The Dongshan Swire Marine Station (D-SMART) is designed to monitor the effects of global climate change and anthropogenic environmental changes to marine ecology. The station will act as a long-term land-sea-air boundary environmental elements observation station, an open marine science and technology lab, and a marine observation instruments testing site. Working with other relevant XMU institutions, a body of labs and centers will be designed, including a specimen room, an exhibition center, a center for marine archaeology, and a dive center, which will fulfil the needs of student interns and public education.

The Marine Station project was initiated in 2011. Partially funded by the Swire Group, the station will be situated at Yan-zai Village of Dongshan County. XMU signed an agreement with the local government which further defined the amount of land to be expropriated. The construction area encompasses 13.18 acres.