FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD) of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) conducted an intensive study of the water quality in the waters of Hong Kong (COS '98, Coastal Ocean Studies '98) during 1997-8 using a state-of-the-art in situ Marine Environmental Mapping System (MEMS) to acquire the data. The data are also used to verify satellite remote sensing images. The purpose of the study is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the processes that affect marine water quality in this region.

An international workshop will be held at HKUST, 7-8 June 1999 to disseminate the methodology, experience and knowledge gained to researchers and the relevant government agencies in Hong Kong and elsewhere, so that others can benefit from our findings and methodology. Included in the workshop is a half-day oceanographic cruise in Port Shelter to give up to 20 participants a demonstration and hands-on experience of the technology.

All participants will be invited, they include personnel from government environmental protection agencies and researchers from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Canada and the US. The total number of attendees is 50.

Technology

The MEMS technology allows the measurement of pertinent parameters such as temperature, pressure, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH and chlorophyll along with GPS navigation on a real-time basis. Thus it is possible to map the characteristics in a region of seawater from a moving vessel. The incorporation of remote sensing technology provides validated data on an even larger scale. The combination of the two methods generates data sets for monitoring, mechanistic and modeling studies which are not available by conventional methods or technology.

A device has been developed to mount an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) on the bow of a locally chartered pleasure vessel for underway surveys of currents in 1 m layers from the surface to the seafloor at depths up to 25 m. The ADCP data are being used in combination with the Princeton Ocean Model to characterize the hydrodynamic circulation of Port Shelter Bay.

An automated water column time-series measurement system has been established off the HKUST Campus in Port Shelter Bay. The system provides information on the changes in seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and water level (tide) every 15 minutes. An automated weather station has also been established at the HKUST waterfront.

Applications of Coastal Measurement Technologies

¨ Rapid, cost-effective marine water quality assessment

¨ Monitoring marine ecosystem dynamics leading to prediction of algal blooms and red tide events

¨ Evaluation of environmental impacts from waters and pollutants entering the sea

¨ Time-series measurements that can contribute to the international Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

¨ Investigation of basic marine process and the coupling between the sea, the atmosphere, and land environments

Goals of the Workshop

Exchange information and experience among participants in the western Pacific Region on the present state-of-the-art for coastal ocean measurements.

Technical Program Chairman

Prof Dana Kester

IESD, HKUST &

Graduate School of Oceanography

University of Rhode Island, USA

Workshop Chairman

Dr Ming Fang

Institute for Environment & Sustainable Development

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Clear Water Bay, Kowloon

Hong Kong

Venue

Room 7332, Academic Building (Lifts 13-15), The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Program

7 June 1999			8 June 1999
	08:45 - 9:15	Registration
	09:15 - 9:40	Fang, Ming - Workshop objective & overview		09:15 - 9:40	Lee, Dong Young – Real-time marine environmental monitoring in the coastal waters of Korea
	09:40 - 10:30	Kester, Dana - Marine Environmental Mapping System: 1) Electronic charting with GPS & 2) Continuous underway surface water measurements		09:40 - 10:05	Harashima, Akira – Bigeochemical monitoring of the coastal and marginal seas using ships of opportunity
				10:05 - 10:30	Kawamura, Hiroshi – Japanese ocean color sensors and the Asian I-Lac: monitoring system for the Asian waters
	10:30 - 11:00	Tea-break		10:30 - 11:00	Tea-break
	11:00 - 11:25	Woods, Wendy - Discrete sampling & satellite remote sensing of coastal waters		11:00 – 11:25	Kester, Dana – Vertical structure in Hong Kong waters
	11:25 - 11:50	Choi, Alta - Mounting of a portable ADCP on a charter boat		11:25 – 12:30	Discussion
	11:50 - 12:15	Wang, Guihua – Application of Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) in the investigation of coastal water quality of Hong Kong
	12:15 - 14:00	Lunch		12:30 - 14:00	Lunch
	14:00 - 14:25	Qiao, Jinsong - A POM hydro-dynamic model of Port Shelter		14:00 - 18:00	Demonstration Cruise
	14:25 - 14:50	Tam, Alex – Time-series measurements at Port Shelter
	14:50 - 15:15 15:15 – 15:45	Dickman, Mike & Tang, S M - A comparison of the Phytoplankton dynamics in Port Shelter & West Lamma Channel in 1998 Tea-break
	15:45 –16:10 16:10 – 16:35 16:35 – 17:00 17:00 – 17:25	Dong Young Lee – Marine environmental prediction system in the coastal waters of East Asia W N Ridley Thomas – Project-related measurement of water movement and quality: past, present and future To, K L – A flow system for the real-time multi-parameter monitoring of water quality in coastal sea surface waters Li, Yan – Time-series measurements of suspended matter on the coastal waters of East China Sea using satellite sensing

Abstracts

Click here to view abstracts of papers to be presented at the workshop.

Registration Form

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March 1998 Red Tide episode which almost wiped out Hong Kong's mariculture

Port Shelter time-series meteorological and water quality data obtained by HKUST

A territory-wide red tide episode took place on 23-26 March 1998 which almost wiped out all the fish in the fish farms in Hong Kong causing huge economic losses. The two diagrams show the meteorological conditions and some of the water quality data collected at Port Shelter which tracked the entire event. Two water quality sondes, one floating at 1 m below the sea surface and one fixed at 1 m above the sea bed, were used to collect temperature, pressure, salinity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and tidal data every 15 minutes. This set of data demonstrates high quality and large quantity of data are essential in understanding the dynamics of complicated events in coastal waters.