On December 11, 2021, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Mangrove Protection and Utilization held the establishment and first meeting of the third Academic Committee at Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, with 16 new and old members attending the meeting. Researcher Fan Hangqing, Director of Guangxi Mangrove Research Center/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Mangrove Protection and Utilization, presided over the change of the Academic Committee, and elected Prof. Zhang Yihui as the Director of the Third Academic Committee, and Prof. Sha Zhongli and Prof. Chen Xiaoyong as the Deputy Directors. Prof. Zhang Yihui presided over the first meeting of the third Academic Committee and revised the constitution of the Academic Committee of the Key Laboratory. The Academic Committee listened to the report on the work of the laboratory in 2021, the foundation projects, the “14th Five-Year Plan”, commented on the annual work of the laboratory, considered the establishment and completion of the foundation projects of the laboratory, and discussed the framework of the “14th Five-Year Plan” of the laboratory. Discussion of the laboratory's “14th Five-Year Plan” discipline development planning framework.

The Academic Committee believes that the Key Laboratory has achieved excellent results in the current year, and its influence has been significantly improved; especially relying on the small highland of talents, it has strongly promoted the development of the laboratory. It agreed to conclude 2 systematic topics and 1 open fund topic, and considered and approved 1 systematic topic and 2 open fund topics for project.

Members believe that mangrove is an important coastal wetland strategic resource, which is highly valued by the Party and the State, and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Mangrove Protection and Utilization is the only provincial-level key laboratory of mangrove in China so far, which has a long-term systematic research accumulation and achievement outputs in mangrove-related research fields, and it is suggested to increase the support and to create the brand of Guangxi.

Fig. 1 The scene of the establishment and first meeting of the third academic committee

Figure 2 Director of the Key Laboratory, Prof. Fan Hangqing, presented a letter of appreciation to the Director of the Academic Committee, Prof. Yu Kexue.

Figure 3 Director of the Key Laboratory, Prof. Fan Hangqing, awarded the letter of appointment to Prof. Zhang Yihui, Director of the Third Academic Committee.

Figure 4 Group photo of the old and new academic committee members at the center.

Written by: Shi Xiaofang

Photo: Pan Lianghao

Audit: Zhou Hao Lang