Project No._AoE/P-04/04
AoE 7b (Revised 8/05)
UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMITTEE
AREAS OF EXCELLENCE SCHEME
Annual Progress Report on Funded Projects
Stage:
______Two__________
Reporting Period: April 2005 – *March 2006
(* report on financial information up to end of February 2006)
(Please refer to “Procedural Guidelines on Monitoring of Funded Projects” for general information)
1.
Project title: Centre for Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology
2.
Investigator(s) and Academic Department(s) / Unit(s) Involved#
Investigation Team
Name / Post
Institution / Department /
Unit
Principal Investigator
Prof. Rudolf Wu
CityU
Director, Centre for Coastal
Pollution and Conservation;
Chair Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Co-investigator(s)
Prof. Paul Harrison
HKUST
Director and Chair Professor,
Atmospheric, Marine and
Coastal Environmental Program,
School of Science
(Leader, Field Studies and
Validation Team)
Prof. Joseph Lee
(Leader, Impact and Risk
Assessment Team)
HKU
Pro-Vice-Chancellor;
Redmond Chair of Civil
Engineering, Dept. of Civil
Engineering
Prof. M.H. Wong
HKBU
(Leader, Mitigatory, Control and Chair Professor, Dept. of
Biology;
Bioremediation Technology
Director of Croucher Institute
Team)
for Environmental Sciences
Prof. David Randall
CityU
Head and Chair Professor, Dept.
(Leader, Novel Technologies for of Biology and Chemistry
Environmental Diagnosis Team)
Prof. Paul Lam
(Deputy Leader, Field Studies
and Validation Team)
533582938
-1-
CityU
Chair Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Dr. Wen Wang
(Deputy Leader, Impact and
Risk Assessment Team)
Prof. Nora Tam
(Deputy Leader, Mitigatory,
Control and Bioremediation
Technology Team)
HKUST
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology
CityU
Chair Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Prof. Norman Woo
CUHK
Professor, Dept. of Biology;
(Deputy Leader, Novel
Ex-Director, Marine Science
Technologies for Environmental Laboratory
Diagnosis Team)
533582938
Prof. W.K. Li
HKU
Chair Professor, Dept. of
Statistics & Actuarial Science
Dr. X.Y. Li
HKU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Civil Engineering
Dr. Kenneth Leung
HKU
Assistant Professor, Dept. of
Ecology & Biodiversity
Prof. Pei Yuan Qian
HKUST
Director, Coastal Marine
Laboratory;
Professor, Dept. of Biology
Dr. Chris Wong
HKBU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology
Dr. Xiangdong Li
PolyU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Civil and Structural Engineering
Dr. Put O Ang
CUHK
Associate Professor, Dept of
Biology
Prof. Peter Yu
CityU
Professor, Dept. of Physics and
Materials Science
Prof. T.C. Lau
CityU
Professor, Dept. of Biology and
Chemistry
Prof. Michael Yang
CityU
Professor, Dept. of Biology and
Chemistry
Dr. S.H. Cheng
CityU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
-2-
Overseas Collaborators
Dr. Bruce Richardson
CityU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Dr. Doris Au
CityU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Dr. Michael Lam
CityU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Dr. Richard Kong
CityU
Associate Professor, Dept. of
Biology and Chemistry
Prof. Xiang Jianhai
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Director and Professor, Institute
of Oceanology
Prof. Des Connell
Griffith University
Head, School of Public Health
and Professor of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry
Prof. John Giesy
Michigan State University
Professor
Prof. John Gray
Oslo University
Professor
Prof. Bruce Hammock
University of California Davis
Professor
Prof. H.R. Lin
Zhongshan University
Professor
Dr. Don Anderson
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Senior Scientist
#
3.
Please highlight and provide reasons for any changes in the composition of the project team. The CV
of the new project team member should be provided.
Project Objectives
Summary of objectives addressed / achieved to-date:
RevisionΩ
ObjectivesΓ
Percentage
achieved
To develop innovative chemical,
biological and engineering technologies to
provide an early warning system and
monitor the health of marine environments
1.
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50%
Remarks
Ω
Revision
ObjectivesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
To identify sensitive receivers in Hong
Kong coastal waters
To study recovery of a marine ecosystem
after pollution abatement
To develop models to assess carrying
capacity, kinetic transfers and risk
assessment
To develop cost-effective pollution control
and bioremediation technologies
GoalTo provide relevant training
To develop innovative technologies and
marketable products for assessing
environmental risk
Ω
100%+
60%
Further field studies were carried out
to identify sensitive receivers, and data
were incorporated into the existing
database for use by all team members.
In addition to studies on recovery of
plankton and benthic communities, we
have capitalized on the unique
opportunity of pollution abatement in
Victoria Harbour and conducted
additional work to investigate
recovery of intertidal community,
microbial community, as well as
changes in biomarkers and sediment
chemistry.
40%
40%
40%

Two postgraduate workshops were
organized: one on “Research
Philosophy and Methodology”,
attended by some 90 RA/RS/PDF
of AoE members from the six
collaborating institutions, and
another one on “Hong Kong’s
waters: how transport processes
influence distribution patterns”,
attended by over 60 RS/PDF and
professionals from government
agencies.
 Admitted 30 graduate students and
partially funded 26 graduate
students for the various AoE
projects; provided training to 2
undergraduate students, 25
Research Assistants, 1 Research
Fellow, 2 Research Associates, 3
Senior Research Associates, and 19
Post Doctoral Fellows.
This As mentioned in indicative time-table,
0%
this objective will be addressed in
Stage 4-5 (Year 4-5)
In case of revision, the numbering system should be 0, 1, 2, etc. in order to reflect the sequence of revision.
As itemized in the original proposal. In case of revision, the project team should formally and separately write to
the UGC for approval. Both the original objectives and all subsequently revised objectives should be listed.

Please provide reasons for major under-achievement. In case of revision, please quote the date when the UGC
granted the approval.
Γ
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4.
Deliverables
Summary of deliverables addressed / achieved to-date:
Percentage achieved refers to that for the deliverables promised for 2nd year.
Date for target completion refers to the project completion date.
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Stage 2 Program 1: Novel
(Year 2 ) Technologies for
Environmental
Diagnosis
Project #* 1.1 Chemical
Technologies
1.1.1 Solid Phase
Microextraction (SPME)
1a
Deliverable: Development
1b
of molecularly imprinted
SPME coating on optical
fibres
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Date for
target
completion
100%
Development of advanced
microextraction technologies for the
determination of algal toxins in natural
waters and biota tissues
 Successful development of a
SPME-HPLC analytical method for
the direct determination of saxitoxin
 Detail investigation of the
photodegradation mechanism of
Irgarol-1051 in seawater and the
identification of another new
degradation product of Irgarol-1051.
2006
80%
Development of molecularly imprinted
SPME coating on optical fibres
 We have already developed a very
simple and effective technique to
imprint target analytes onto the
surface of an optical fibre. Works on
the fabrication and performance
evaluation of molecularly imprinted
SPME devices for 17-estradiol and
polybrominated diphenyl ethers are
in progress.
Development of surface imprinting
technique on nano-particles for the
fabrication of MIP-based nano-particle
chemosensors for algal toxins and other
trace organic pollutants
 Two special ligand systems have
been developed for the
incorporation of luminescent metal
complexes onto the surface of
nano-silica particles.
2007
Development of MIP-based
chemosensing materials for the
screening of selected trace organic
2007
achieved
Revision
1c
1d
Remarks
Percentage
1.1.2 Molecular
Imprinting Chemical
Sensing (MICS)
Deliverable:
-Development of
molecular imprinting
technique for surface
imprinting on
nanoparticles
-Development of
chemosensors for PSP
toxins
80%
85%
-5-
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
16a
16b
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Remarks
achieved
Revision
2
Percentage
1.1.3 Biosensors –
Immunosensors for direct
detection of genotoxicants
and algal toxins
Deliverable: Development
of protocols for detection
of toxins and
genotoxicants based on
direct binding assay,
competitive binding assay
or fluorescent reporters
100%
1.1.4 Semi-Permeable
Membrane Devices
(SPMDs) & Artificial
Mussels (AMs)
Deliverables:
-Comparative studies with
mussels on uptake and
depuration
-Confounding factors of
metal uptakes in AMs
100%
100%
-6-
pollutants
 An amorphous titanium oxide
material for the selective adsorption
of domoic acid (a potent red tide
toxin that can cause diarrheic
shellfish poisoning) has been
successfully developed. Works on
using this material for the molecular
imprinting of domoic acid (for more
specific determination of the toxin)
and other algal toxins are in
progress.
 An azobenzene-based
photoswitchable MIP material that is
able to regulate the release and
uptake of caffeine by light
irradiation has been developed.
 Pure fluoro-tagged estradiol adduct
for the fabrication of molecularly
imprinted chemosensing materials
for estradiol determination has been
synthesized.
We have demonstrated the technical
feasibility of using piezoelectric ceramic
resonators as a core component of
biosensor devices. Experiments are in
progress, to demonstrate the technical
feasibility of applying the ceramic-based
biosensor in detecting environmental
toxins, and the practical use of the
ceramic-based biosensor as a
competitive alternative to existing
products.
SPMDs
 Comparative studies of mussel and
SPMD contaminant uptake and
depuration under laboratory
conditions have been completed,
and a paper published in the
international literature.
AMs
 Experiments were carried out to
examine the uptake of five metals
(Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) by the AM
under various environmentally
realistic concentrations, times,
salinities, and temperatures. Results
indicated that the AM was able to
accumulate the bioavailable and
Date for
target
completion
2008
2006
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
toxic fractions of metals. Compared
with the green lipped mussels,
uptake and release of metals by the
AM are less affected by salinity and
temperature changes. The results
have been written up and accepted
for publication in “Environmental
Pollution”.
5
3
4
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1.2 Genomic
Technologies
1.2.1 Quantification of
waterborne pathogens
Deliverables:
-Identification and
validation of speciesspecific gene probes for
development of
DNA-based assays
-Development of
quantitative multiplexPCR (Q-mPCR) for
pathogens
1.2.2 Toxicogenomic
studies
Deliverable: Gene
expression analysis of
effects of hypoxia using
high-density and
pathway-specific mouse
cDNA and fish
microarrays
1.3 Biomarker
Technologies
1.3.1 Molecular Markers
Deliverables:
-In vitro and in vivo
studies of relationships
between molecular
biomarkers and levels of
hypoxic and/or xenobiotic
100%
100%
80%
-7-

Identified and analyzed a number
of virulence and/or
virulence-associated genes (for
probe design) for multiplex
detection of specific waterborne
pathogens. The specificity of all
probes has been experimentally
validated.
 We have successfully developed a
quantitative multiplex PCR
(Q-mPCR) assay that can
simultaneously quantify 4
bacterial pathogens − E. coli,
Salmonella, Shigella and V.
cholerae − in a single test.
 Identified two previously
unrecognized (novel)
“virulence-associated” gene
clusters in a pandemic O3:K6
strain of V. parahaemolyticus.
Fabricated a high-density mouse cDNA
microarrays containing 20,000 genes
from a cDNA library obtained from NIA
and a cDNA microarray containing 200
genes derived from marine medaka. We
have used the cDNA microarrays to
study the gene expression profiles of
murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells
under the treatment of H2O2 and
hypoxia (published in Apoptosis).
2008
In vivo studies in fish under hypoxia
In vivo expression and response pattern
of a number of hypoxia-responsive
genes (e.g. leptin, leptin receptor,
VEGF-A, VEGF-R, erythropoietin and
CITED cotransactivators) have been
studied by quantitative real-time PCR
2008
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
stress using H295R and
marine medaka
Date for
target
completion
and/or in situ hybridization and
immunohistochemistry in several fish
species including common carp, grass
carp, garoupa and marine medaka.
Functional studies on the effects of
HIF-1, HIF-2 and HIF-4 transcription
factors have also been carried out by
gene transfection assays. Our findings
indicated differential responses of all of
the above genes in a tissue-specific
manner, suggesting differential/
protective roles of these genes in
hypoxia signaling.
Based on in-house cloning of numerous
medaka-specific cDNAs, we have raised
medaka-specific antibodies for a
number of proteins (LH, LHR, FSH,
FSHR, mGnRH, GnRHR2, omTERT1,
omTERT2, CYP19a, omHIF1,
omHIF2 and omHIF4) to develop
and/or carry out Western blot,
immunohistochemistry, chromatin
immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ELISA
assays for functional studies. These
probes have also been made available
for other AoE members in different
projects.
100%
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In vitro studies in H295R cells under
hypoxia
Following incubation of H295R cells
under either normoxic or hypoxic
conditions for 6, 12 and 24 h, changes
in the expression levels of 11
steroidogenic genes − CYP11A
(desmolase), CYP11B1 (steroid
11β-hydroxylase), CYP11B2
(aldosterone synthetase), CYP17
(steroid 17α-hydroxylase), CYP19
(aromatase), CYP21 (21 α-hydroxy
lase), 3βHSD-1 and -2 (3β-hydroxy
steroid dehydrogenase), 17βHSD
(17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase),
HMGR (HMG-CoA reductase), and
StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory
protein), were quantified by a molecular
beacon-based real-time RT-PCR
method. Ten out of the 11 steroidogenic
2008
Ω
Stage /
Revision
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Date for
target
completion
genes were suppressed after the first 6 h
of hypoxic exposure. More than 2-fold
suppression was exhibited by
CYP11B1, CYP19, CYP21, 3β HSD-1
and -2, 17βHSD and HMGR. Exposure
time was also found to affect the
dynamics of differential gene
expression. For example, suppression of
CYP19 at 24 h was about double when
compared to that at 6 and 12 h. In
contrast, CYP11B1 was suppressed by
about 3-fold at 6 h and upregulated by
1.7- and 4.5-fold at 12 and 24 h,
respectively. Our results show that
hypoxia decreases the transcription of
most of the genes regulating the
steroidogenesis pathway and this might
in turn alter the production rates of
steroid hormones, thereby causing
potential endocrine disruption.
100%
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Xenobiotics
The effects of forskolin, an activator of
cAMP-dependent protein kinase, or
metyrapone, ketoconazole and
aminoglutethimide, either singly or in
binary mixtures with forskolin on the
expression of steroidogenic genes and
on the production of progesterone,
testosterone and estradiol were
evaluated in H295R cells. The
expression of genes for 10 steroidogenic
enzymes was determined by
quantitative Q-RT-PCR. Changes in
gene expression of cells exposed to
chemical mixtures ranged from no
interaction to interactive, including both
antagonistic and super-additive effects.
Forskolin preferentially increased
production of estradiol, which was in
agreement with the observed significant
increase in CYP19 gene expression. In
contrast, treatment of H295R cells with
aminoglutethimide and ketoconazole
resulted in decreased production of all
three hormones, progesterone
testosterone and estradiol, compared to
solvent controls. Our results showed
that H295R cells provide a valuable test
system with which to examine effects of
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
xenobiotics on steroidogenesis.
7
-Generation of founder
transgenic line
1.3.2 Biochemical
markers
9, 10, 15 Deliverable: Laboratory
experiments to develop
biochemical markers for
ROS, hypoxia and
xenobiotics in mussels and
fish
533582938
90%
100%+
- 10 -
Generation of founder transgenic line
The choriogenin H and choriogenin L
genes have been cloned from two
medaka (Oryzias javanicus and O.
melastigma). Exposure studies
showed that the lowest-observed
-effect concentration (LOEC) of E2 on
induction of hepatic ojChgH mRNA is
1 ng/L in adult fish. In addition, effects
of 4 other endocrine disruptors were
also tested in O. melastigma and
showed that omChgH expression is
induced in the liver of male adult fish.
Construction of transgenic O.
melastigma carrying the GFP reporter
gene under control of the omChgH
promoter is now underway. In
addition, we have also completed a
baseline study on the embryonic
development of O. melastigma and
correlated the stages to Oryzias latipes.
The expression pattern of omChgH
during embryonic development has
been examined.
Establishment of biochemical,
endocrinological and molecular markers
for exposure to red tide toxins and
xenobiotics in fish
 Our results indicate three possible
indices for Chattonella exposure, i.e.,
serum cortisol level, thyroid hormone
(both T3 and T4) levels, and hepatic
RNA/DNA ratio. Hepatic RNA/DNA
ratio can be used to indicate exposure
to either Chattonella whole cells or its
extract. The overall change in
hormonal profile can be used to
differentiate between exposure to
Chattonella cells or Chattonella toxic
extract since there is a differential
hormonal profile when fish are
exposed to either cells or extract.
Thus, hypercortisolemia is only
observed with exposure to
Chattonella cells, decline in serum
thyroid hormones is only observed
following exposure to Chattonella
2008
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
extract. Despite the fact that
underlying mechanisms remain
unclear, these differential effects may
serve as specific biomarkers for
differentiating exposure to
Chattonella cells or its extracted
toxin.
2009
100%+
Biochemical Markers
 Our experiments showed that mussels
exposed to xenobiotics or biological
toxins experienced significant
oxidative stress (e.g., lipid
peroxidation, DNA adduct), as well as
antioxidant responses (e.g., CAT,
SOD, GPx, GR, GSSG). There is
some potential to use these biological
responses as biomarkers.
 Additional work has been carried out
to investigate cell surface protein of
Alexendrium affine (a toxic red tide
species). This work indicated great
potential in employing these
proteomic techniques to identify and
characterize specific proteins as
biomarkers for red tide species.
2008
90%
1.3.3 Cytological
markers
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100%
- 11 -
Telomerase activities: A novel
molecular-biochemical marker of
growth in fish
 Our results support the vital role of
TERT in controlling cell
proliferation in fish in vivo.
 Significant reduction of muscle
telomerase activity occurred prior to
growth impairment in grouper fish
under chronic foodborne BaP
exposure, suggesting that telomerase
plays a key role in fish growth and
can serve as an effective growth
marker.
 This marine medaka whole mount
fish model will be widely applied to
study in vivo expression and
regulation of other key genes and
proteins of interest in fish under
hypoxia.
Development of novel cytological,
immunological and physiological
2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
14
8
Remarks
achieved
Revision
14
Percentage
Deliverables:
-Stereological studies on
cytological responses of
fish intestines to
xenobiotics
-Stereological studies on
fish gills in relation to red
tide toxin
-Refine prototypical
software of 3-D
reconstruction
markers in gills and intestines of fish
exposed to hypoxia, xenobiotics and
toxins
Physiological analysis and stereological
studies on cytological responses of fish
gills to toxic red tide algae
 The rapid fish kill mechanisms via
direct contact with C. marina cells
could be explained by concomitant
development of osmotic distress and
decreased blood pO2 level in
exposed goldlined seabream.
Cell-cell interaction between C.
marina and fish led to impairment
of osmotic homeostasis in fish. The
water soluble toxin(s) produced by
C. marina are likely to be
responsible for a lowering of blood
pO2 level in fish, resulting in fish
kills. Our earlier and present data
confirm that osmotic impairment
and blood pO2 reduction are two
independent causes of fish kills by
this harmful algal species.
Stereological studies on cytological
responses of fish intestines to foodborne
xenobiotics exposure
 For the first time, we demonstrated the
chronic (4 weeks of exposure and 4
weeks of recovery) effects of dietary
B[a]P on EROD induction,
histopathological and physiological/
tissue homeostatic responses in fish
intestines. The present study has not
only opened the possibility of using
intestinal EROD activity and selected
histo-physiological changes in the
intestine as novel biomarkers of
B[a]P/PAH exposure in fish, and more
importantly, enables us to differentiate
aqueous versus dietary uptake of
BaP/PAHs
Stereological studies on cytological
responses of fish intestines to hypoxia
exposure
 A large scale chronic hypoxia
exposure experiment was completed
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Date for
target
completion
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
this summer. Juvenile marine
medaka (4-week old) were exposed
to normoxic (5.8±0.2 mg O2 L-1)
and hypoxic (1.8±0.2 mg O2 L-1)
conditions for 4, 8 and 12 weeks.
Immunhistochemistry and
histopathological examinations of
significant cytological alterations,
e.g., cell proliferation and
hyperplasia in intestines of hypoxic
and normoxic fish are in progress.
100%+
14
14
1.3.4 Immunological
markers
Deliverables:
-Study immunological
responses in fish under
toxicant stress
-Relate fish mortality to
functional impairment of
gills
90%
1.3.5 Behaviorial
markers
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- 13 -
3-D reconstruction of cytological
markers
 We have generated
biocomputational software to
perform thresholding of images. The
strength of this software is in its
broad application. Using fluorescent
secondary antibodies, levels of gene
transcription and protein translation
can easily be segmented. With this
step executed properly, the
researchers can then perform
functions to reconstruct images at
the 3-D level. Additional functions
such as quantifying gene and protein
expressions in situ could then be
performed. That will provide
another powerful tool to corroborate
data obtained by other quantification
methods such as Real Time PCR.
 Immunological responses of fish
were measured in parallel with
physiological changes.
 Development of immunocytological
techniques on expression of key
enzyme and transport protein in fish
gills.
 The rapid fish kill mechanisms via
direct contact with C. marina cells
were investigated in the goldlined
seabream.
Behaviorial markers will not be
developed (mentioned in an indicative
time-table submitted to UGC on 16
February 2004; no indication of
objection from UGC in letter dated 26
March 2004)
2008
2009
-
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
13
533582938
Date for
target
completion
100%+
Trans-generational effect of hypoxia on
primordial germ cells (PGCs) in
zebrafish, Danio rerio
 We reported the first time the
transgenerational effect of hypoxia
on induction of embryonic
malformations and reduction of the
number of primordial germ cells in
developing embryos. We concluded
that hypoxia can exert a
transgenerational effect, induce
embryonic malformations and
reduce numbers of primordial germs
cells in normoxic embryos collected
from hypoxic parents.
2008
100%+
Physiological markers - Hypoxia and
xenobiotics on sex and hormones in fish
 For the first time in science, we have
discovered that hypoxia can: (a) alter
sex differentiation and sex
determination of fish, leading to a
male-dominated F1 generation,
thereby threatening the sustainability
of natural fish populations, and (b)
alter sex differentiation and sex
determination of fish by changing
the expression pattern of DMY, the
male sex determining gene. This
work has attracted considerable
attention worldwide. We have been
interviewed by “Environmental
Science & Technology” and the
American Chemical Society, and our
work has been written up as news
story for worldwide promulgation.
 For the first time in science, we also
demonstrated that xenobiotics can
enhance production of ROS in
spermatozoa, which subsequently
impair sperm quality and
reproductive success in fish through
oxidative stress.
 Data on mussel shell deposition are
being analyzed. However,
preliminary information suggested
that mussel shell growth was not as
apparent as fish scale growth. In
view of the more promising results
2007
achieved
Revision
6, 11
Remarks
Percentage
1.3.6a Physiological
markers - Hypoxia and
xenobiotics on sex and
hormones in fish
Deliverable: Laboratory
study of effects of hypoxia
on sex steroid hormone,
sex determination and
differentiation in fish
1.3.6b Physiological
markers - Fish scales &
mussel shells as growth
indicators
Deliverable: Laboratory
studies on stresses on
80%
- 14 -
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
achieved
Revision
mussel shell deposition in
relation to mussel growth
14
1.3.6c Physiological
markers - Physiological
and pathological changes
of fish upon exposure to
red tide toxins and
xenobiotics
Deliverable: Laboratory
studies on red tide toxins
on endocrine,
osmoregulatory and
immune functions in fish
100%
1.3.6d Physiological
markers for mussels
Cancelled exposed to hypoxia and
xenobiotics
Deliverable: Laboratory
studies on scope for
growth and bioenergetics
of mussels upon exposure
to xenobiotics
-
Program 2: Field Studies
and validation
2.1 Validation of Novel
Technologies
533582938
Remarks
- 15 -
of the fish scale experiments, it is
advisable to focus on these
experiments instead of working on
the mussels.
 Daily scale increments are
detectable in fast growing fish
species and circuli number is
significantly correlated with CI
index for all the 3 species of fish
studied.
 The above findings offer the use of
daily scale increments as a
non-destructive method to indicate
fish growth history, and the use of
fish scale circuli development /
circuli deformation to indicate the
nature and severity of stress
experienced by fish in its life history.
The rapid fish kill mechanisms via
direct contact with C. marina cells
could be explained by concomitant
development of osmotic distress and
decreased blood pO2 level in exposed
goldlined seabream. Cell-cell
interaction between C. marina and fish
led to impairment of osmotic
homeostasis in fish. The water soluble
toxin(s) produced by C. marina are
likely to be responsible for a lowering
of blood pO2 level in fish, resulting in
fish kills. Our earlier and present data
confirm that osmotic impairment and
blood pO2 reduction are two
independent causes of fish kill by this
harmful algal species.
Owing to the novel and exciting
findings in the hypoxia studies and the
recovery studies (e.g., Projects 6 and
21), and upon the advice of the
International Advisory Committee, we
decided to re-direct our efforts and
resources to these projects. As a
consequence, we propose to drop this
project which is less innovative and
challenging.
Date for
target
completion
2009
-
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
16b
17
19, 22
533582938
Date for
target
completion
Comparative studies of mussel and
SPMD contaminant uptake and
depuration under laboratory
conditions have been completed,
and a paper published in the
international literature.
 Field trials at Victoria Harbour and
Kat O demonstrated that the AM can
provide a time-integrated estimate of
metal concentrations in the marine
environment. Level of metals
accumulated by the AM in the field
was also comparable to that by P.
viridis.
Deliverables will be produced in Stage
3-5 (Year 3-5).
2007
achieved
Revision
16a
Remarks
Percentage
2.1a Validation of
Semi-Permeable
Membrane Devices
(SPMDs) & Artificial
Mussels (AMs)
Deliverables:
-Comparative studies with
mussels on uptake and
depuration
-Confounding factors of
metal uptakes in AMs
100%
2.1b Validation of other
novel technologies
developed in Program 1
2.1c Validation of
models developed in
Program 3
2.2 Ecological and
Recovery Studies
-
2.2.1 Identification of
sensitive receivers and
important populations
Deliverable: Additional
field surveys to
identify sensitive receivers
2.2.2 Ecosystem
Recovery
Deliverables:
-2nd year benthic and
phytoplankton surveys
100%
-
100%+
100%+
80%
- 16 -

Deliverables will be produced in Stage
4-5 (Year 4-5).

The field sampling program has
continued, to study spatial and
temporal changes in microbial,
planktonic, benthic and intertidal
communities in Victoria Harbour
and its vicinity.
 Additional field studies were also
carried out simultaneously to
determine recovery of biomarkers in
fish and mussels as well as sediment
chemistry upon pollution abatement.
Additional field surveys were carried
out in relation to the phytoplankton,
benthic, intertidal and sediment studies
in Hong Kong waters. Data were used
to supplement the database established
in Year 1. Project completed.
Benthic surveys
 Over 90% of the meiofauna in
Victoria Harbour sediments was
composed of Nematoda, comprising
over 70 species. Analysis of the
nematode data revealed that there
was no significant difference
between the bimonthly samplings
and site replicates. However,
statistical difference was apparent
among the sampling locations, with
abundance being the lowest at
2008
-
-
2008
2006
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
Causeway Bay (within the harbour)
and highest at Tsing Yi and Peng
Chau (outside the harbour).
 Sediment quality, especially within
the harbour area, is highly
heterogeneous in nature. Coupling
with this is the apparent temporal
variations at these sites. A
longer-term study is required to
ascertain whether or not changes are
caused by pollution abatement.
100%
21
31
533582938
2nd year study on recovery
of microbial community
(additional)
100%+
- 17 -
Phytoplankton surveys
 Seasonal samplings for a wide range
of physical, chemical and biological
parameters at 12 stations in HK
waters were completed.
 Victoria Harbour waters are
showing a reduction in NH4 and
chlorophyll since the sewage
treatment was implemented.
 We have conducted an extensive
study of bacterial abundance and
productivity. The bacterial biomass
and productivity in Victoria Harbour
were several times higher. In other
areas in summer, bacterial
respiration may become P-limited
and this could potentially slow the
consumption of oxygen.
 Bioassay experiments reveal that
potential nutrient limitation varies
both spatially and temporally and
Victoria Harbour is potentially
Si-limited because sewage input is
high in N and P, but very low in Si.
 As shown by T-RFLP, PAT, DGGE,
Gene Library and sequencing
analysis, the bacterial diversities in
water columns (bacterioplankton),
intertidal biofilms, and surface
sediments at sewage discharge area
(e.g., Victoria Harbour west) were
comparable to the bacterial diversity
of the uncontaminated sites (e.g.,
Tung Lung Chau) during the period
from August 2004 to December 2005.
 Two novel bacterial species were
2008
2008
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
isolated from HK and named as
Loktanella hongkongensis (from
biofilm) and Gramella portivictoriae
(from sediment).
 FISH analysis revealed a clearly
increasing abundance of
γ-proteobacteria in microbial
community of biofilms in Victoria
Harbour (VH) and interestingly,
larvae of intertidal benthos (e.g.,
barnacles and limpets) preferentially
settled on biofilms from polluted sites
(e.g., VH) over control sites (e.g.,
Port-Shelter).
 In soft-sediment, organic matter
qualities dictate larvae for site
selection and during the study period,
larvae showed preference to Victoria
Harbour Mud over sediments from
Peng Chau.
 Larvae of Pseudopolydora vexillosa
(dominant spionid in HK and may be
a new source of organic pollution
indicators) were mass cultured for the
first time.
19
-2nd year study on
recovery of biomarkers
(additional)
80%

Amongst the various biomarkers
studied, lysosomal integrity in
mussels appears to be the most
promising, with data showing
correlation with pollution status
among the sampling sites.
2008
18
2nd year study on recovery
of intertidal community
(additional)
100%
Intertidal study
 The lowest biodiversity was
observed in Hoi Xum Park on the
rocky shore.
 Both Green Island and Tung Lung
Chau sites consistently exhibited
high values of the biodiversity index
(H’) throughout the study period.
 Apart from Hoi Xum Park, all sites
showed a similar community
structure.
 Although positive growth had been
observed in juvenile Tetraclita
japonica at the five sites, new
recruitment of the barnacle species
had yet to be observed.
2008
533582938
- 18 -
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
achieved
Revision
20
27
27
27
533582938
Remarks
Percentage
2.2.3 Ecological Risk
Assessment
Deliverables:
-Identification of major
pollutants in sediments
and their ecotoxicological
significance
-Sediment and pollutant
flux calculation at selected
sediment sampling
stations
- Toxicity tests for target
species in the laboratory
Program 3: Impact
and Risk Assessments
3.1 Modeling Fate and
Carrying Capacity of
Nutrients and Pollutants
3.1a Fate and transport
model
Deliverables:
-Development of model
for particle sedimentation
and benthic impact
prediction
-Model validation against
laboratory and field data
-Further integration with
visualization technology
80%
100%
 A longer term of the survey period
will be warranted to address whether
or not the improvement of water
quality will lead to ecological
recovery on rocky shore intertidal
environments within Victoria
Harbour.

A clear historical pattern of metal
and nutrient contamination in
sediments of Victoria Harbour is
evident.

Suspended particulate matters play
an important role in controlling the
release of metals in contaminated
sediments.
 Differential viability of cysts
(“dormant eggs”) within different
sediment layers can be used as a
biomarker for the accumulation of
pollution effects as an integrative
measure over time.


- 19 -
The novel approach for dynamic
coupling of the near and
intermediate/far field, now termed
the Distributed Entrainment Sink
Approach (DESA), was further
developed.
The DESA approach effectively
couples a Lagrangian jet model
(VISJET) and the 3D environmental
fluid dynamics code (EFDC). The
coupling captures the key physical
mechanisms of (i) turbulent jet
entrainment as predicted by a
well-validated Lagrangian jet
model; and (ii) a 3D hydrodynamics
with hydrostatic pressure
approximation in the intermediate
field. Unlike previous approaches,
the near and intermediate fields are
coupled dynamically; full mass
conservation is achieved at
cell-level for the entire grid.
Extensive numerical tests show that
Date for
target
completion
2008
2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
Revision

26a
26b
533582938
3.1b Carrying capacity
model
Deliverables:
-Coupling of
hydrodynamic and water
quality model
-Eutrophication modelling
and field validation of
impact of nutrient loads
from fish farms
-Model for sedimentwater nutrient
transformation
80%
3.1c Eutrophication
dynamics modelling
Deliverables:
-Continuous real time
field monitoring of algal
and DO dynamics
-Integration of algal
dynamics model and field
measurements
100%




- 20 -
the method is considerably more
accurate and efficient than
alternative approaches, and allows
the simulation of buoyant spread in
the intermediate field.
The coagulation and sedimentation
of sewage particles from outfall
discharges is an innovative basic
work that reveals significant
changes in particle distribution with
time, resulting in significantly
increased settling velocities. These
findings would be useful in the
study of benthic impacts and natural
processes such as deposits from
hydrothermal vents on the sea floor.
This opens up the possibility of real
time water quality forecast systems e.g. predicting impact of chlorinated
sewage effluents from the Hong
Kong Harbour Area Treatment
Scheme (HATS) on nearby beaches.
With an application of advanced
multivariate analyses, the
environmental impact of discharges
from mariculture on ecosystem
trophic guilds was revealed, using
dietary tracers, carbon (δ13C) and
nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes and
fatty acid profiles (see also Task
3.1b).
An attempt has been made to
integrate the hydrodynamic, water
quality and ecological risk
assessment models using unionized
ammonia as a model pollutant. This
innovative model will provide
essential information to support
decision-making in environmental
management.
A general model for forecasting
algal blooms in weakly flushed
coastal waters has been developed.
The physical and ecological
processes that govern the occurrence
of algal blooms and strategy for
species competition (diatoms versus
dinoflagellates) were modelled.
Based on only simple field
Date for
target
completion
2009
2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
achieved
Revision
-Pilot data assimilation
model for water quality
23
26a
533582938
Remarks
Percentage
3.2 Modeling Biokinetics
of Xenobiotics and Algal
Toxins in Marine Biota
Modeling biokinetics of
xenobiotics and algal
toxins in marine biota
Deliverable: Exposure
experiments to determine
uptake and depuration
kinetics of individual
compartments
3.3 System-Specific
Ecological Risk
Assessment Models
3.3a Statistical and risk
analysis of ecological data
Deliverable:
-Risk assessment of
environmental impact of
discharges
-Integration with
Date for
target
completion
measurements as input parameters,
the model predicts the likelihood of
an algal bloom as a function of
hydro-meteorological conditions and
nutrient availability. The model has
been validated against 17 algal
blooms and red tides observed by
the real time early warning system,
as well as independent blooms
observed in other locations in Hong
Kong’s eastern waters.
 The use of both data driven and
statistical models has been able to
predict chlorophyll concentrations
with about 1 day lead time. The
integration of the harmful algal
bloom (HAB) forecast model with
data assimilation approaches
provides a basis for the development
of near-real time water quality
forecast and early warning systems
for fisheries management.
100%
 There are major compartmental
differences in accumulation,
biotransformation, and elimination
of PSTs among different tissue
compartments and along with the
experimental period.
 For the first time, the biokinetics of
biotoxins in marine fish has been
examined. Biotransformation might
have occurred during feeding or
assimilation process.
 For fish, both trophic transfer and
aqueous uptake are important in the
overall BaP bioaccumulation.
2008
90%

2009
- 21 -
Impact of discharges from
mariculture on ecosystem trophic
guilds was studied, to define the
carrying capacity of fish farm wastes
using dietary tracers, carbon (δ13C)
and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes
and fatty acid profiles.
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
achieved
Revision
533582938
3.3b System-specific
ecological risk assessment
models
Deliverable:
-Completion of analysis of
POPs in sensitive
receivers
Date for
target
completion

hydrodynamic and water
quality models
24
Remarks
Percentage
100%+
- 22 -
The results suggest that combined
measurement of stable isotopes and
fatty acid profiles of multiple
sources and consumers offers a
practical means to study the
biological impact of open-sea-cage
fish farms, which are common in
Hong Kong and Asian waters.
 Coupling with SOD (sediment
oxygen demand) studies and detailed
modelling of the diagenetic
processes of settled organic wastes
from fish farms on the seabed, this
paves the way for the integration of
hydrodynamic and water quality
models with the field data to define
carrying capacity.
Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs)
with trace persistent organic pollutants
POPs
 Classical persistent organic
pollutants, including organochlorine
pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), were measured. In
addition, we determined a range of
novel, emerging pollutants,
including perfluorinated compounds,
and brominated flame retardants, in
a number of sensitive receivers of
significant conservation value.
 A range of techniques including
chemical instrumental analysis and
bio-analytical methods were
developed and used. An initial
assessment of the ecological and
human health risks associated with
these chemicals was undertaken and
the results indicated that these
chemicals might pose a risk to
human health and the relevant
ecological systems in Hong Kong
and the Pearl River Delta.
 Our results provided a
comprehensive assessment of the
status and trends of persistent
organic pollutants in Hong Kong and
its nearby regions. The results
indicated significant gaps in our
knowledge with regard to a number
2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Percentage
Remarks
achieved
Revision
Date for
target
completion
of potentially important pollutants
namely mirex, toxaphene, dioxins
and furans. All of these four
chemicals are listed as important
chemicals of concern under the
Stockholm Convention.
Consequently, the Hong Kong SAR
Government has initiated a number
of consultancy projects to address
these information gaps. Our group
based on the strengths developed
through this AoE has enabled us to
win all of these projects through an
open and highly competitive tender
procedure.
25
533582938
-Development of a
statistical model for
deriving PNECs based on
overseas field data
100%
- 23 -
Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) models 2009
for predicting critical effects levels
 A field-based f-SSD model has been
established, for the first time, to
derive more ecologically relevant
SQGs for environmental
contaminants.
 Further improvements of the f-SSD
model have been made with quantile
regression and consideration of the
background contaminant level. With
such modifications, site-specific
SQGs will be established for 12
priority toxic chemicals in
Norwegian Continental Shelf.
 We have also developed an
alternative and novel approach,
using the community sensitivity
distribution to derive site-specific
SQGs for providing regulatory
levels that may give protection
against biodiversity loss and
community alternation.
 We have demonstrated that there are
noticeable differences in relative
sensitivities of tropical and
temperate species towards some
chemicals. Based on a simple
statistical model, we have derived a
defensible extrapolation factor (i.e.
10) for tropical/ sub-tropical regions
when they directly adopt WQGs
derived from temperate species.
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
30
533582938
Date for
target
completion
Microcosms simulating constructed
wetlands with Typha latifolia,
Kandelia candel and Aegiceras
corniculatum were efficient in
removing organic matter, nitrogen
and phosphorus from municipal
wastewater.
 The comparable performance
between annual cattails and
perennial mangroves suggested that
it is possible to use mangroves as a
secondary sewage treatment system.
 The mangrove microcosms were
operated without tidal flushing,
resulting in plant growth and
treatment efficiency, showing that
the intermittent subsurface vertical
flow system could simulate the wet
and dry conditions. It is not
necessary to include tidal flushing
for a constructed mangrove wetland
and this makes its application more
feasible and cost-effective.
 The role of sediments in binding
phosphorus is clear but the
mechanisms involved in nitrogen
removal will need further
examination.
 We clearly demonstrated that the
three microalgal species, Chlorella
miniata, Selenastrum capricornutum
and Chlorella vulgaris can remove
heavy metals, PAHs and TBT,
respectively. The removal of Cr(VI)
involved both bioreduction to
Cr(III) and biosorption. For toxic
organic pollutants, the removal was
not only based on biosorption, as
biotransformation and/or
biodegradation were also very
important processes in live cells.
Immobilization of these cells in an
alginate matrix did not affect the
2009
achieved
Revision
29
Remarks
Percentage
Program 4: Mitigation,
Control and
Bioremediation
Technologies
4.1 Cost-Effective
Pollution Technologies
4.1a Mangrove wetland
wastewater treatment
system
Deliverable: Examination
of treatment efficiency
and mechanisms involved
4.1b Polymers and
biosorbents to remove
nutrients and toxic
pollutants from
wastewater
Deliverable:
-Study uptake and release
kinetics of polymers and
biosorbents in removing
nutrients and pollutants
from synthetic wastewater
100%
100%+
- 24 -

2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
Revision


28
31
533582938
4.2 Development of
Bioremediation
Technologies
Development of
bioremediation
technologies
Deliverable: Screening for
microbes that are capable
of degrading one major
100%+
- 25 -

Date for
target
completion
removal process. The immobilized
algal beads could be repeatedly used
for many consecutive cycles with
reasonably high removal
percentages.
Sargassum seaweed was found to be
a promising tool to remediate metals
such as Cu, Ag, Zn, Cd, and
especially Pb, in wastewater,
regardless of the salt content in
water. An ion-exchange process
was the major mechanism
responsible for cationic metal
sorption onto the seaweed and the
removal efficiency of the sorption
system decreased exponentially with
increasing metal concentrations. In
contrast to metals, the removal of
PAHs by Sargassum was highly
effective in nearly all of the selected
conditions, with more than 90%
removal of spiked aqueous
phenanthrene. The pH and ionic
strength of the sorption solution had
significant effects on the percentage
removal of phenanthrene, as they
are key factors influencing sorption
of polar ionic species. Overall,
Sargassum seaweed can be an
effective sorbent for both ionic
metals and non-polar organics in
wastewaters.
We have synthesized a novel
lanthanide-chelex material that is
selective in the removal of
phosphate. This offers a highly
promising approach to the
development of a selective polymer
for removal of nutrients from
wastewater.
We have successfully developed a
culture collection of PAH-degrading
bacterial consortia and isolates from
mangrove sediments in Hong Kong.
More than 30 PAH-degrading
bacteria were isolated and identified
2009
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
achieved
Revision
type of pollutants, such as
PAHs or DDT




26b
4.3 Control, Mitigation
and Tracking of HABs
Control, mitigation and
tracking of HABS
Deliverable: Development
of prototype real time
algal bloom tracking
model for Hong Kong
waters (Phase II)
100%
Others
Publications and Patents
Deliverable: Joint
publications
Training
Deliverable: Training of
533582938
- 26 -
from mangrove sediments
The contamination, the level and
types of PAH compounds and the
exposure time changed the
PAH-degrading bacterial community
and the dominant PAH-degraders.
The degradation ability of the
sediments and the enriched
consortia was also affected by the
contamination.
The potential of these cultures to
degrade PAHs had been
demonstrated.
Co-cultivation of rice and
PAH-degrading bacteria may have a
great potential to accelerate the
bioremediation process of
PAH-contaminated soils, under
waterlogged conditions
Multi-component phytoremediation
system such as a combination of
PAH-degrading bacteria, arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi and ryegrass is
effective for phytoremediation of
PAH contaminated soils. This
multi-component system can also
have the potential to enhance
phyto-/bio-remediation of soils
contaminated with both heavy
metals and PAHs.
A simple model for forecast of coastal
algal blooms in weakly-flushed tidal
inlets has been developed. Various
data-driven methods for real time
prediction of algal blooms have been
developed, including artificial neural
networks, genetic programming, and a
vector auto-regressive model with
exogenous variables (VARX).
-

-




Date for
target
completion
37 publications in internationally
refereed journals
2 book chapters
3 conference proceedings
21 conference presentations
30 graduate students fully funded by
2009
-
-
Ω
Stage /
DeliverablesΓ
Remarks
Percentage
Date for
target
completion
achieved
Revision
graduate students
-
Technology Transfer and
Commercialization of
Selected Projects
Provision of
Management
Information
-
this AoE (14 MPhil and 16 PhD)
 26 graduate students partially funded
by this AoE (6 MPhil and 20 PhD);
8 partially-funded students
graduated (1 MPhil and 7 PhD)
As mentioned in indicative time-table,
deliverables will be produced in Stage
4-5 (Year 4-5)
As mentioned in indicative time-table,
deliverables will be produced in Stage
3-5 (Year 3-5)
-
-
Ω
In case of revision, the stage numbering system should be X.0, X.1, X.2, etc., where X stands for stage number and the suffix
is the sequence of revision.
Γ
As itemized in the Indicative Time-table submitted by the project team previously. In case of revision, the project team should
formally and separately write to the UGC for approval. Both the original items and all subsequently revised items should be
listed.

Please provide reasons for major under-achievement. In case of revision, please quote the date when the UGC granted the
approval.
5.
Project DurationΓ
Progress of this AoE project is on schedule and the vast majority of deliverables have been met at
essentially 100% (see Section 4 & Appendix II). In many (12 out of 30) ongoing projects, we have carried
out additional work and/or achieved more than what has been promised in the deliverables.
____________________________________________________________________________
Γ
If there has been slippage, please state reasons for delay and the revised schedule. In case of revision, the project team should
formally and separately write to the UGC for approval. For approved revision, please quote the date when the UGC granted
the approval.
* Please delete as appropriate.
6. Budget and Expenditure
6.1 Breakdown on allocation of budget to individual investigators (in HK$)
Name of
Investigator
Amount
Amount
Allocated in
Allocated in
current
(as per Section 2) last reporting
period
reporting period
Amount
Allocated to
date
(a)
(c) = (a) + (b)
Prof. Rudolf Wu
CityU
Prof. Paul Harrison
HKUST
Prof. Joseph Lee
HKU
Prof. M H Wong
HKBU
533582938
(b)
$1,960,000
$855,809
$1,321,000
$1,006,000
$1,165,000
$865,000
$495,200
$495,000
- 27 -
Reasons for
Allocation/
Project(s) funded
$2,815,809 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$2,327,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$2,030,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$990,200 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
Name of
Investigator
Amount
Amount
Allocated in
Allocated in
last
reporting
current
(as per Section 2)
period
reporting period
Amount
Allocated to
date
(a)
(c) = (a) + (b)
Prof. David Randall
CityU
Prof. Paul Lam
CityU
Dr. Wen Wang
HKUST
Prof. Nora Tam
CityU
Prof. Norman Woo
CUHK
Prof. W. K. Li
HKU
Dr. X. Y. Li
HKU
Dr. Kenneth Leung
HKU
Prof. P Y Qian
HKUST
Dr. Chris Wong
HKBU
Dr. X. D. Li
PolyU
Dr. Put Ang
CUHK
Prof. Peter Yu
CityU
Prof. T. C. Lau
CityU
Prof. Michael Yang
CityU
Dr. S. H. Cheng
CityU
Dr. Bruce
Richardson
CityU
Dr. Doris Au
CityU
Dr. Michael Lam
CityU
Dr. Richard Kong
CityU
533582938
(b)
$796,000
$50,000
$2,095,000
$250,000
$340,000
$150,000
$495,800
$495,000
$240,000
$170,000
$225,000
$200,000
$225,000
$200,000
$365,000
$315,000
$1,406,000
$960,000
$200,000
$160,000
$537,000
$305,000
$200,000
$200,000
$150,000
$150,000
$465,000
$365,000
$1,150,000
$900,000
$552,000
$550,000
$200,000
$33,191
$550,000
$370,000
Reasons for
Allocation/
Project(s) funded
$846,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$2,345,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$490,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$990,800 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$410,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$425,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$425,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$680,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$2,366,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$360,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$842,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$400,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$300,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$830,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$2,050,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$1,102,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$233,191 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$920,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$900,000
$372,000
$1,272,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$967,000
$583,000
$1,550,000 Funding for Stage 1
and Stage 2 work
$17,000,000
$10,000,000
$27,000,000
(Stage 1 funding (Stage 2 funding
(Stage 1 and
received from
received from
Stage 2 funding
UGC)
UGC)
received from
UGC)
- 28 -
6.2 Expenditure (in HK$) to-date:
(Accumulative total since project inception should be presented)
[Note] Based on actual expenditure (including commitments) as at 28 February 2006.
Items
Θ
(broad
categories
only)
Budgeted Total UGC
Total
Total
Expenditure Over/ UnderAmount
Funds Funds from Funds
to date
spending
Released
Other
Available
(as in the
Sources
(c) – (d)
original
(a)
(d)
proposal)
(c)
=(a)
+
(b)
(b)
Staffing
98,900,000
14,561,376
8,745,573
23,306,949 20,153,175.84
3,153,773.16
Equipment 18,800,000
6,701,362
5,878,184
12,579,546
6,070,573.15
6,508,972.85
General
-
4,246,441
2,355,938
6,602,379
4,966,469.70
1,635,909.30
-
1,490,821
1,218,305
2,709,126
212,262.64
2,496,863.36
Expenses
Conference
Total
Θ

117,700,000
27,000,000 18,198,000
45,198,000 31,402,481.33 13,795,518.67
Categories such as Staff, Equipment, General Expenses, etc.
Please provide reasons for under-spending or over-spending (say  10%). In case of under-spending, please
indicate if the unspent funds will be or have been carried over to the next stage.
As at end of February 2006, the total expenditure is $31m. It means that all UGC funds released for Stage
1 and Stage 2, i.e. $27m, have been used up. Please note that the matching funds of $18.198m (received
as at end of February 2006) from collaborating institutions are meant to support the MERIT project for 5
years. The balance of matching funds is reserved for supporting research programs in the coming three
years.
6.3 Release of Funds
(a) Expected Date for release of next round of funding __________________ 1st July 2006
(b) Requested Amount of next round of funding _________________________ $7 Million
(c) Expected Date for submission of next progress report ______________ 31 March 2007

The release of next round of funding will subject to satisfactory progress of previous funding stage reported in
this progress report. The release of further funding will subject to satisfactory review of the previous project stage
and, in normal circumstances, the review process will take two to three months to complete.

Justifications must be provided if the amount requested deviates from the amount provided in the indicative
time-table submitted to the UGC.

Normally, an annual progress report should be submitted upon completion of each project stage or within twelve
months of the release of the preceding stage funding, whichever shorter. For projects requesting release of the next
round of funding, that annual progress report must be submitted at least three months before the requested date for
release of funding.
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7.
8.
Other Sources of Funding
Source
Amount (HK$)
Institution
$18,198,000
Others (please specify)
-
Total
$18,198,000
Progress of Project/Research
8.1
Activities and Outputs
8.1.1 Projects/research activities in relation to the project objectives and deliverables (as per
Section 3 & 4) that were carried out during the reporting period.
Please refer to Section 4 (Deliverables) and Appendices I to II for details of the objectives,
activities and deliverables
8.1.2
Publication(s) / Conference(s) Papers arising directly from the AoE project
(please provide details e.g. title, authorship, publication dates, etc. and attach an abstract
of each publication reported. For publications that involve inter-institutional collaborations,
please place an asterisk (*) next to the items concerned)
Submitted in 2005 Progress Report
A. Refereed Journals
Lam, K.H., Lam, M.H.W., Lam, P.K.S., Qian, T., Cai, Z., Yu, H.X. and Cheung, R.Y.H. (2004)
Identification and characterization of a new degradation product of Irgarol-1051 in mercuric
chloride-catalyzed hydrolysis reaction and in coastal waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin: 49, 356 – 367.
*So, M.K., Taniyasu, S., Yamashita, N., Giesy, J.P., Zheng, J., Fang, Z., Im, S.H. and Lam, P.K.S.
(2004) Perfluorinated compounds in coastal waters of Hong Kong, South China, and Korea.
Environmental Science and Technology 38: 4056-4063.
*Wong, H.L., Giesy, J.P. and Lam, P.K.S. (2004) Atmospheric deposition and fluxes of organochlorine
pesticides and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic environments of Hong Kong, China.
Environmental Science & Technology 38: 6513-6521.
Zheng, G.J., Martin, M., Richardson, B.J., Yu, H., Liu, Y., Zhou, C., Li, J., Hu, G., Lam, M.H.W. and
Lam, P.K.S. (2004) Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Pearl River Delta
sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin 49: 520-524.
Nicholson, S. and Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Pollution monitoring in Southeast Asia using biomarkers in the
mytilid mussel Perna viridis (Mytilidae: Bivalvia). Environmental International 31: 121-132.
*Wong, H.L., Giesy, J.P., Siu, W.H.L. and Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Estrogenic and dioxin-like activities and
cytotoxicity of sediments and biota from Hong Kong mudflats. Archives of Environmental Contamination
and Toxicology 48: 1-13.
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Zhou, B.S., Liu, W.H., Wu, R.S.S. and Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Cultured gill epithelial cells from tilapia
(Oreochromis niloticus): a new in vitro assay for toxicants. Aquatic Toxicology 71: 61-72.
Kwok, K.W.H. and Leung, K.M.Y. Toxicity of antifouling biocides to the intertidal copepod Tigriopus
japonicus (Crustacea, Copepoda): Effects of Temperature and Salinity. Marine Pollution Bulletin (In
press).
Lam, K.H., Cai, Z., Lam, M.H.W., Lam, P.K.S., Cheung, R.Y.H., Mak, H.Y. and Yu, H.X. Identification
of a new s-triazine species in the coastal waters originated from the use of Irgarol-1051 – a booster
biocide for marine antifouling coatings. Environmental Pollution (in press).
*Leung, K.M.Y., Bjørgesæter, A., Gray, J.S., Li, W.K., Lui, G.., Yang, W. and Lam, P.K.S. (2005)
Deriving Sediment Quality Criteria from field-based species sensitivity distributions. Environmental
Science & Technology 39: 5148-5156.
Richardson, B.J., Tse, E.S.C., De Luca Abbott, S.B., Martin, M. and Lam, P.K.S. Uptake and
depuration of PAHs and chlorinated pesticides by semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and
green-lipped mussels (Perna viridis). Marine Pollution Bulletin 51: 975-993.
Wang, X.H. and Wang, W.X. Uptake, absorption efficiency, and elimination of DDT by marine
phytoplankton, copepods, and fish. Environmental Pollution (in press).
Wu, R.S.S., Siu, W.H.L. and Shin, P.K.S. (2005) Induction, adaptation and recovery of biological
responses: Implications on environmental monitoring. Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:623-634.
*Yu, K.N., Choi, M.C., Shen, X., Wu, R.S.S., Wang, W.X. and Lam, P.K.S. Modeling of depuration of
paralytic shellfish toxins in Chlamys nobilis and Perna viridis. Marine Pollution Bulletin (in press).
Zhang, Y., Fong, C.C., Wong, M.S., Tzang, C.H., Lai, W.P., Fong, W.F., Sui, S.F. and Yang, M. (2005)
Molecular mechanisms of survival and apoptosis in RAW 264.7 macrophages under oxidative stress.
Apoptosis: 10: 545-556.
B. Conference Proceedings
*Leung, K.M.Y., Lam, P.K.S., Yuan, W., Bjørgesæter, A. and Gray, J.S. (2004) Deriving Sediment
Quality Standards from field-based species sensitivity distributions. In Proceedings of the International
Joint Conference on Risk Assessment and Management with SRA Japan & China/KOSET/SETAC A/P,
Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea, November 4-6, 2004, pp 45.
C. Conference Presentations
Guo, C.L., Bao, W.W., Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (2004) Isolation and characterization of
PAH-degrading consortia from mangrove sediments. Presented at 4th International Conference on Marine
Pollution and Ecotoxicology, June 2004, Hong Kong.
Lam, P.K.S. (2004) Biomarkers studies of persistent toxic substances in coastal waters of Hong Kong.
Presented at International Conference on Environmental and Public Health Management: Persistent toxic
substances. Hong Kong, 17-19 November 2004. (Invited lecture)
Lee, J.H.W. (2004) Hydraulics of the WWTP-outfall-dispersion system: Near-far field coupling. In
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Marine Wastewater Discharges and Marine
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Environment, Catania, Italy, September 27 – October 2004. (Invited lecture)
*Leung, K.M.Y., Lam, P.K.S., Yuan, W., Bjørgesæter, A. and Gray, J.S. (2004) Deriving sediment
quality standards from field-based species sensitivity distributions. Fourth SEATAC World Congress and
25th Annual Meeting in North America, 14-18 November 2004.
Randall, D. (2004) The effects of hypoxia on reproduction in fish. VI International Congress of Fish
Biology, Manaus, Brazil, August 2004.
Randall, D. (2004) Response of aquatic vertebrates to hypoxia. Presented at the 7th International
Symposium of Fish Physiology, Fish Toxicology and Fisheries Management, Chongqing, China 12-15
October 2004 (Invited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
Wong, A.H.Y., Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (2004) Removal of nitrogen from wastewater by mangrove
wetland. Presented at 4th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology, June 2004,
Hong Kong.
Yang, M. (2004) Microfluidics and nanobiotechnology for cell analysis, November 22, 2004, Invited Lecture,
Inter-Pacific Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hong Kong, China.
Yang, M. (2004) SPR sensor and microfluidics for biochemical analysis, December 7, 2004, Invited Lecture,
Croucher Advanced Institute on Biophotonics, Hong Kong, China.
Wu, R.S.S. (2004) Application of biomarkers in environmental management. Presented at the 2nd
International Conference on Environmental Concerns, Xiamen, China, 12-15 October 2004 (Invited
keynote lecture)
*Wu, R.S.S., Zhou, B.S., Shang, E., Yu, R. and Giesy, J. (2004) Hypoxia is an endocrine disruptor and a
teratogen. Presented at the 7th International Symposium of Fish Physiology, Fish Toxicology and Fisheries
Management, Chongqing, China 12-15 October 2004 (Invited by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency).
Wu, R.S.S. (2004) Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology: An Area of Excellence in
Hong Kong. Presented at the 12th annual meeting, Hong Kong Institute of Sciences, 30 October 2004.
(Invited by the Hong Kong Institute of Sciences).
Wu, R.S.S. (2004) Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology: An Area of Excellence in
Hong Kong. Presented at The 5th APEC Meeting on the Involvement of the Business/Private Sector in
Sustainability of the Marine Environment. Kaohsiung, 4-6 November 2004. (Invited by the Foundation
of Oceans, Taiwan).
Wu, R.S.S., Siu, W.H.L. and Shin, P.K.S. (2004) Biomarkers for monitoring persistent organic pollutants:
Limitations and erroneous conclusions. Presented at International Conference on Environmental and
Public Health Management: Persistent toxic substances. Hong Kong, 17-19 November 2004. (Invited
keynote lecture)
Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Criteria for use of biomarkers (bioindicators) and recommendations. Presented at the
International Symposium on the Environmental Risk of Endocrine Disruptors. Kyoto University, Japan,
23-23 January 2005. (Invited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
of Japan).
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Wong, K.T.M. and Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Model for forecasting of algal blooms and red tides in subtropical
coastal waters. International Conference on Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Indian Institute of
Technology, Guwahati, March 3-5, 2005 (Invited lecture).
Submitted in 2006 Progress Report
A. Refereed Journals
Chan, I.O.M., Lam, P.K.S., Cheung, R.Y.H., Lam, M.H.W. and Wu, R.S.S. (2005) Application of solid
phase microextraction in the determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins. Analyst 130: 1524 1529.
Chan, L.L., Sit, W.H., Lam, P.K.S., Hsieh, D.P.H., Hodgkiss, I.J., Wan, J.M.F., Ho, A.Y.T., Choi, N.M.C.,
Wang, D.Z. and Dudgeon, D. (2006) Identification and characterization of a “biomarker of toxicity” from
the proteome of the paralytic shellfish toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense
(Dinophyceae). Proteomics 6:654-666.
*Chan, S.M.N., Luan, T.G., Wong, M.H. and Tam, N.F.Y. (2006) Removal and biodegradation of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Selenastrum capricornutum. Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry (in press).
Chiu, J.M.Y., Thiyagarajan, V., Tsoi, M.M.Y. and Qian, P.Y. Qualitative and quantitative changes in
marine biofilms as a function of temperature and salinity in summer and winter. Biofilms (in press).
Choi, N.M.C., Yeung, L.W.Y., Siu, W.H.L., So, I.M.K., Jack, R.W., Hsieh, D.P.H., Wu, R.S.S. and Lam,
P.K.S. (2006) Relationships between tissue concentrations of paralytic shellfish toxins and antioxidative
responses of clams, Ruditapes philippinarum. Marine Pollution Bulletin (in press).
*Dahms, H.U,, Li, X.D., Zhang, G. and Qian, P.Y. Resting stages of Tortanus forcipatus (Crustacea,
Calanoida) in sediments of Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science (in press).
Dahms, H.U. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) Exposure of biofilms to meiofaunal copepods affects the larval
settlement of Hydroides elegans (Polychaeta). Marine Ecology Progress Series 297: 203-214.
*Fung, C.N., Zheng, G.J., Connell, D.W., Zhang, X., Wong, H.L., Giesy, J.P., Fang, Z. and Lam, P.K.S.
(2005) Risks posed by trace organic contaminants in coastal sediments in the Pearl River Delta, China.
Marine Pollution Bulletin 50:1036-1049.
Gong, C.B., Lam, M.H.W. and Yu, H.X. The fabrication of a photoresponsive molecularly imprinted
polymer for the photoregulated release and uptake of caffeine. Advanced Functional Materials (accepted).
Guo, C.L., Zhou, H.W., Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (2005) Isolation of PAH-degrading bacteria from
mangrove sediments and their biodegradation potential. Marine Pollution Bulletin 51: 1054-1061.
*Hung, O.S., Gosselin, L.A., Thiyagarajan, V., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian PY (2005) Do effects of ultraviolet
radiation on microbial films have indirect effects on larval attachment of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite?
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 323: 16-26.
*Hung, O.S., Thiyagarajan, V., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) Effect of ultraviolet radiation on
biofilms and subsequent larval settlement of Hydroides elegans. Marine Ecology Progress Series 304:
155-166.
533582938
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Ip, C. C. M., Li, X.D., Zhang, G., Wai O.W.H. and Li, Y.S. (2006) Trace metal distribution in sediments of
the Pearl River Estuary and the surrounding coastal area, South China. Environmental Pollution (in
press).
Ip, C.C.M., Li , X.D., Zhang, G. Wong, C.S.C. and Zhang, W.L. (2005) Heavy metal and Pb isotopic
compositions of aquatic organisms in the Pearl River Estuary, South China. Environmental Pollution 138,
495-505.
Jayawardena, A.W., Xu, P.C., Tsang, F.L. and Li, W.K. (2006) Determining the structure of a radial basis
function network for prediction of nonlinear hydrological time series. Hydrological Sciences Journal
51(1): 21-43.
*Jiang, Q.T., Lee, T.K.M., Chen, K., Wong, H.L., Zheng, J.S., Giesy, J.P., Lo, K.K.W., Yamashita, N. and
Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Human health risk assessment of organochlorines associated with fish consumption
in a coastal city in China. Environmental Pollution 136:155-165.
Kuang, C.P. and Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Physical hydrography and algal bloom transport in Hong Kong
waters. China Ocean Engineering 19(4): 539-556.
Kwok, K.W.H. and Leung, K.M.Y. (2005) Toxicity of antifouling biocides to the intertidal harpacticoid
copepod Tigriopus japonicus (Crustacea, Copepoda): Effects of temperature and salinity. Marine
Pollution Bulletin 51: 830-837.
*Kwok, K.W.H., Leung, K.M.Y., Lui, G.C.S., Chu, V.K.H., Lam, P.K.S., Morritt, D., Maltby L., Brock,
T.C.M., Van Den Brink P.J. and Crane, M. Comparison of tropical and temperate freshwater species
sensitivity to chemicals: Implication for deriving safe extrapolation factors. SETAC/Integrated
Environmental Assessment and Management (accepted).
Lam, J.C.W., Tanabe, S., Lam, M.H.W. and Lam, P.K.S. (2005) Risk to breeding success of waterbirds
by contaminants in Hong Kong: evidence from trace elements in eggs. Environmental Pollution
135:481-490.
Lam, K.H., Cai, Z.W., Wai, H.Y., Tsang, V.W.H., Lam, M.H.W., Cheung, R.Y.H., Yu, H.X. and Lam,
P.K.S. (2005) Identification of a new Irgarol-1051 related s-triazine species in coastal waters.
Environmental Pollution 136: 221 – 230.
Lau, S.C.K, Tsoi, M.M.Y., Li, X., Plakhotnikova, I., Dobretsov, S., Wong, P.K. and Qian, P.Y. (2005)
Gramella portivictoriae sp. nov., a novel member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from marine
sediment. Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 55:2497-2500.
Lee, J.H.W., Hodgkiss, I.J., Wong, K.T.M. and Lam, I.H.Y. (2005) Real time observations of coastal
algal blooms by an early warning system. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 65: 172-190.
Liu, Y., Zheng, G.J., Yu, H., Martin, M., Richardson, B.J., Lam, M.H.W., Lam, P.K.S. (2005)
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments and mussel tissues from Hong Kong marine
waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin 50:1173-1184.
Muttil, N. and Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Genetic programming for analysis and real-time prediction of coastal
algal blooms. Ecological Modelling 189(3-4): 363-376.
Shen, D., Kang, Q., Huang, M., Zhang, H. and Yang, M. (2005) Equivalent circuit model and impedance
analysis for the fine response characteristics to liquid viscodensity for a piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor
with longitudinal wave effect. Analytica Chimica Acta 551(1-2): 15-22.
533582938
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*So, M.K., Taniyasu, S., Lam, P.K.S., Zheng, G.J., Giesy, J.P. and Yamashita, N. (2006) Alkaline
Digestion and Solid Phase Extraction Method for Perfluorinated Compounds in Mussels and Oysters
from South China and Japan. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 50:240-248.
*So, M.K., Zhang, X., Giesy, J.P., Fung, C.N., Fong, H.W., Zheng, J., Kramer, M.J., Yoo, H. and Lam,
P.K.S. (2005) Organochlorines and dioxin-like compounds in green-lipped mussels Perna viridis from
Hong Kong mariculture zones. Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:677-687.
*Tang, J.Y.M., Anderson, D. and Au, D.W.T. (2005) Hydrogen peroxide is not the cause of fish kills
associated with Chattonella marina: Cytological and physiological evidence. Aquatic Toxicology 72:
35-360.
*Thiyagarajan, V., Hung, O.S., Chiu, J.M.Y., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) Growth and survival of
juvenile barnacle Balanus amphitrite: Interactive effects of cyprid energy reserve and habitat. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 299: 229-237.
Thiyagarajan, V., Soo, L. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) The role of sediment organic matter composition in larval
habitat selection by the polychaete Capitella sp. I. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
323: 70-83.
*Tsui, M.T.K., Cheung, K.C., Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, M.H. (2006) A comparative study on metal
sorption by brown seaweed. Chemosphere (accepted).
Wang, X.H. and Wang, W.X. Bioaccumulation and transfer of benzo(a)pyrene in a simplified marine
food chain. Marine Ecology Progress Series (accepted).
*Wong, H.L., Giesy, J.P. and Lam, P.K.S. (2006) Organochlorine insecticides in mudflats of Hong Kong,
China. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 50:153-165.
*Wu, R.S.S., Lau, T.C., Fung, W.K.M., Ko, P.H. and Leung, K.M.Y. (2006) An ‘artificial mussel’ for
monitoring heavy metals in marine environment. Environmental Pollution (accepted)
Yu, R.M.K., Wong, M.M.L., Kong, R.Y.C., Wu, R.S.S. and Cheng, S.H. (2006) Induction of hepatic
choriogenin mRNA expression in male marine medaka: A highly sensitive biomarker for environmental
estrogen. Aquatic Toxicology (in press).
Zhou, B.S., Liu, W.H., Siu, W.H.L., O’Toole, D., Lam, P.K.S. and Wu, R.S.S. (2006) Exposure of
spermatozoa to duroquinone may impair reproduction of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) through
oxidative stress. Aquatic Toxicology (accepted).
B. Book Chapters
*Lee, J.H.W., Harrison, P.J., Kuang, C.P. and Yin, K. (2006) Eutrophication Dynamics in Hong Kong
Coastal Waters: Physical and Biological Interactions. In: The Environment in Asia Pacific Harbours.
Wolanski, E. (Ed.), Springer, Berlin. pp. 187-206.
Tam, N.F.Y. (2006) Pollution studies on mangroves in Hong Kong and Mainland China. In: The
Environment in Asia Pacific Harbours. Wolanski, E. (Ed.), Springer, Berlin. pp. 147-163.
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C. Conference Proceedings
Au, D.W.T. (2005) The Application of Biomarkers and Marine Pollution Monitoring. Asia-Pacific
Conference on Marine Pollution Prevention and Control. (Invited by the Taiwan Association of Marine
Pollution Control & Environmental Protection Agency, Taiwan).
Choi, D.K.W. and Lee, J.H.W. (2006) 3D computation of plume-generated buoyant surface spreading by
dynamic coupling of near and far field model. Proc. 11th Asian Congress of Fluid Mechanics, 22-25 May
2006, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Wang, Y.X., Li, X.Y. and Lee, J.H.W. (2006) Modelling of the sediment oxygen demand and organic flux
for a pulsed sediment organic load. IWA World Water Congress, Beijing, China, 2006.
D. Conference Presentations
Wu, R.S.S. (2005) Research Frontier in Marine Pollution: Contributions from Hong Kong. Presented at
the 13th Annual Conference of Hong Kong Institution of Science, Hong Kong. 29 October 2005. (Invited
by the Hong Kong Institute of Sciences).
Shang, E.H.H., Wu, R.S.S. and Yu, R.M.K. (2005) Potential biomarkers for hypoxia in aquatic systems.
Presented at the International Symposium of Bioindicators, Praha, Czech Republic. June 6-10, 2005.
Chiu, J.M.Y., Thiyagarajan, V., Pechenik, J.A. and Qian, P.Y. (2006) Influence of bacterial and diatom
community compositions of marine biofilms on the larval metamorphosis of the slipper limpet Crepidula
onyx. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 8-12, 2006, Quebec City, Canada.
Chiu, J.M.Y., Thiyagarajan, V., Pechenik, J.A. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) The influence of temperature and
salinity on microbial films development and metamorphosis of slipper limpets Crepidula onyx. 1st Marine
Biological Association, HK Post Graduate Symposium, 22 October 2005, Chinese University, Hong
Kong.
*Hung, O.S., Gosselin, L.A., Thiyagarajan, V., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian P.Y. (2005). Do effects of ultraviolet
radiation on microbial films have indirect effects on crustacean larval settlement? Sixth International
Crustacean Congress, 18-22 July 2005, Scotland, UK – Best Paper Award.
*Hung, O.S., Thiyagarajan, V., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian, P.Y. (2006) Metamorphic response of barnacle
larvae to biofilms originated from contrasting environments in Hong Kong: Results of a laboratory and
field experiments. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 8-12, 2006, Quebec City, Canada – Best Oral
Presentation Award.
*Hung, O.S., Thiyagarajan, V., Wu, R.S.S. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) Effects of ultraviolet radiation on
biofilms and subsequent larval settlement. 1st Marine Biological Association, HK Post Graduate
Symposium, 22 October 2005, Chinese University, Hong Kong.
*Zhang, R., Chen, F., Lau, S.C.K. and Qian, P.Y. (2005) Phylogenetic diversity and spatial/temporal
distribution of nitogenase (nifH) genes in the Chesapeake Bay. The 105th General meeting of American
Society for Microbiology, June 5-9, 2005, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Mok, F.S.Y., Thiyagarajan, V. and Qian, P.Y. (2006) Growth and settlement of the trochophore larvae of
Pseudopolydora vexillosa (Polychaeta: Spionidae). Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 8-12, 2006, Quebec
City, Canada.
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Thiyagarajan, V., Soo, L. and Qian, P.Y. (2006) Spatio-temporal variation in sediment biochemical
properties dictates larval habitat selection and determine the juvenile growth of Capitella sp. I. Benthic
Ecology Meeting, March 8-12, 2006, Quebec City, Canada.
*Au, D.W.T., Mok H.O.L., Yu, R.M.K., Giesy, J.P. and Kong R.Y.C. (2005) Regulatory mechanism of
telomerase in fish – in vitro and in vivo studies. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting on Telomeres
and Telomerase. 4-8 May, Cold Spring Harbour, New York, USA.
Mok, H.O.L., Yu, R.M.K., Lam G.K.W., Kong R.Y.C. and Au, D.W.T. (2005) Relating telomerase to
growth in fish. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting on Telomeres and Telomerase. 4-8 May, Cold
Spring Harbour, New York, USA.
Wong, A.H.Y., Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (2004) Removal of nitrogen from wastewater by mangrove
wetland. Presented at 4th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology, Hong Kong,
June 2004.
Tam, N.F.Y. (2004) Constructed wetland for sewage treatment: feasibility of using mangroves. 2004
Eco-tech Expo and International Workshop on Artificial Wetland, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 23-24 October
2004.
Tam, N.F.Y., Wong, A.H.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (2005) Fate of nitrogen in mangrove wetland. 9th
International Congress on Ecology, Montreal, Canada, 7-12 August 2005.
*Tam, N.F.Y., Wu, Y., Chung, A. and Wong, M.H. (2005) Performance of cattails and mangroves in
constructed wetland for municipal sewage. 2005 Asia-Pacific Conference on Marine Pollution Prevention
and Control, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 4-6 November 2005.
Chan, S.M.N., Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (2005) Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by free
and immobilized microalgal species, Selenastrum capricornutum. Abstract submitted for presentation at
the 3rd Euorpean Bioremediation conference to be held in July 2005, Greece.
Fang, T., Li, X.D. and Zhang, G. (2005) Acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals
(SEM) in the sediment cores of the Pearl River Estuary and Victoria Harbour, South China. 8th
International Conference of the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. November 27-30, 2005,
Nanjing, China.
Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Fluid mechanics of red tides. Presentation at Ocean circulation and modelling
Workshop, Atmospheric, Marine and Coastal Environment Program and Department of Mathematics,
School of Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, June 14, 2005 (Invited lecture).
Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Tides and tidal currents in Hong Kong waters: physical-biological interactions.
Presented at Special Workshop on “Hong Kong's waters: how transport processes influence distribution
patterns”, The Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong, Swire Institute of Marine Sciences, Cape
d'Aguilar, November 5, 2005 (Invited lecture).
Lee, J.H.W. (2005) Dynamics of algal blooms: field monitoring, modeling and prediction. Presentation at
College of Physical and Environmental Oceanography, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, November 2,
2005 (Invited lecture).
Copies of publications (i.e., refereed papers, book chapters and conference proceedings) are attached in
Appendix III.
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8.1.3 Research students trained (registration / awards)
(please provide date of registration and indicate progress)
Research students jointly supervised between institutions are identified by *
Name
Supervisor(s)
Programme
Date of registration
Law Hiu Wan, Sheran
Ng Kwok Shing, Patrick
So Man Ka
Wei Si
Jiang Qinting
Yeung Wai Yin
Choi Man Chi, Nicola
Fung Cheuk Nang, Roger
Tsang Wing Hang
Li Ka-Yi
Kwok Chung Ting
Lu Xiao Ying
Cheung Hin Ying
Fang Kar Hei, James
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil (partial)
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
MPhil
MPhil (partial)
PhD
MPhil
MPhil
Nov. 2000 (graduated)
Nov. 2001
May 2003
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2003
Oct. 2004
Jul. 2002
Aug. 2002 (graduated)
Sept. 2004
Nov. 2005
Sept. 2000 (graduated)
May 2005
Sept. 2004
May 2005
PhD
Sept. 2005
Mok Oi Lam
Yuen Bun Ho
Chen Xia Hua
Xu Jiang Liang
Tang Yat Man
Shi Lin
Shi Yuefung
Yi Changqing
Qi Shuijian
Hung Ching Yee
Tsui Kuen Nang
*Wu Yan
Richard Kong
Richard Kong
Paul Lam
Paul Lam
Paul Lam
Paul Lam
Paul Lam
Paul Lam
Michael Lam
Michael Lam
Rudolf Wu
Rudolf Wu
Rudolf Wu
Rudolf Wu/Paul Shin
(co-opted)
Paul Shin (co-opted)/
Rudolf Wu
Doris Au
Doris Au
Doris Au
Doris Au
Doris Au
Michael Yang
Michael Yang
Michael Yang
Michael Yang
David Randall
David Randall
Nora Tam/MH Wong
May 2004
Dec. 2000 (graduated)
Oct. 2005
Oct. 2005
Dec. 2000 (graduated)
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2005
Oct. 2001 (graduated)
Oct. 2001 (graduated)
Nov. 2004
*Chung, Anna
M.H. Wong/Nora Tam
Chan, Sidney
Chen Jian-lin
Ho Nga Yu, Catherine
Chen Xueping
Tang, Chole
Zhang, Ray
Zhang Wen
Chiu Man-Ying, Jill
Nora Tam
Nora Tam
S.H. Cheng
S.H. Cheng
X.D. Li
P.Y. Qian
P.Y. Qian
P.Y. Qian
MPhil
PhD (partial)
MPhil
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
PhD
PhD
PhD
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil (Joint
supervision between
CityU and HKBU)
PhD (Joint
supervision between
CityU and HKBU)
PhD (partial)
PhD
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
PhD (partial)
PhD
PhD (partial)
Liu Xiaoshou
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Sept. 2004
Oct. 2002
Aug. 2004
Sept. 2003
Jan. 2005
Jul. 2004
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2003
Name
Supervisor(s)
Programme
Date of registration
Mok Siu Yan, Flora
*Hung Oi-Shing
P.Y. Qian
P.Y. Qian/Rudolf Wu
Sept. 2005
Sept. 2004
Jiang Yuelu
Ho, Alvin
Xu Jie
Yuan X.C.
* Bjørgesæter, Anders
Paul Harrison
Paul Harrison
Paul Harrison
Paul Harrison
Kenneth Leung/John
Gray
Lui, Gilbert
Kwok, Kevin
Bao, Vivien
Wong TM, Ken
Li C.Y., Anna
Lai C.H., Adrian
Wang Y.X.
Xiao F.
Joseph Lee/W.K. Li
Kenneth Leung
Kenneth Leung
Joseph Lee
Joseph Lee
Joseph Lee
Joseph Lee
X.Y. Li
M.H. Wong
M.H. Wong
M.H Wong
Rudolf Wu & Richard
Kong
Put Ang, Jr.
MPhil
PhD (Joint
supervision between
HKUST & CityU)
PhD
PhD
PhD
PhD
PhD (Joint
supervision between
HKU and U of
Oslo)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
MPhil (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil (partial)
MPhil (partial)
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
PhD (partial)
PhD (partial)
MPhil
MPhil
Aug. 2005
Gao Yan
Yu X.Z.
Lee W.C.
Chu, Justin
Chiu Yat Ming, Atwood
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Jan. 2005
Jan. 2005
Sept. 2004
Sept. 2004
Sept. 1999 (graduated)
Jan. 2004
Sept. 2005
Sept. 2004
May 2005
Oct. 2004
Mar. 2004
Sept. 2003
Sept. 2005
8.1.4 Other impacts (e.g. patent, technology transfer, collaboration with external organizations)
a) Task Team 2 is coordinating sampling sites and water quality parameters with EPD
(Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR Government) to integrate future AoE
information with historic and current data.
b) The PI (Prof. Rudolf Wu) was invited by the Hong Kong Institute of Sciences to present a
talked entitled “Research Frontier in Marine Pollution: Contributions from Hong Kong” at the
13th Annual Conference of Hong Kong Institution of Science, on 29 October 2005, to
promulgate the activities and achievement of MERIT to the local scientific community and the
industry.
c) To further foster collaboration and a sense of belonging within the AoE group, MERIT
organized a postgraduate workshop on “Research Philosophy and Methodology” on 16
September 2005, to train research students of the AoE group in formulation of research
hypotheses, basic experimental design and data analysis. The training workshop was attended
by 90 postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows of AoE members from the six
collaborating universities (Appendix VII).
d) In collaboration with The Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong, The Swire Marine
Institute of Marine Sciences, HKU and The Atmospheric, Marine and Coastal Environment
Program of HKUST, MERIT organized a special workshop entitled “Hong Kong’s waters: how
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transport processes influence distribution patterns” on 5th November 2005. This workshop was
attended by AoE members and their postgraduate students from the six collaborating
institutions (Appendix VII).
e) Commissioned by the United Nations Development Program and in collaboration with the
Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation of the City University, MERIT will be
organizing two international training workshops in June 2006, one on “Integrated
Environmental Impact Assessment” and the other on “Determination of the hazards of
environmental pollution by chemical and toxicological analyses”, to train some 30 high level
government officials and environmental professionals in the Asia Pacific region (Appendix
VII).
f) In collaboration with the Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences of Hong Kong Baptist
University, MERIT will be organizing an international conference on “Aquaculture and
Environment” from 7-9 December 2006 (Appendix VII). Other MERIT sponsored activities
will include a 2 week summer course on “Estuarine Ecology” from 17-30 June 2006 and a
Hong Kong-France Symposium on “Food Webs in Contrasting Environments” from 23-25
October 2006, organized by HKUST; the 2nd Postgraduate Symposium in November 2006,
organized by the Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong; and the 5th International
Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology from 4-6 June 2007, organized by CityU.
g) MERIT will continue to organize common postgraduate training courses on specific topics of
common interest to all postgraduate students in 2006, and the 3rd Annual AoE Symposium at the
end of 2006.
h) One of our projects on hypoxia (Project no. 6) has attracted considerable attention worldwide.
We have been telephone interviewed by “Environmental Science & Technology” and the
American Chemical Society. Subsequently, our work has been written up as a news story for
worldwide promulgation.
8.2
How far has the project team sought collaboration with other institutions/entities in
delivering activities and outputs set out at 8.1 above?
The present AoE involves extensive collaboration across local and international institutions. As
indicated in Appendix I, 93% (28 out of 30) of the ongoing funded projects involve inter-institutional
collaborations. Furthermore, the work carried out under AoE has attracted attention in the
international scientific community and led to a number of further international collaborative research,
as illustrated by the following examples:

Prof. D. Randall (Project 11), Dr. D. Au (Project 14) and Dr. Denis Chabot, Fisheries and
Oceans, Canada and D. Guy Claireaux, CREMA, France, on a joint program on biomarker of
growth.

Dr. Au (Project 15) and Prof. Rudolf Wu (Project 10) have developed collaboration with Prof.
David Hinton, Duke University, North Carolina, USA, in the sharing of novel cytological and
biochemical markers and techniques developed by us.

Prof. Rudolf Wu and Dr. Doris Au (Project 4 and 12) have developed collaboration with Prof.
Peter Collins, University of California, Santa Barbara, on hypoxic markers in rock fish.

Dr. B. Richardson (Project 16) and Prof. P. Lam (Project 10) of CityU are further collaborating
on research on POPs, especially endocrine disrupting compounds, quality assurance of
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laboratory techniques, mussel bioaccumulation, and risk assessments with Prof. Shinsuke
Tanabe, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.

Prof. J.H.W. Lee (HKU) has collaborated with Delft Hydraulics, Netherlands (Dr. Arthur
Mynett) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Dr. D.A. Anderson) (Project 26), and also
with the Institute of Hydromechanics, University of Karlsruhe, Germany and Seoul National
University, Korea (Project 27), and is developing a real time water quality management system
with EPD, AFCD, and the University of Western Australia.

Prof. N. Tam (CityU) (Project 29) is collaborating with Prof. Z.H. Ye, Zhongshan University,
Guangzhou, PRC.
8.3. The role and effectiveness of the management team
(Please attach copies of the minutes of the AoE management committee meetings.)
The Management Committee has officially met for two times and informally several times. The
unique fund allocation system developed by the Management Committee has effectively fostered
all team members from different universities and disciplines work together as a coherent and
integrated team since , funding was allocated to project teams (comprising members from different
institutions and international collaborators) instead of individual team members or institutions.
The Management Committee has four Task Teams, each with a Team Leader and a Deputy Leader
overseeing the progress of the projects within the Team, while the day-to-day running of individual
projects rests with the Project Team Leader. The 4 task teams and the various Project Teams have
met many times on an ad hoc basis throughout the year.
The 2nd annual AoE Symposium was held from 30 November to 2 December 2005, at which time
team members were required to report their progress. The Symposium was attended by over 100
participants, including the 24 local members, 6 overseas collaborators, members of the
International Advisory Committee and Stakeholder Advisory Committee, as well as research
students, research assistants and postdoctoral fellows associated with the various AoE projects. A
total of 90 abstracts were received but because of limited time slots, only 51 presentations could be
made. This included 2 invited talks, 18 presentations from Team 1, 14 from Team 2, 8 from Team 3,
and 9 from Team 4. The program and abstract book of the 2nd AoE annual symposium is attached in
Appendix VI. During this two-day Symposium, progress and significant findings of each individual
project were presented. An overall synthesis was provided by the PI and the 4 Task Team Leaders,
and feedback was then solicited from members of the International Advisory Committee and the
Stakeholder Advisory Committee. This annual Symposium did not only serve as a reporting and
evaluation session, but also provided an opportunity for all members and their RS/RA/PDF
working on the AoE projects to interact and learn from each other.
The International Advisory Committee and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee met on 2
December 2005, to evaluate progress on the various projects and implemented the advice received.
Both the International Advisory Committee and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee highly
commended the overall quality of work achieved by MERIT, and were very impressed with the true
collaboration and level of synergy achieved. It was felt that the existing management structure
operated efficiently, as exemplified by the efficient utilization of common resources, prudent
management of the budget and meeting the time line and deliverables as well as facilitating true
collaborations between institutions and overseas collaborators.
The minutes of the Management Committee meeting, the International Advisory Committee
meeting and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings are attached in Appendix IV.
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9.
Problems encountered during the reporting period which have impacted on the
progress of the project and how they were/will be dealt with.
No projects reported problems that would delay or affect the progress of the 2006 efforts.
10.
Areas to be addressed and results expected during the next reporting period.
All of the proposed research for year 2006-2007 has been identified in the 3rd Year Deliverables
(Appendix V).
11.
Other areas that the project teams would like to raise which are not covered above.
Collaboration and synergy are the two key elements of this AoE project. As reported in the 2004
annual progress report, mechanisms have been built into the funding model of this project to
foster and ensure collaboration and, thus, achieve maximum synergy amongst scientists through
their collaboration, research pursuit and interactions. Correspondingly, joint authorship in the
deliverables is expected as partial evidence of true collaboration in subsequent evaluation of
performance, which also forms a basis for further funding allocation to the various projects in the
subsequent years.
The true collaboration and high level of synergy achieved in this AoE project is clearly
exemplified by:

Joint and inter-dependent research activities: The following examples serve to illustrate this
point:
Example 1: Fish and mussel samples collected by Rudolf Wu (CityU) for the biomarker recovery
project (Project 19, Task Team 2) were analyzed by D. Au , CityU,, Project 13 (Task Team 1), and
the data produced were correlated with chemical data collected by X.D. Li, HKPU, Project 20
(Task Team 2) and body burden data provided by Paul Lam, CityU, Project 10 (Task Team 1)
Example 2: Water quality data and phytoplankton data collected by Paul Harrison, HKUST
(Project 22, Task Team 2) were interpreted by Joseph Lee, HKU (Project 27, Task Team 3) using
3D hydrodynamic models.
Example 3: Underwater field studies to define the carrying capacity of fish farm wastes at Kat O
(Project 26a, Task Team 2) were a synergy of concerted efforts from Kenneth Leung and Joseph
Lee (HKU), with data input and interpretations from Rudolf Wu (CityU), and co-opted members
Paul Shin and S.G. Cheung (Project 19, Task Team 2).
Example 4: P.Y. Qian (Project 21, Task Team 2) is assisting M.H. Wong and Nora Tam (Projects
28, 31, Task Team 4) to identify bacteria and isolate strains that can be of potential in the
development of bioremediation technologies. Likewise, X.D. Li (Project 20, Task Team 2) can
also identify contaminated sites that may be candidates for use as demonstration trials of
bioremediation technologies by M.H. Wong and Nora Tam (Project 28, Task Team 4).
Example 5: Task Team 1’s work on development of innovative technologies in marine monitoring
(e.g., Projects 1, 5, 16) will be validated in the field by Task Team 2.

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Joint organization of postgraduate training courses, workshops and conferences (see Section
8.1.4).
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
Sharing of equipment, chemicals, experiment, field work, boat time, field and laboratory
samples, and research personnel between projects and institutions.

Joint authorships in research output: 21 (57%) of the internationally refereed publications in
2nd year involved collaboration between members and 14 (38%) of them involved
inter-institutional collaboration. The number of publications from inter-institutional
collaboration will be expected to increase with the collection of more data and the submission
of more papers in Year 3 onwards.

Joint supervision of research student: Mr. Hung, Oi-Shing , a PhD student jointly supervised
by Prof. Peiyuan Qian (HKUST) and Prof. Rudolf Wu (CityU), received the best oral
presentation award at the Benthic Ecology Conference held in Quebec City, Canada in 2006.
This conference was attended by some 360 people, mostly from North America. The same
student also won the best paper award at the 13th Crustacean International conference held in
UK in July 2005 (attended by >450 people).

The team has co-opted additional researchers (e.g., Paul Shin, S.G. Cheung and Michael
Martin of CityU, Kedong Yin of HKUST, W.P. Wang of HKU, Patsy Wong of the Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department of HKSAR Government) to further enhance the
expertise and strengthen collaboration among various universities and institutions.
There have been exciting and extremely promising results that have emerged from a number of
projects, especially Projects 4, 6, 11 (hypoxia, molecular and physiological responses), Project 21
(ecosystem recovery), Project 5 (water borne pathogens) and Project 25 (ecological risk
assessment models for derivation of sediment quality guidelines). Upon the advice of the
International Advisory Committee, the Management Committee has decided to redirect our
resources and effort on these promising projects which are likely to have significant impact on
science and environmental management, and correspondingly, approval is sought to drop two of
the less novel projects (i.e., Task 1.3.6d – scope for growth and bioenergetics of mussels under
hypoxia, and mussel shell growth as physiological marker under Project 13).
The Management Committee and the four Task Team Leaders consolidated and optimized
resources requested by different project teams (e.g., arrangement of sharing of equipment, boat
time, RA/PDF’s). The following examples show the process, such as the various projects under
Task Team 2 (Projects 17-22), which shared boat time and sampling equipment, as well as
technical staff and chemical analyses. A central fish culture unit was set up (Project 12) to provide
experimental fish to all MERIT projects. Several projects shared the same hypoxic and
xenobiotics exposure experiment (Project 11), as well as for common gene probes developed by
the CityU group (Project 4). In turn, the products from these three projects were shared amongst
other project teams of all universities (projects under Task Team 1: Projects 3, 4, 6, 9, 11). Projects
26 and 27 of Task Team 3 relied on data supplied by Task Team 2 (Projects 17-22) to provide the
real time field information for developing predictive models. An example of within Task Team
collaboration is the screening of microbes in the bioremediation project (Projects 28, 31) of Task
Team 4 carried out in Baptist U being supported by molecular identification carried out by
HKUST colleagues.
With members from different institutions on each team, coupled with a broad spectrum of
expertise, the AoE project anticipates (and will demonstrate) that close collaboration, sharing of
equipment, chemicals, and human resources among different team members ensure and foster
maximum synergy. Such a team-based approach forms the keystone for synergy. Resources (i.e.,
expertise, equipment, facilities and data) are shared between different laboratories and research
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teams, thus building a core capability that far exceeds those achievable in any single research
group or institution.
Prof. DJ Randall retired in mid-January 2006. Prof. Paul Lam took over his position as Leader of
Task Team 1, and Dr. Doris Au assumed duty as Deputy Leader of Task Team 2 vice Prof. Lam.
___________________________________
Prof. Rudolf Wu
Signature of Principal Investigator/
Project Co-ordinator
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_____________________________
Date