Oxygen levels in the ocean have depleted over the past few decades due to global warming and emissions of greenhouse gas, causing pollution and disrupting our ecosystem. In efforts to curb the trend, researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) discovered a mechanism that may eventually help an eco-friendly aquatic bacterium clean up more carbon dioxide in the ocean and produce more marine oxygen.

 

Like trees on land, cyanobacteria, or what is commonly known as blue-green algae, perform photosynthesis in the ocean. They provide oxygen for marine life and absorb over 20% of the world’s total carbon emission. Read More...

 

 

Prof. ZENG Qinglu (front right) and his research team, including first author of the journal paper LIU Riyue (front left).
Scientific Breakthroughs & Discoveries