We have successfully organized the online Training Workshop on Pollution Assessment and Management, and the online Symposium on Latest Advances in Marine Environmental Research on 26-27 November 2021, in partnership with PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) as part of the East Asian Seas Congress 2021.

The training session held on 26 November 2021 introduced the fundamental concept and best practices in environmental risk assessment and management of chemical contaminants, and gave an overview on the frontier technologies in monitoring and assessment of marine pollution. Special focus was placed on emerging chemicals of concern, and their risk posed to the marine ecosystem and public health.

Through this training session, participants were able to acquire the concepts and principles of environmental risk assessment, risk management and communication as applied in practice. They also understood the basic risk assessment tools (i.e., prospective, retrospective and tiered approaches) for environmental risk management. Through learning from latest research, participants learnt about advanced methods for monitoring emerging chemicals of concern and their current status in coastal environments around the world. This training session also enabled participants to appreciate, and employ modern approaches in pollution assessment and management, environmental policy formulation and decision making.

A one-day symposium on 27 November 2021 featured a series of talks focusing on toxins or man-made substances that pollute the ocean or affect its living biodiversity. The symposium consisted of three interrelated themes: (1) innovative technologies in pollution monitoring and control; (2) environmental risk assessment of emerging chemicals of concern; and (3) ecological restoration.

Participants learnt about the most recent technology for pollution monitoring and control; occurrence and impacts of emerging chemicals of concern; problems of eminent stressors such as hypoxia and algal toxins; and novel approaches in ecological restoration. Attendees had a chance to express their views on the challenges in marine environmental research during the panel discussion.

There were over 150 participants joining these two events and many of them came from the East Asia regions. These events will pave the way for closer collaboration with PEMSEA and people in the regions.