Healthy ocean
Introduction
The United Nations has declared climate change a "Code Red" for humanity, emphasizing its severe impact on global ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that rising greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and pollution are accelerating ocean acidification, hypoxia, and the degradation of marine ecosystems.
The ocean plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate:
- Absorbing ~30% of atmospheric CO2
- Producing over 50% of the Earth's oxygen
- Buffering global temperature changes by storing heat
However, industrial pollution, microplastics, and excessive nutrient loads have significantly deteriorated marine biodiversity and water quality. Additionally, the increasing contamination of wastewater effluents has introduced hazardous pollutants—pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals—into aquatic ecosystems. These disrupt primary productivity, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability, underscoring the urgent need for integrated environmental monitoring, pollution mitigation, and sustainable marine resource management.
Our research focus
The Healthy Ocean Research Group is dedicated to:
- Assessing marine ecosystem health
- Developing nature-based solutions for pollution removal
- Advancing sustainable aquaculture and blue biotechnology
We apply an interdisciplinary approach, integrating marine biology, environmental chemistry, toxicology, AI-based water management, and industrial biotechnology to create practical solutions for protecting marine environments.
Research projects
Wastewater analysis & advanced treatment technologies
- Monitoring industrial effluents for contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, microplastics).
- Developing bioremediation techniques using macroalgae, diatoms, and microalgae for pollutant removal.
- Designing nature-based wastewater purification systems to improve water quality in aquaculture and urban areas.
- Integrating AI & machine learning for real-time wastewater monitoring and predictive analysis.
Ecotoxicology & environmental toxicity assessment
- Assessing the impact of pollutants on aquatic organisms using bioassays with microalgae, macroalgae, and marine invertebrates.
- Developing AI-driven toxicity models for rapid screening of environmental pollutants.
- Investigating chronic and sublethal toxicity using advanced bioindicators such as chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm, ETRmax), reproductive endpoints, and lipid metabolism markers.
- Standardizing toxicity assessment protocols for international environmental regulations.
Smart ocean monitoring & AI-based water management
- Deploying AI-driven systems for real-time water quality analysis and pollution tracking.
- Developing sensor-integrated marine bioindicators for detecting contaminants.
- Establishing predictive models to assess ecological risks from pollutants.
Sustainable marine biotechnology & industrial applications
- Developing algae-based biorefineries for extracting bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols, pigments, biofuels, nutraceuticals).
- Scaling up industrial applications for algae-derived pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods.
- Designing land-based macroalgae & microalgae cultivation systems for commercial production.
- Optimizing biotechnological processes for zero-waste marine resource utilization.
Role of macroalgae & microalgae in marine ecosystem health
- Investigating the potential of algae (Ulva, Laminaria, Pyropia, diatoms) for carbon sequestration & pollution mitigation.
- Exploring macroalgae-based solutions for ocean acidification and marine habitat restoration.
- Evaluating nutrient cycling in coastal and offshore marine ecosystems.
From research to industrial solutions
We actively work on technology transfer and industrial collaboration to ensure that research findings lead to scalable real-world applications. Our team collaborates with academia, policymakers, and private sector industries to develop market-ready solutions for:
- Sustainable aquaculture & fisheries management
- Marine-based pharmaceutical & cosmeceutical industries
- Eco-friendly wastewater purification systems
- Carbon-negative algae farming & blue carbon initiatives
We welcome research and industry partnerships to co-develop cutting-edge solutions for marine sustainability and environmental protection
Contact
Dr. Hojun Lee
Post-doctoral researcher