Lingnan University Launches STEAM Programme for 190 Students to Prepare Rare Whale Skeleton

More than 190 students from 13 local secondary schools will take part in a year-long programme to gain hands-on experience in preparing an extremely rare whale specimen for public exhibitions scheduled for 2027. The Environment and Conservation Fund “Sea” Through Cetacean: STEAM Student Ambassador Programme & Cetacean Conservation Exhibition, organised by the Division of Science of Lingnan University in collaboration with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Cetacea Research Institute, and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, was officially launched on 1 February 2026. This initiative builds on the rare stranding of a Longman's beaked whale in Hong Kong in 2024, providing students with a unique opportunity to assist in the preparation of skeletal specimens of one of the world's most mysterious marine mammal species. The project also promotes cetacean conservation and will educate the public in key marine environmental issues, including plastic pollution in the oceans.

The programme has involved over 190 students from 13 secondary schools across Hong Kong. They will assist in the preparation of a complete skeleton of the rare Longman's beaked whale, with public exhibitions of the specimen scheduled for the second and fourth quarters of 2027.

Dr Eric Cheng Kam-chung, SBS, MH, OStJ, JP Chairman of the Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, delivered a speech at the launch ceremony: “This Environment and Conservation Fund funded project turns a marine ecological conservation event into a highly meaningful educational programme. It is believed that the project will not only raise public awareness of whale and dolphin conservation as well as environmental sustainability but also encourage a deeper reflection on marine ecological conservation."

Dr Eric Cheng Kam-chung gives a speech

Dr Chu Chun-wa, Assistant Director (Fisheries and Marine Conservation) of the Fisheries and Marine Conservation Branch of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), said “The AFCD has long been committed to promoting marine conservation. We believe this skeletal preparation programme will cultivate a sense of responsibility among young people towards marine ecology, foster greater interest in fisheries and marine conservation, transform scientific knowledge into action, and facilitate the long-term protection of biodiversity in Hong Kong waters.

Dr Chu Chun-wa gives a speech

Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of Division of Science at Lingnan University, agreed “Complete Longman's beaked whale specimens are extremely rare worldwide, and this has presented a precious opportunity to study rare deep-sea cetaceans. Lingnan University is honoured to host this programme, which allows students to study whale specimens through STEAM interdisciplinary experiences. We hope to teach students to understand marine conservation from multiple perspectives — science, technology, engineering, and arts — so they can become a new generation of ambassadors, spreading conservation messages among the public and raising awareness of the importance of protecting marine ecosystems.”

Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun gives a speech

This two-year project, led by Prof Scott Chui Yik-suen, Research Assistant Professor of the Division of Science at Lingnan University, starts with providing introductory training and guidelines on the preparation of whale skeleton specimens to over 190 students from 13 secondary schools across Hong Kong. Students will assist with an 11-month specimen processing procedure and gain hands-on experience in handling, degreasing, measuring, and documenting the condition of the assigned whale skeletal specimens to preserve them for both scientific study and public exhibition. Throughout the process, they will regularly and systematically monitor and record any changes to the specimens, and will also participate in diverse STEAM-based experiential learning activities, including science and conservation lectures, visits to research facilities and marine animal rescue centres, and field trips to Tai O, as well as creating works of art to exhibit. These multidisciplinary skills will help them become ambassadors advocating for cetacean and marine conservation.

Prof Scott Chui Yik-suen introduces the series of STEAM activities

In the second phase, the project will extend its reach to the public through two Cetacean Conservation Exhibitions scheduled for the second and fourth quarters of 2027. These will showcase the Longman's beaked whale skeleton prepared with the students' assistance in the first phase, together with specimens of two local cetacean species—the Chinese white dolphin and the finless porpoise. The exhibitions will also display the canvas bag found in the whale's stomach to highlight the threats of plastic pollution to marine ecosystems. During the exhibitions, student ambassadors will serve as docents, guiding public tours and describing their own experiences to deliver key messages about cetacean ecology and marine conservation. The digital 3D model and 1:1 3D-printed replica of the Longman's beaked whale skeleton will serve as lasting educational and scientific resources, contributing to 3DTEACH—a newly established educational alliance among universities in Hong Kong. This initiative will create ongoing and lasting value to public education, conservation efforts, and the scientific community.

Prof Chui said “There are typically 20 to 50 cases of dolphin stranding reported in Hong Kong each year, predominantly involving two local cetacean species—Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises. Strandings of other species are rarer, with only a few reported annually. Cetaceans inhabiting inshore habitats, such as Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises, are particularly susceptible to threats from human activities, including coastal development, marine traffic, and pollution. Plastic debris and fishing hooks are sometimes found in the stomachs of stranded animals, and entanglement in abandoned fishing nets and gear is not uncommon. One study even found up to 145 microplastic particles in the stomach of a stranded Chinese white dolphin in the Pearl River Estuary, highlighting the critical issue of plastic pollution in the marine ecosystem. We hope to educate the public in environmental issues such as cetacean conservation and marine plastic pollution through this project.”

Participating Secondary Schools (in alphabetical order):

• Diocesan Boys' School

• DMHC Siu Ming Catholic Secondary School

• Elegantia College

• HKCCCU Logos Academy

• Kau Yan College

• La Salle College

• Lingnan Hang Yee Memorial Secondary School

• Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College

• St. Catharine's School for Girls

• Sha Tin Methodist College

• Shun Tak Fraternal Association Leung Kau Kui College

• The ELCHK Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School

• Ying Wa College

About the Longman's beaked whale

The Longman's beaked whales (Indopacetus pacificus), also known as Indo-Pacific beaked whales or tropical bottlenose whales, belong to the beaked whale family (Ziphiidae) within the order Cetacea. They live in the deep, open, tropic waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and are rarely seen near coastal waters. As of 2021, there have only been seven other complete skeleton specimens of Longman's beaked whales reported worldwide, and they are widely regarded as one of the most mysterious and least understood marine mammals.

Lingnan University congratulates Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying who has been chosen for the nation’s next space mission, where she will probably operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), a space-based research instrument led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Prof Li Jia, Director of the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI), and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) at Lingnan University, together with her research team, contributed key data from a carbon emissions source database for the project, which will be used to compare greenhouse gas data including carbon dioxide and methane emission sources observed by MUSICO, helping researchers identify emission intensity and distribution patterns of power and industrial facilities across different regions more accurately, thereby providing robust scientific support for China’s carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals.

Prof Li said that currently many satellite monitoring systems worldwide focus mainly on greenhouse gas emissions at the regional level, and identifying carbon emissions from a single large stationary emission source from space remains challenging as relying on the high-sensitivity MUSICO instrument also depends greatly on long-term, ground-based carbon emissions data for comparison.

Prof Li Jia (right), Prof Su Hui (middle), and Dr Wang Fan (left) at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

Prof Li said “Our database covers more than half of China’s carbon dioxide emission sources, and records emission volumes from different regions and industrial facilities. It is resolved down to the level of total emissions per square kilometre, with precise geographic coordinates, and functions much like a map and a navigation system, helping MUSICO identify the specific locations, intensities, and operational patterns of emission sources in space. This enables the instrument to observe the large-scale distribution of greenhouse gas concentrations, and also to analyse emissions from individual factories or facilities with greater precision, thereby increasing the accuracy and scientific value of space-based observation data.”

Prof Li continued “As an international financial centre, the Hong Kong SAR is well positioned to use Lingnan’s empirical data to advance the development of the green economy. In future, the database may be applied to carbon emissions verification, emissions reduction assessment, and urban low-carbon management, providing scientific support for low-carbon transformation in the Greater Bay Area and across China.”

For several years now, Prof Li Jia’s team has carried out extensive research on industrial carbon emissions in China, and participated in core national carbon neutrality projects, compiling inventories covering major high-emission industries, such as power generation, cement, steel, chemicals and electrolytic aluminium.

Over the past 20 years, Prof Li’s team has carried out continuous research on carbon emissions from the power and industrial sectors in China and Southeast Asian countries. The team has participated in and led carbon capture and storage planning projects in six Asian countries, and developed emissions inventories covering China’s major high-emission industries, including power generation, cement, steel, chemicals, and electrolytic aluminium. This is consistent with the analysis of individual emission sources such as ground-based power plants and oilfields, and helps verify whether observed measurements reflect normal fluctuations or abnormal emissions.

Between 2022 and 2025, Prof Li’s team collaborated with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and took part in a first-batch key research project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, which expanded the database to cover additional major emission sectors.

From left: Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying, Prof Li Jia.

Prof Li Jia said that the opportunity to participate in space monitoring-related scientific research collaboration on behalf of Lingnan University was made possible by WJYSIS’ continued encouragement of cross-disciplinary integration, fostering collaborative research in environmental science, data analytics, and artificial intelligence; also, while the Chinese Mainland has taken a leading position in large-scale carbon capture and emissions reduction technologies, the Hong Kong SAR has many advantages in international academic networks and well-established research collaboration platforms, which promote scientific exchange, research related to sustainable development, and collaboration between China and the international community.

Council members of Lingnan University visit the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI).

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said that in recent years, Lingnan University has actively promoted its Liberal Arts + Technology development strategy, encouraging faculty and students to conduct interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world issues. Lingnan researchers’ involvement in national space and carbon monitoring projects shows the University’s strong foundation in inter-university and interdisciplinary collaboration, and highlights its academic contributions to public development in environmental science, data analytics, and low-carbon research.

The MUSICO research project is co-led by Prof Su Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof Zhang Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof Zhai Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas is the mission system engineer, and other team members are Senior Scientific Officer Dr Rong Pingping, Assistant Professor Zhang Jize, and Associate Professor Wang Zhe from HKUST’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor Ning Zhi, Associate Professors Shi Xiaoming, and Gu Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Associate Professor Ma Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Professor Zhu Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Professor Gao Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Associate Professor Li Jia from Lingnan University.