Hoi Yau is an MPhil student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, specialising in marine microbiology. Her research investigates the niche partitioning of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus in the seamount region of the South China Sea. By exploring how these key marine cyanobacteria differentiate their ecological niches, Hoi Yau aims to deepen understanding of microbial ecology and oceanographic processes.