Gray A. Williams is the Director of the Swire Institute of Marine Science, Professor in the Area of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong and an Adjunct Professor at Xiamen University, China. He is a marine ecologist specializing on coastal systems, with extensive experience in SE Asia and has been working in Hong Kong for more than 30 years. During that time he has published over 180 scientific papers; various textbooks and identification guides; and supervised more than 40 higher degree students working on local marine species and habitats. Gray has been a visiting researcher at different universities worldwide (e.g. Brazil, Italy, Thailand, UK, USA); sits on the editorial board of a number of scientific journals; has advisory roles for marine institutions at Xiamen University, China and the University of Vigo, Spain and has been involved with the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong since 2005.