C04: CSI of the Cetaceans: Virtopsy and One Ocean One Health (鯨豚法醫：影像解剖與海洋健康一體化)

This talk aims to introduce a cutting-edge technique named ''virtopsy'', which has been applied by the CityUHK team on cetacean (marine mammals) stranding investigation in Hong Kong and adjacent waters since 2014. This technique enhances better understanding and gives insights into health conditions and life history of the stranded carcasses and their injuries and deaths caused by human interaction. The collected data allow measurement of cetacean health trends and provide an important reference to the development of a unique centralised database and long-term strategies for the conservation of local cetaceans. Such a complete ecosystem indicator may eventually not only benefit the cetaceans being studied, but also human health as well by keeping the entire marine environment healthy and supporting the conservation and policy decision for all oceans, leading to an "One Ocean−One Health" paradigm using cetaceans as sentinels of potential emerging hazards.

自2014年起，香港城市大學的海洋動物影像解剖研究組利用不同的技術調查鯨豚和海龜的健康狀況，包括影像學、海上考察和標本製作等。研究組利用過往十年的研究數據建立資料庫，以加強大眾對海洋保育的意識。這個講座將會介紹香港水域的海豚及鼠海豚的知識，探討如何利用科技揭示牠們的健康狀況、常見疾病、人類活動對牠們的影響及長遠的保育方案。我們每人都可以為海洋保育出一份力，達至「海洋健康一體化」。

Speaker: Prof. Brain KOT
Target Audience: Form 3 - 6
Duration: 1 hour
Medium of Language: English or Cantonese

Registration: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/csci/local-school-outreach/popular-science-talks