Yuen-Wa Ho (Derek)

Yuen-Wa Ho (Derek)

@Cetacea Research Institute
@Marine Eco & Aqua Lab

Records

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Current Positions

Academic Record

  • Ph.D in Cetacean Ecology, The University of Hong Kong, 2021
  • B.Sc. in Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, 2013

Previous Positions

  • Visiting Researcher, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica. 2023 Jul
  • Postdoctoral Fellow & Lab Manager, Marine Ecology & Aquaculture Laboratory, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2021 - 2025
  • Lab Manager & Research Assistant, Marine Ecology & Aquaculture Laboratory, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2019 - 2021
  • Research Assistant, Cetacean Ecology Lab., The University of Hong Kong. 2013 - 2015

Publications

Full CV Google Scholar Citations: 514 / h-index: 10 / i10-index: 12

# Equal contribution * Corresponding author

Manuscripts under review / in submission:

  • Ho Y-W, Cheng MCY, Thoe W, & Fang JKH* (in prep.) Characterising microplastics in a subtropical megacity: A multi-seasonal study of distribution and polymer types in Hong Kong rivers.
  • Ho Y-W, Karczmarski L*, Lin W, Leung MML, & Fang JKH* (in prep.) Assessing the scale of underestimation: microplastic ingestion in marine megafauna with a case study of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Hong Kong.
  • Ho Y-W*, Bradley M, Martelli P, Perkins C, Mauroo N, Parsons ECM, Porter L, Jefferson TA (in submission) A half-century of cetacean mortality in Hong Kong (1973-2024): a stranding-based analysis of spatiotemporal trends and conservation implications. Target Journal: Marine Mammal Science
  • Zhou ASK #, Fan C#, Li C*, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH, Jin LN* (in submission) Aquatic plastisphere vectoring pathogenic and antifungal-resistant fungi. Environmental Science & Technology Letters
  • Zhu Y*, Li Y, Chen J, Ho Y-W, Wang C, Zhang Y, Wang X-Q, Lu B, Fang JKH, Ling FCC, Tadesse LF, Lam EY* (in submission) Unveiling multi-dimensional nanoparticle signatures via deep speckle holography. Science Advances
  • Wang Y, Li C*, Zhou ASK, Pan X, Zhu Y, Zhang X, Chen T, Xiong A, Ho Y-W, Liu J, Zhou Z, Wang J, Adyel TM, Fang JKH*, Bank MS, Rilling MC & Jin LN* (under review) Unravelling ecological strategies and implications of coastal plastisphere archaeomee. Nature Communications
  • Li Y*, Zhu Y, Chen J, Chen R, Ho Y-W, Wang C, Fang JKH, Tsia K & Lam EY* (under review) Assessing nanoplastic toxicity through in situ polarization holographic profiling of rotifers. Nature Communications
  • Zhang L, Xu Z, Li C, Pan X, Wang Y, Zhang X, Liu X, Xiong A, Ho Y-W, Wang Y, Zhang X, Zhao Y, Ji S, Liu J, Yan M, Fang JKH, & Jin L* (major revision) Microalgae and associated ecological risks in coastal plastispheres. Water Research X
  • Bao Y, Ho Y-W, Shen Z, Lam EY, Fang JKH*, Leung KMY, Lee PKH* (major revision) Seasonal divergence between microbiomes on microplastics and natural particles increases with rising water temperatures in urban rivers. Environmental Science & Technology

Published journal articles:

2025

  • [18] Lin Y, Helmreich B*, Ho Y-W, Fang JFK, Luo C & Wang Y* (2025, In Press) Multi-contaminants in Road Runoff of a Compact City: Characteristics, Interactions, and Ecological Risks. Water Research 125260 DOI
  • [17] Bao Y, Ho Y-W, Shen Z, Lam EY, Fang JKH*, Leung KMY, & Lee PKH* (2025) Ecological roles and shared microbes differentiate the plastisphere from natural particle-associated microbiomes in urban rivers. Environmental Science & Technology 59, 32, 17298–17309 DOI
  • [16] Saidu, MB, Moreira IS*, Amorim CL, Wu R, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH, Castro PML, Gonçalves D (2025) Exploring the biodegration of PET in mangrove soil and its intermediates by enriched bacterial consortia. Environmental Technology, 1-23 DOI
  • [15] Liu X, Liang B, Yao S, Xiong A, Zhang X, Li X, Sun Y, Zhang L, Li C, Ruan Y, Yan M, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH, Wang B, Leusch FDL, Schlenk D, Liu W*, Leung KMY*, & Jin LN* (2025) Dissecting the role of natural toxins and anthropogenic contaminants in mixture effects of seawater chemical cocktails on cetacean skin fibroblasts. Environmental Science & Technology, 59, 28, 14203–14213 DOI
  • [14] Ho Y-W, Karczmarski L*, Lin W, Lo MCY, Wu Y, & Baker DM (2025) Modeling life history parameters in marine mammals: Bayesian hierarchical analysis of ontogenetic dietary shifts in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology 98(1), 1-16 DOI DOI

2024

  • [13] Jia M, Farid MU*, Ho Y-W, Ma X, Wong PW, Nah T, He Y, Boey MW, Gang L, Fang JKH, Fan J, & An AK* (2024) Advanced nanobubble flotation for enhanced removal of sub-10 µm microplastics from wastewater. Nature Communications 15, 9079 DOI
  • [12] Lin Y, Wang Y*, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH*, & Li Y (2024) Characterization and ecological risks of microplastics in urban road runoff. Science of the Total Environment 176590 DOI
  • [11] Zhu Y, Li Y, Huang J, Zhang Y, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH, & Lam EY* (2024) Advanced optical imaging technologies for microplastics identification: Progress and Challenges. Advanced Photonics Research 2400038 DOI
  • [10] Liang T#, Ho Y-W#, Wang Q, Wang P, Sun S, Fang JKH*, & Liu X* (2024) Distribution and risk assessment of microplastics in water, sediment and brine shrimps in a remote salt lake on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials 476, 134959 DOI
  • [9] Chan SCY #, Ho Y-W#, & Karczmarski L.#* (2024) Reproductive dynamics of an inshore delphinid reflect demographic consequences of large-scale coastal constructions. Biological Conservation 297, 110690 DOI
  • [8] Li Y, Zhu Y, Huang J, Ho Y-W, Fang JKH, & Lam EY* (2024) High-throughout microplastic assessment based on polarization holographic imaging. Scientific Reports 14, 2355 DOI
  • [7] Lin W*, Karczmarski L*, Chan SCY, Zheng R, Ho Y-W, & Mo Y (2024) Population parameters and heterogeneity in survival rates of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in a heavily urbanized coastal region of southeast China: Implications for conservation. Frontiers in Marine Science 11:1252661 DOI
  • [6] Ho Y-W, Lin TH*, Akamatsu T, & Karczmarski L* (2024). Fine-scale spatial variability of marine soundscape corresponds with habitat utilization of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Hong Kong waters. Ecological Indicators 158, 111228 DOI

Prior to 2024

  • [5] Chan SCY*, Karczmarski L*, Lin W, Zheng R, Ho Y-W, Guo L, Mo Y, Lee ATL, Or CKM, & Wu Y (2022). An unknown component of a well-known population: socio-demographic parameters of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) at the western reaches of the Pearl River Delta region. Mammalian Biology 1-23 DOI
  • [4] Ho Y-W, Lim JY, Yeoh YK, Chiou JC, Zhu Y, Lai KP, Li L, Chan PKS, & Fang JKH* (2022) Preliminary findings of the high quantity of microplastics in faeces of Hong Kong residents. Toxics 10, 414. DOI
  • [3] Leung MML, Ho Y-W, Maboloc EA, Lee CH, Wang Y, Hu M, Cheung SG, & Fang JKH* (2021). Determination of microplastics in the edible green-lipped mussel Perna viridis using an automated mapping technique of Raman microspectroscopy. Journal of Hazardous Materials 126541. DOI
  • [2] Leung MML, Ho Y-W, Lee CH, Wang Y, Hu M, Kwok KWH, Chua SL, & Fang JKH* (2021) Improved Raman spectroscopy-based approach to assess microplastics in seafood. Environmental Pollution 117648. DOI
  • [1] Karczmarski L*, Huang SL, Or CKM, Gui D, Chan SCY, Lin W, Porter L, Wong WH, Zheng R, Ho Y-W, Chui SYS, Tiongson AJC, Mo Y, Chang WL, Kwok JHW, Tang RWK, Lee ATL, Yiu SW, Keith M, Gailey G, & Wu Y (2016). Humpback dolphins in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: Status, threats and conservation challenges. Advances in Marine Biology 73, 27–64. DOI

Repository

  • [R02] Ho, Y-W (2025) PhotoID-Image-Process: PhotoID image processing toolkit using YOLO model on dolphin dorsal fin images DOI Code
  • [R01] Ho, Y-W, Karczmarski L, Lin W, Lo MCY, Wu Y, & Baker DM (2024) Modeling life history parameters in marine mammals: Bayesian hierarchical analysis of ontogenetic dietary shifts in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins DOI

Grants

Total Funding Secured (PI/Co-PI/Deputy PI Roles): ~HK$7 Million (PI = Principal Investigator; Co-I = Co-Investigator)

No.P-I/Co-ITopicFunding OrganisationAmount (HKD$)
7.PIPreparation of Bryde’s whale skeletonOcean Park Corporation
(PR:1030003050)		$770,000
6.Deputy Project LeaderEnvironment and Conservation Fund “Sea” Through Cetacean: STEAM Student Ambassador Programme & Cetacean Conservation ExhibitionEnvironment and Conservation Fund
(P&E 3738)		$1,733,940
5.Team MemberProvision of services for “Baseline survey on microplastics in Hong Kong’s River water” and “3rd National Marine Pollution Baseline Survey (Microplastics)Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR
(21-04636)		$1,359,970
4.Co-PIThe unknown facets of conservation ecology of Hong Kong cetaceans: Night-time habitat use, diurnal acoustic environment, and impacts of anthropogenic noise on Chinese white dolphins and Indo-Pacific finless porpoisesHong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
(MCEF20026)		$1,988,860
3.Team MemberAssessment of primary anthropogenic stressors to Chinese White Dolphins in heavily urbanized estuaryOcean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong
(4030001570)		$201,500
2.Deputy PINight-time distribution and abundance of Chinese white dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong waters: Conservation implicationsOcean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong
(MM04.1920)		$387,800
1.Co-IDiurnal Pattern of Habitat Use vs. Anthropogenic Noise in Core Areas of Chinese White Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) in Hong Kong watersOcean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong
(MM02.1718)		$683,770

Conferences

  • [12] Ho Y-W, Wang C-W, Chang C-M, Huang K-C, Lin T-H (2025) Multi-Year and Multi-Site Assessment of Fish Chorus Dynamics in Response to Offshore Wind Development in the Eastern Taiwan Strait. 12th Annual meeting of the Society for Bioacoustics, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
  • [11] Ho Y-W, & Fang JKH (2025) Physicochemical Characterization and Abundance of Microplastics in Hong Kong’s Rivers. In: Symposium on Microplastics in the Environment and Water: Challenges, Research, and Mitigation Strategies, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • [10] Bao Y, Ho Y-W, Shen Z, Fang JKH, Leung KMY, & Lee PKH (2024) Deciphering the ecological roles of the plastisphere in urban rivers in Hong Kong. In: 19th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Cape Town, South Africa
  • [9] Leung MML, Ho Y-W, et al. (2021) Determination of microplastics in the edible green-lipped mussel Perna viridis using an automated mapping technique of Raman microspectroscopy. In: BECoME 2022, Hong Kong, China
  • [8] Karczmarski L, Chan SCY, Ho Y-W, Lin W, Or CKM, Guo L, & Wu Y (2019) Oral presentation. Socio-spatial dynamics of a coastal delphinid in a heavily anthropogenically impacted estuarine seascape. In: 2nd World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain
  • [7] Ho Y-W, Baker DM, Wu Y, Lin W, & Karczmarski L (2019) Advantages of applying Bayesian framework in the analyses of ontogenetic dietary shifts in a coastal delphinid. Oral presentation. In: 2nd World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain
  • [6] Ho Y-W, Lin TH, Akamatsu T, & Karczmarski L (2018) Unsupervised classification of marine soundscape with non-negative matrix factorization. Poster presentation. In: Big Data Challenges for Predictive Modeling of Complex Systems. Hong Kong, China
  • [5] Ho Y-W, Lin TH, Akamatsu T, & Karczmarski L (2018) Spatial variation of marine soundscape within the habitat of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong. Oral presentation
    Best Presentation Award. In: 2nd Oceanoise Asia Conference. Hakodate, Japan
  • [4] Lin W, Karczmarski L, Zheng R, Guo L, Mo Y, Chan SCY, Ho Y-W, Or CKM, Chui SYS, & Wu Y (2017) The extinction risk has been seriously underestimated for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary. Poster presentation. In: 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • [3] Ho Y-W, Baker DM, Wu Y, Lin W, & Karczmarski L (2017) Ontogenetic dietary shifts in the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Oral presentation. In: 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • [2] Chui SYS, Chan SCY, Wong WH, Tiongson AJC, Or CKM, Ho Y-W, Huang SL, Lee ATL, Kwok HW, Stokes G, Gailey G, & Karczmarski L (2015) A case of failed rescue and animal suffering in Hong Kong: An example never to be followed. In: 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Francisco, USA
  • [1] Ho Y-W, Chan SCY, & Karczmarski L (2015) Skin disorders and traumatic mutilations of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong. Poster presentation. In: 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. San Francisco, U.S.A.∆

Talks / Guest Lectures

  • 2025-11-28: University of Gibraltar. Guest Lecture. “Listening to the Ocean: Decoding Underwater Soundscape”
  • 2025-11-19: University of Gibraltar. Guest Lecture. “Invisible Invaders: Microplastics in Our Waters and Wildlife”.
  • 2025-10-30: Hong Kong Metropolitan University - LiPACE. Guest Lecture. “Dialogue with Experts: Animal Welfare and Public Education”.
  • 2025-10-27: Hong Kong Metropolitan University - LiPACE. Guest Lecture. “Dialogue with Experts: Animal Welfare and Public Education”.
  • 2024-06-11: The University of Hong Kong. Workshop on Optical and Computational Technologies. “Microplastics Across Mediums: A Comprehensive Survey of Ecosystems and Organisms”
  • 2023-07-05: Academia Sinica, Taiwan. “Anthropogenic Impact on Foraging Ecology of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins: A Multifaceted Microplastics and Acoustic Approach”
  • 2023-04-19: Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong. “Diurnal Pattern of Habitat Use vs. Anthropogenic Noise in Core Areas of Chinese White Dolphins and Finless Porpoises in Hong Kong Waters”
  • 2022-2024: Lecturer, Critical Analysis & Reasoning in Discipline-based Studies (CCST4200; HKU SPACE)
  • 2022-04-07: State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SCRF Meeting). “Microplastics in edible oysters and their significance in the Greater Bay Area”
  • 2021-2024: Guest Lecturer, Ecology and Ecosystems (ABCT3391; Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
  • 2021-03-07: State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SCRF Meeting). “Microplastics in edible oysters and their significance in the Greater Bay Area”
  • 2018-04-16: Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai. “Ontogenetic dietary shift in the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins”
  • 2017-06-12: Tai Po Environmental Association. Invited Talk. “Education Talk for Fishermen”
  • 2015-03-28: WWF–HK. Invited Talk. “Education Talk for Fishermen at Tai O fishing village”

Peer Review Service

Journal Review: Environmental Science & Technology; Journal of Hazardous Materials; Ecology and Evolution; Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment; Marine Pollution Bulletin; Marine Life Science & Technology; Environmental Geochemistry and Health; Integrative Zoology; Environmental Monitoring and Assessment; Scientific Reports; Journal of Biogeography; Marine Environmental Research; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; Journal of Mammalogy; Water Biology and Security; Regional Studies in Marine Science; Emerging Contaminants; Aquatic Conservation; Resources, Environment and Sustainability; Regional Studies in Marine Science; Global Ecology and Conservation

Proposal Review: Conservation Funding 2024 - 2025; Biodiversity Funding 2024 – Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong.