Introduction

Marine Parks

Marine conservation

Marinelife in Hong KongCorals

SeagrassFish

Chinese White DolphinGreen turtle

Others

Reference

The marine fauna of Hong Kong is exceedingly diverse. Though primarily tropical, it is a mixture of tropical South China Sea and temperate Chinese forms because of the seasonal fluctuations of warm and cold water and monsoon weather conditions. Marine invertebrate are very abundant, ranging from corals, molluscs to crustaceans. Many of them are an important supply of animal protein to Hong Kong population.

Isolated coral colonies can be found from shallow waters of the rocky shores around Hong Kong's outlying islands and mainland.

The richest coral communities prevail to the east of Hong Kong where waters is free from the influence of Pearl River and sheltered.

Although the western waters is turbid, scattered stony coral communities have also been recorded in the area.

In the central region , because of the unsuitable water quality, few stony corals can survive there.

Coral communities in Hong Kong

Under the influence of local weather, hydrological conditions and anthropogenic perturbations, there are about 51 species of reef-building corals from 26 genera and about 10 species of non-reef-building corals from 4 genera.Those coral species can tolerate wide annual fluctuations in water temperature and salinity as well as periodic typhoons and monsoon.

Number of species of stony corals in Hong Kong waters

Goniopora columna Turbinaria sp. Hydnophora exesa Favia speciosa

Platygyra sinensis

Favites abdita

Eight species of black corals have been recorded in Hong Kong waters. Most of them found in north-eastern waters at depth of 10-20m.

Diversity of other corals in Hong Kong

In addition to stony corals, there are soft corals, gorgonians, black corals, sea pens and so on in Hong Kong waters. There are 26 species of gorgonians in Hong Kong waters. Gorgonians prevail in the eastern waters of less variable salinity.

Reef fishOver 500 species of reef fish from 69 families have been recorded from Hong Kong's territorial waters since the first records in the mid-1850s. The list of fishes recorded from Hong Kong is still growing. Many of the more recent records are small tropical species. Some of them probably only occur here when currents occasionally transport their larvae from tropical shores.

Food supply

In 2000, each day we consume about 330 tonnes of marine fish .

Destructive fishing practices such as the use of explosive, toxic substances, electricity, dredging and suction devices for the purpose of fishing are detrimental to fisheries and the marine ecosystem and are prohibited under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap 171).

Conservation

Biological Interest

Seagrass is the only flowering plant surviving wholly submerged in marine waters. There are four seagrass species in Hong Kong. They are Halophila beccarii, H. ovata, Ruppia maritima and Zostera japonica. Seagrass is important to coastal ecosystem. It provides shelter, food and nursery ground for a variety of marine fauna at the coastal area. It also plays an important role in carbon flow and nutrient recycling in the coastal environment.

Halophila beccarii

Zostera japonica

Halophila ovata

Distribution

Occur mostly in shallow, sheltered soft-bottom marine coastlines and estuaries of the world. Rare in Hong Kong. Mainly distribute in the coastal area of North-western and North-eastern parts of the New Territories (e.g. Pak Nai and Lai Chi Wo). Some seagrasses are also found in San Tau, Tai Ho Wan and Sheung Sze Wan.

Lai Chi Wo San Tau

Sponges

Cnidarians

Marine worms

Molluscs

Arthropods

Echinoderms

Chordates

Abundance of dolphin in Hong Kong

The Chinese white dolphin are protected locally by the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170). Import and export of this species is also restricted under the Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance (Cap. 187).

•About 1028 dolphins found in the Pearl River Estuary and Hong Kong waters

Conservation status

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of the 3 species of sea turtles found in Hong Kong waters and so far has been the only species known to breed locally. Like other sea turtles, Green Turtles return to nest at the beach where they were hatched.

Green Turtle is a highly endangered species listed under the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Conservation status

Habit

The sandy beach at Sham Wan, Lamma Island is the only Green Turtle nesting site known in Hong Kong.

Sea Turtle Nesting Site - Sham Wan

The site is very important to the survival of this highly endangered species in both the local and regional context. In order to minimize disturbance to the sea turtles, their nests and eggs, there is a need to restrict access to the beach area during the nesting season.

Yat Chau Tong

Hoi Ha Wan

Cape D’AguilarMarine Reserve

Sha Chau &Lung Kwu Chau

Yan Chau Tong Marine Park

The Yan Chau Tong Marine Park comprises of two separate parts with a total sea area of about 680 hectares. A wide variety of landforms. Such as bays, projecting headlands, peninsulars, rock cliffs, sand pits and beaches can be found within the area, creating diversified beach types ranging from mudflat to rocky shores.

Features of particular ecological importance in the marine park include a diversity ofstony corals and the marine eel grass (Zostera japonica) which is rare in the tropics.

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

The Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is a sheltered bay situated at the northern coastline of the Sai Kung Peninsula. The marine park covers an area of about 260 hectares.

Being a sheltered bay and with good water quality, the sea area provides a good environment for corals to flourish. The coral communities are different from tropical reef.

Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park

Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park is situated in the open waters of the western part of Hong Kong. It covers a sea area of about 1,200 hectares.

This is part of the sea area in Hong Kong where Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Chinese White Dolphin are most often found.

Existing compatible recreational activities, such as dolphin watch would be permitted

Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve

The Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve covers a sea area of about 20 hectares.

The area of Cape D'Aguilar is of high biological, geomorphological and geological interest. It consists of good examples of both exposed and sheltered rocky shore, which are typical of any of the south easterly directed capes and headlands in Hong Kong.

The coastal flora and fauna of the site are rich and their zonations are typical.

Hong Kong Marine Parks

Website

http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/marine/newmp/index.htm

http://www.afcd.gov.hk/web/index_e.htmAgriculture,Fisheries and Conservation Department

Marinelife in Hong Konghttp://www.marinelife.com.hk/