BECoME-2025: Advancing Marine Conservation and Research on a Global Stage

During the period of 19-23 August 2025, the 3rd International Conference on Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems 2025 (BECoME-2025) took place at the City University of Hong Kong. BECoME-2025 garnered over 170 abstract submissions and drew participants from 20 countries, underscoring the increasing global interest in marine biodiversity and conservation. Notably, the event received official endorsement from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) as a Decade Activity within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

At BECoME-2025, Dr. Chong Chen, representing the GEM Programme, presented the findings of GEM Phase One. The presentation showcased the accomplishments of GEM over the past five years, including a comprehensive review of pharmaceutical residues in global estuaries reported over the last two decades. The research highlighted existing research gaps and outlined future research directions. Additionally, Dr. Chen introduced the standard methodology established for Phase One and detailed the successful execution of the sampling campaign, which collected samples from over 190 estuaries across 50 countries or regions worldwide. Looking ahead, the report outlined the upcoming Phase Two of the GEM Programme, focusing on the ecotoxicology of emerging pollutants on aquatic organisms, passive sampling using newly developed devices, and sediment collection in global estuaries.

Ms. Ruolan Jia, a PhD student in the GEM Research Group, presented a poster on toxicology studies, concentrating on the species sensitivity distribution of various marine organisms to pharmaceuticals. Her research delved into the toxicity responses and functional mechanisms of marine species to emerging pollutants.

As part of BECoME-2025, the UNESCO-IOC Scientific Community on Ocean Research (SCOR)—Working Group 149: Changing Ocean Biological Systems (COBS) conducted two specialized training courses for BECoME participants. These courses focused on designing experiments with multiple stressors and analyzing data for multiple-stressor research, receiving enthusiastic participation from students and attendees.

Aligned with the vision of “The science we need for the ocean we want,” the Ocean Decade’s aspiration for a Healthy and Resilient Ocean—where marine ecosystems are comprehended, safeguarded, restored, and sustainably managed—perfectly mirrors the mission of BECoME-2025.