

🌊🪸 Exciting Progress Update on Our Coral Fragments - Day 30! 🪸🌊

We’ve captured some amazing videos and photos 🎥📸 of our coral fragments as they grow in the nursery tanks! 🌱✨ It’s incredible to see them thriving and adapting in their new environment while coexisting with various sea creatures, including the Blue-spined swimming crab 🦀, tube worms 🪱, and Polychaete worms!

These little guys are on their way to recovery 💪💚, and we can’t wait to share more of their journey with you! Every step brings us closer to restoring our beautiful coral reefs! 🌈🌊

Stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes moments! 🎉👀

🌍💚

🎉 Huge congratulations to Prof. Cindy Lam for winning a Silver Medal at the 𝟱𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗮! 🥈🏆

Her incredible invention, 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣, is making a positive impact on ! 🌍💙🐟

Let’s celebrate this amazing achievement! 🎊👏

Tap the link in our bio 🔗 to learn more about the Smart Fish.

🄴🅅🄴🄽🅃 🅃🄷🅁🄾🅆🄱🄰🄲🄺: 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻🎉🌊

The inaugural gathering for announcing the launch of the Ocean Science Alumni Association was held on 25 Jan🎓✨ This new initiative connects graduates from our BSc in Environmental Science (ENVS) and BSc in Ocean Science and Technology (OST) programs, strengthening our community and providing invaluable support to our alumni network. 🤝🌍

Led by our founding Chairperson, Mr. Donald FUNG (ENVS '18), along with Ms. Yanny YUNG (ENVS '19) and Ms. Taylor LI (OST '24), the Executive Committee is dedicated to cultivating a vibrant alumni community. 🌟

Our launch event kicked off with a delightful buffet brunch 🍽️🍹 at UniQue on the HKUST campus, featuring an inspiring welcome speech from Prof. Jianping Gan, Head of the Department of Ocean Science.

Participants then got creative at a Neon Workshop, crafting unique marine life-inspired signs! 🎨💡🐠

A huge thank you to all alumni who joined us for this memorable occasion. Your participation made it a resounding success! 🎊 We can’t wait to see you at future events as we continue to celebrate our shared journey and foster lasting connections. ❤️🤗

🌊 ROV Adventure 🐟

Here are video clips captured by our Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) during our exploration in Port Shelter!

🎥 In the first footage, you can see a fascinating Filefish (Monacanthidae 單棘魨科) in its natural habitat. 🌊🐠

🎥 In the second footage, you’ll find a crab🦀 and a beautiful Bubble Tip Anemone 奶嘴海葵 (Entacmaea quadricolor).

We’ll be sharing more videos and photos about the ocean, so stay tuned for updates! 📸✨

🎓✨ We had a wonderful time celebrating our Class of 2025 at the UG Graduation Dinner! 👏🏼👏🏼

The evening followed a memorable class photo session at Shaw Auditorium, where smiles and excitement filled the air.

Last evening, we gathered at UniBistro for a night of great food, laughter, and cherished memories as we honored our graduating students. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 on this incredible achievement! We are so proud of you all! 🎉🎉🎉

Thank you to everyone who joined us to make this event special! 💙🥳 Here’s to new beginnings and bright futures! 🌟🎉

🌊✨ We had an amazing time at the “Exploring Ocean Science ” one-day program on 21 April! 🎉 This program was part of , organized by the Hong Kong Science Museum , and we are proud to partner with them🙌🏼

The day featured three exciting events:

🌍 Coral Restoration Workshop: Participants learned about coral reefs and marine conservation, gaining hands-on experience in restoring corals from start to finish! 🐠🌿

🐠Marine VR Experience🦀: Our Ocean Explorer virtual reality session allowed attendees to dive into various marine habitats and discover marine ecosystems through stunning footage captured by drones around our campus and Port Shelter. 🎮🌊

🔬 Ocean Science Seminar: Titled “Microbial Mysteries: The Unseen Impacts of Ocean Microbes on Our Climate,” this seminar explored the fascinating world of tiny creatures🦠, their crucial role in climate regulation, and the effects of human actions on them. 🌱🌏

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us! We hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did! 🌊💙

Last but not least, a special thanks to the students from our department👏🏼👏🏼 With their support, the program ran smoothly and successfully. Participants were curious about ocean science, and our student helpers did an excellent job explaining complex concepts in simple terms. 🗣️💡

What We Talk About When We Talk About 🤔🌊

As we mentioned in our last post, 🪸are vital for the . They provide coastal protection for communities 🏖️ and serve as habitats for fish 🐠 and various marine species.

The coral fragments we’ve collected will be cut and anchored onto “plugs” then will stay in the nursery tanks in our lab.

Coral sands, made from natural coral material, are used to create these “plugs.” They provide essential nutrients 🌱 and a suitable surface for the coral fragments to attach and grow, enhancing the success of our restoration efforts.

We will take good care of the coral fragments until they fully recover. Once they are healthy and strong again 💪🏾, we’ll transplant them into the sea 🌊 near our campus.

Stay tuned for more updates!

🌍💚


🌊🪸 Our students are helping with by collecting coral fragments! 🪸🌊

reefs are crucial for marine life but face threats like damage from ship anchors. To help, we dive to collect coral pieces and bring them to our lab. We set up tanks to help the corals adjust and reduce stress before restoring them.

Stay tuned for more updates!

🌍💚