State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP) held the “NSFC Forum on Ocean Science” from 1 to 3 September 2023. This forum was organized based on a cooperation agreement between the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre (BHKAEC), with the participation of over 40 outstanding scholars from Hong Kong and the mainland. Due to the impact of Typhoon Saola, the forum was eventually held online.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by SKLMP Director Prof. Kenneth Leung, Prof. Chun Sing Lee, the Provost and Deputy President of CityU, and Mr. Hoi Shan Hsu, the President of the BHKAEC, who extended their wishes for the conference’s success. Afterwards, Prof. Kwan Sing Lam, the President of Hong Kong Metropolitan University, and Prof. Peiyuan Qian, the Chair Professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, gave their keynote lectures.

This forum explored various aspects related to the theme of “Marine Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Development”, covering three distinct sub-themes: Coastal Marine Ecological Safety and Health, Marine Sustainable Development, and Innovative Technologies for Marine Environmental Monitoring. Throughout the conference, both SKLMP members and attending scholars presented highly valuable scientific research reports and elaborated on the latest research findings.

Prof. Raymond Hon Fu Chan, the Dean of the College of Science at CityU, reflected on the accomplishments of the event and expressed optimism for the future development of marine environmental research in Hong Kong at the closing ceremony.