A few days ago, the annual theme academic forum of the Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Ministry of Natural Resources was kicked off. The first theme forum was "Bay Ecology". The forum was held online and offline and was jointly hosted by Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Yangtze River Delta Marine Ecological Environment Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The forum invited 12 scholars from Xiamen University, Zhejiang University, Ningbo University, SIO, and TIO to deliver keynote reports. The online seminar attracted more than 40 scholars from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ocean Consulting Center, Guangdong Science and Technology Press.

      The bay is one of the most important areas that carry natural changes and human activities. The construction of "Beautiful China" and the social and economic development are inseparable from a healthy bay ecosystem. As one of the series of theme forums, the "Bay Ecology" forum focuses on the evolution process, driving mechanism and restoration mechanism of the bay ecosystem and aims to build a platform for academic exchanges and results demonstrations for bay ecology researchers to build a beautiful bay with ecological security, system health and diversity.

      At the forum, researcher Xiong Ying from the Fisheries Institute of Jiangsu Province, chief senior engineer Jiao Haifeng from Wanli University, researcher Jiang Zhibing, associate researcher Xuan Jiliang, and Du Ping of SIO, associate professor Zhang Run of Xiamen University, associate professor Li Li of Zhejiang University, associate researcher Han Aiqin of TIO, associate researcher Wu Qiang of Fisheries Institute of Yellow Sea, associate professor Wang Kai and Zhang Huajun of Ningbo University, associate professor Zhou Konglin of Minjiang University and other scholars all reported on their research directions. From south to north, the study area included Daya Bay, Sansha Bay, Sanmen Bay, Xiangshan Port, Hangzhou Bay, Haizhou Bay, Jiaozhou Bay, Sangou Bay and Laizhou Bay, and other important bays, with various types and characteristics. The content of the report covered bay hydrology and sediment dynamics, numerical simulation of ecological dynamic processes, nutrient biogeochemical processes, plankton (microbes, phytoplankton, zooplankton) ecology, distribution and changes of typical fishery resource populations, and ecosystem evolution processes and mechanisms, ecological environment protection, restoration mechanism and restoration technology, etc.

      Although the scholars participating in this conference had different subject backgrounds and diverse research directions, the topics were concentrated, the exchanges were in-depth, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic. The forum advocated the development of multi-disciplinary and long-term series of observations, studied the characteristics, evolution and driving mechanism of the bay ecosystem, supported the actual needs of the country and localities and strove to provide strong scientific and technological support for the construction of marine ecological civilization. Deputy Director Chen Jianfang listened to some academic reports, combined with the "two unifications" responsibilities of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the spirit of the speech made by Governor Zheng Shanjie when he came to SIO for investigation, and emphasized that bay ecology research was an important demand for promoting the coordinated development of marine ecosystem and resources and environment, and also an important part of ensuring the construction of marine ecological civilization, encouraged researchers to research for use to provide scientific and technological support and policy reference for offshore ecological environment monitoring and pollution prevention, and ecosystem-based marine space management and control, protection and restoration.