"EcoBites" is a bilingual column by Matteo Convertino, associate professor at the Institute of Environment and Ecology of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School. As the name implies, Prof. Convertino will cover ecological topics such as blue carbon ecosystems, algal blooms, and coral seas through written articles, photos and video clips in this monthly column, which is to shed light on ecological unknowns, mysteries, needs and efforts in response to urgent biodiversity and climate issues, as well as broader sustainability goals where Shenzhen might serve as a role model for other cities.  Prof. Convertino is the principal investigator (PI) of the school’s Future Ecosystem Lab. The lab specializes in risk assessment, sensing and forecasting, management and engineering of ecosystems.