This semester marks an exciting step forward in our collaborative work on coral range dynamics. PhD candidate Joe Brennen has expanded his thermal tolerance experiments to Taiwan, building on previous efforts in Jeju, Hong Kong, and Okinawa. By gathering comparable physiological data across latitudes, Joe is integrating these results into climate models to forecast how warming oceans may reshape coral distributions. We are deeply grateful to colleagues at NSYSU  and NMMBA  f

Our project investigating how juvenile corals establish and maintain partnerships with symbiotic algae is officially underway at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Following a successful spawning, coral larvae have settled onto tiles and are growing well. Early observations show healthy development—an encouraging start to the experiment. The team is now closely monitoring growth and symbiont dynamics under varying temperature regimes. With such promising early progre

Over the past month, Dr. Apple Chui’s team has conducted 8 workshops and talks for local primary and secondary schools, and the general public. These included a tailor-made “Citizen Science for Environmental Education” workshop, delivered as part of the International Nature Connectedness and Environmental Education Conference organised by OWLHK. Altogether, the team successfully spread the message of environmental conservation to nearly 1,000 students and public.   List of sc

We’re delighted to welcome three new PhD students this semester— Christine Cui , Ryan Leung,  along with Hammond Tong , who has transitioned from Research Assistant to PhD student! Christine will investigate coral symbiosis using molecular and physiological approaches, while Ryan will study coral ecosystems at higher latitudes in the Northwest Pacific. Hammond will now focus his PhD research on the adaptation and plasticity of trophic modes in scleractinian corals within Hong

This summer brought outstanding recognition for our team! At the 2025 Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems...

After an intense and fruitful field season, one of Prof. Shelby McIlroy’s PhD students has successfully collected a rich set of Acropora...

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Jon Cybulski from The University of Hong Kong to the McIlroy Lab! As a historical ecologist, Dr....

Over the past month, Dr. Apple Chui’s team has conducted 5 talks on coral restoration for local primary and secondary schools, spreading...

Coral Academy participated in the ZCP Green Easter Mart, organized by CIC-Zero Carbon Park (CIC-ZCP) during Easter. We showcased our...

Two members successfully presented at 2025 XMAS on their study topics: (1) using standardised samplers to understand human impacts on...

Description: The University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute hosted a week-long workshop on the Introduction to...

Despite their vast census numbers in ocean surface waters, genomic analyses reveal their N_e is 10× smaller than in less...

Explore the enigmatic world of  microbial dark matter —uncultured and poorly understood microorganisms that dominate Earth’s ecosystems....

Using Bayesian sequential dating anchored by eukaryotic fossil calibrations, we reveal that marine Gamma-proteobacterial ammonia...

1.      The Tibetan Plateau, credited as the “Third Pole”, a vital water source for people in China, is undergoing significant ecological...

We welcome Prof. William B. Whitman from University of Georgia visiting our lab, sharing our Ruegeria probiotic work and exploring more...

Over the past month, Dr. Apple Chui’s team have conducted 8 talks on coral restoration for local and international secondary and primary...

Over the past month, Dr. Apple Chui and her team have conducted 11 talks and workshops on coral restoration for CUHK staffs, local and...

- Dr. Apple Chui gave talks on coral restoration work for various organizations, including the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation...

- Dr. Apple Chui, founder of Coral Academy, won the "Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year Award - Science Engagement Category"...