Prof. Wong Tat-meng, Dean of the School, presents a souvenir plaque to Legislative Council member the Hon. Choy So-yuk, the officiating guest at the symposium's opening ceremony. The symposium brought together 80 academics and professionals in the field from mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas to share their experiences in fighting against red tide.

Participants visiting the fish culture zone at Tung Lung Chau.

Red tide has become an increasingly serious problem in the South China Sea in recent years. The growth of harmful algae has not only resulted in severe fishkill in aquacultural waters, it also has an adverse impact on marine ecology. With a view to finding solutions to the problem, the OUHK's School of Science and Technology, in conjunction with the Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology at the China Academy of Sciences, organized a scientific symposium from 6 to 10 November last year.

The Regional Symposium on the Prevention and Management of Harmful Algal Blooms in the South China Sea was held in Daya Bay and on the OUHK campus. Apart from presentation of papers, the symposium included various field trips. Nearly 60 papers were published in the symposium proceedings. At the end of the five-day symposium, participants unanimously agreed to establish the Association on Harmful Algal Blooms in the South China Sea. The association's secretariat will be based at the OUHK's School of Science and Technology, while Dr Ho Kin-chung, the School's programme leader in environmental studies, has been elected the Association's Founding Chairman.