City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has obtained approval from the Ministry of Science and Technology to set up the State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution.

The laboratory will build on the solid foundation of marine pollution research work at CityU, and conduct research on marine environment for the benefit of China and its people, besides promoting collaboration between the mainland and Hong Kong on the development in related technologies.

“CityU has obtained high level results in marine pollution research and its research teams and facilities are among the best,” said Professor Way Kuo, University President. “With the establishment of the State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, CityU will continue to contribute to society through research, technology innovation and knowledge transfer.”

The laboratory will respond to China’s pressing and important needs in protecting its marine environment and biological resources, as well as ecological safety, and will help address complex environmental issues related to toxic chemical pollution, eutrophication, hypoxia, biological toxins and aquatic pathogenic bacteria.

According to Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Director of the laboratory, Vice-President (Student Affairs) and Chair Professor of Biology, the laboratory has signed a partnership agreement with the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, under which the two will work together and make even greater contributions to research on issues related to marine environment and sustainable development in China. The two laboratories have a number of research interests in common, particularly complementary in the area of environmental fate and ecological and toxicological effects of pollutants.

In addition to academic exchange and sharing of information and research facilities, the two laboratories will undertake key research projects jointly, including: quantitative monitoring of emerging chemical pollutants in marine environment; developing medaka fish into a typical marine organism for addressing ecotoxicological and marine pollution issues; on-site monitoring of presence of metals and trace-level organic compounds in China’s coastline seas using artificial mussels and SPMD technology; and developing critical technology for environmental and eco-rehabilitation.

The State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution is the second state key laboratory established at CityU, where researchers will work in collaboration with their counterpart from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The first state key laboratory at CityU, set up in 2008, was in the field of millimeter waves.