From 28 to 31 January, our alumnus Bolong Zhang visited Guangzhou during his trip from Sichuan to Hainan and stopped by the group. We gathered for a warm reunion dinner, catching up on recent developments, and shared a limited-edition “Year of the Horse” Wuliangye, featuring a distinctive horse-shaped bottle, celebrating the spirit of the New Year and wishing for good fortune in the year ahead.
From January 6 to 26,Yuxin carried out a 20-day sampling mission aboard the research vessel Lanbo 1 in the Beibu Gulf. During this expedition, a rich collection of atmospheric, seawater, and sediment samples was successfully obtained.
These samples, together with those collected by Hangyi during the summer of 2025, will jointly support ongoing research on marine environmental pollution processes in the region. The integrated dataset is expected to provide crucial insights into the current environmental status of the Beibu Gulf.
For Yuxin, the journey was not only scientifically fruitful but also a memorable life experience. He witnessed breathtaking sunrises and sunsets over the sea and gained a deeper appreciation for the unique stories that unfold through scientific exploration.
And the nearshore work was completed by Hangyi and Xuelin.Hangyi was responsible for onboard sampling, mainly collecting water and sediment samples, while Xuelin conducted the pretreatment of the large-volume water samples in the laboratory at Beibu Gulf University. Both of them successfully accomplished their tasks.
（written by Zhang Yuxin）
On 25 December, Dr. Li Hong visited our group while passing through Guangzhou. He previously worked closely with Kevin Jones at Lancaster University and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, where he provided great support in helping many Chinese visitors settle in at Lancaster University. Now retired, his visit brought back many fond and memorable moments from our time in the UK. He is a brilliant artist, and created the paints on the wall at the group corridor-corner. 
