Empowering the Global Estuaries Monitoring Programme: Progress from 2021 to 2024
The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, led by Prof. Kenneth Leung, is one of the first Ocean Decade Programmes endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) on June 8, 2021 (https://www.globalestuaries.org/). Over the past three years, the GEM Programme has been fully committed to method development and establishing connections with global collaborators. Presently, we are collaborating with nearly 150 scientists across six continents worldwide. We have successfully developed and validated a robust analytical method capable of quantifying 65 pharmaceutical compounds in river, estuary, and marine water samples, utilizing very small sample volumes. This innovative approach facilitates cost-effective sample transportation from global estuaries to the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution in Hong Kong for detailed chemical analysis.
Currently, samples are being collected from the major urbanized estuaries. We have received samples from 118 estuaries spanning 38 different countries/regions. Sampling activities have encompassed both dry and wet seasons in 28 estuaries. The first phase of the GEM Programme is anticipated to conclude by the end of 2024, with all data analyses expected to be finalized by 2025.
In tandem with our research efforts, we have placed a strong emphasis on capacity building in global scientific communities. Two successful international workshops were conducted during the 2nd United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Conference in Barcelona, Spain, and the 2nd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference & 11th WESTPAC International Marine Science Conference in Bangkok, Thailand this year. These workshops served as vital platforms for participants to unite as action partners, exchange research progress updates, and foster new collaborations. The sharing of knowledge, expertise, and experiences among participants has fostered enhanced connection, thus enabling more efficient monitoring and mitigation of chemical pollution in estuaries globally.
Looking to the future, our roadmap includes the launch of the second phase of the GEM Programme in 2025. This phase will harness advanced passive samplers to monitor a broader spectrum of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in estuaries worldwide. Simultaneously, our focus will expand from estuarine waters to encompass estuarine sediments. We are also committed to delving into the toxicological impacts and environmental risks posed by major CECs. Through deeper and more extensive collaborations with global scientists within the GEM network, we aim to monitor and improve the estuary environment, thus effecting positive change over the course of this decade.
By: Dr. Chong Chen
