Led by Alex Wyatt
Internal Waves & Coral Reef Climate Refuges
Whether reefs cooled by internal waves can act as refuges from ocean warming.
Faculty profile ↗RESEARCH PROGRAM 03
Marine Ecosystem & Biodiversity Intelligence
Study marine life, from coral reefs to microbes.
Our Ocean Science colleagues study coral reefs, marine biodiversity and microbial communities in Hong Kong and beyond. This program connects their research with marine AI and observation at CMI.
SUB-DIRECTION 01
Coral Reef Ecosystems
How ocean physics and biogeochemistry shape coral reefs, and how AI can help monitor them.
Research focus
Internal waves & reef refuges
Cooler water that may buffer reefs from warming.
Feeding & resource use
What marine species feed on and depend on.
AI-assisted reef monitoring
Analysing coral reef video with AI.
Led by Alex Wyatt
Feeding Specialisations of Marine Species
How individuals and species differ in the food resources they depend on.
Faculty profile ↗
Led by Sai-Kit Yeung, with Alex Wyatt Joint project
Coral Reef Monitoring & Alerting System
Marine AI and coral reef expertise combined to analyse reef video.
HKUST Research Portal ↗SUB-DIRECTION 02
eDNA & Biodiversity Monitoring
Using DNA traces in water and sediment to track marine life in Hong Kong, where turbid water limits what divers and cameras can see.
Research focus
Water eDNA surveys
Which organisms are present, from water samples.
Sedimentary eDNA
Past communities from DNA in sediments.
DNA metabarcoding
Many species identified from one sample.
Led by Masayuki Ushio
eDNA Monitoring of Cetaceans
An eDNA framework for monitoring dolphins and porpoises in Hong Kong.
Ushio Lab research ↗Led by Masayuki Ushio
Past Coastal Communities from Sediment eDNA
How Hong Kong’s coastal communities have changed, read from seabed DNA.
Ushio Lab research ↗Led by Masayuki Ushio
Harmful Algal Bloom Species
Where and when harmful algal bloom species occur in Hong Kong waters.
Faculty profile ↗
Led by Charmaine Yung, with Alex Wyatt
Coral Cover & Reef Fish Diversity from eDNA
Linking coral and reef fish diversity in Hong Kong using eDNA.
Yung Lab research ↗Charmaine Yung’s lab
eDNA Monitoring of Fish Restocking
Following juvenile fish released at Yan Chau Tong Marine Park through water samples, for AFCD.
Read the lab news ↗SUB-DIRECTION 03
Marine Microbial Ecology
How microbes, viruses and plankton in coastal seas respond to environmental change and human activity.
Research focus
Viruses & phytoplankton
How viruses and grazers shape algal communities.
Coastal microbial communities
How microbes change over time and place.
Antibiotic resistance
Resistance genes in marine fish and their surroundings.
Led by Charmaine Yung
Viruses, Grazers & Phytoplankton
How viruses and grazers shape phytoplankton and microbial communities.
Yung Lab research ↗Led by Charmaine Yung
Diatoms Living on Seagrass
The diversity and temperature sensitivity of diatoms on seagrass.
Faculty profile ↗
Led by Stanley Lau
Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Marine Fish
Whether farmed and wild fish carry resistance genes into the food chain.
Faculty profile ↗Connections with other programs
01
Marine AI & Ocean Understanding
Marine AI supports reef monitoring, such as the joint coral reef video project.
02
Marine Embodied Intelligence & Systems
Robots and sensors collect underwater observations.
04
Marine Conservation, Restoration & Nature-based Solutions
Biodiversity monitoring can help evaluate restoration.