A research team led by Prof. USHIO Masayuki from the Department of Ocean Science has developed a new method for monitoring cetaceans in marine ecosystems. Recently, techniques for analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material found in the environment—have advanced rapidly for biodiversity monitoring. However, detecting cetaceans remains difficult due to their low eDNA concentrations in the ocean. The team developed a novel, efficient eDNA marker to detect cetaceans and applied it to seawater samples from Hong Kong waters. Read more

A research team led by Prof. GAN Jianping from the Department of Ocean Science and Prof. YANG Can from the Department of Mathematics at HKUST, has developed a novel AI-powered tool named STIMP for diagnosing coastal ocean productivity and ecosystem health. STIMP introduces a novel paradigm that imputes missing data and then predicts Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations across large spatiotemporal scales. Read more

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one of Earth’s largest long-term carbon reservoirs, critical to the global carbon cycle. A research team led by Prof. HE Ding from the Department of Ocean Science at HKUST has made significant breakthroughs in understanding DOM. They identified biorefractory carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM) and challenged previous assumptions about their stability. Read more

On 9 September 2025, two BSc in Ocean Science and Technology (OST) students, Mr. Horace Lam and Mr. Harun Tin, were awarded The David England HK Natural History Award 2025. This prestigious award recognizes the impressive contributions both students have made to research, volunteering, and nature conservation in Hong Kong. Read more

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce the launch of WavyOcean 2.0, an advanced digital twin platform of regional earth system for marine research and sustainability. This upgraded platform integrates digital technologies with innovative research, providing the first "dynamic digital mirror" for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and China's coastal regions. Read more

On last Thursday, 24 July 2025, the Department of Ocean Science (OCES) proudly supported the “HKUST Summer Bootcamp for Polymath,” organized by the Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions Office. We welcomed 20 talented participants, including students from S.4 & S.5 or equivalent levels, with some joining us from overseas locations such as Indonesia and the Netherlands.  Read more

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Yue WU (middle) has been awarded the prestigious Anita Conti Sustainable Innovation Fellowship Scholarship. Read more

It is with great pleasure that we share the news of Mr. Chen ZHAO being awarded the prestigious Steven Ying PhD Research Award. This year, only two candidates received this esteemed honour.  Read more

It is with great pride that we announce Prof. Cindy Lam (left), Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Ocean Science, has been awarded a Silver Medal in the “Protection of the Environment – Recycling” category at the renowned International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. This prestigious annual event, established in 1972, highlights innovative inventions from around the world and attracts participants from diverse fields, including Technology, Healthcare, and Engineering.  Read more

We are pleased to announce that we recently held a UG Graduation Dinner to honor our Class of 2025. The evening commenced with a class photo session at Shaw Auditorium, where the atmosphere was filled with joy and anticipation. Read more