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A research team led by Dr James Kar-Hei FANG, Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition - PolyU , is actively addressing sustainability challenges by focusing on innovative marine pollution monitoring technologies and sustainable seafood research. They employ automated mapping techniques using micro-Raman spectroscopy to investigate microplastics accumulated in local seafood, discovering that Hong Kong residents could ingest up to 10,380 microplastic particles annually through the consumption of bivalve shellfish.
Dr FANG has recently received the 2024 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation. His contributions to marine conservation extend to the restoration of pearl oyster reefs by using artificially cultivated pearl oysters at the sites in Hong Kong’s Tolo Channel. His research team employs advanced 3D technologies to track and analyse the influences of these reefs on local biodiversity, and leverages the filter-feeding nature of pearl oysters as a biomonitoring tool to assess marine pollution and improve water quality, and ultimately to enhance the marine environment and biodiversity.
Learn more: https://polyu.hk/VARJa
理大食品科學及營養學系副教授方家熙博士領導的研究團隊積極應對可持續發展挑戰，專注於創新的海洋污染監測技術和海洋食品可持續性研究。他們利用顯微拉曼光譜法的自動測繪技術，調查本地海洋食品所積存的微塑膠，發現香港人每年透過食用雙殼貝類，可攝取高達10,380顆微塑膠。
方家熙博士最近更獲選為2024年度皮尤海洋保育學者，並在香港赤門海峽與研究團隊利用人工養殖的珍珠貝重建珍珠貝礁，透過先進三維技術，追蹤分析珍珠貝礁對本地生物多樣性的影響，同時利用珍珠貝的濾食特性作為生物監測工具，評估香港海洋污染情況，以改善海洋環境和增強生物多樣性。
