Safeguarding HK’s marine treasures

Every morning before opening, Ocean Park staff tend to the coral display near the entrance of the Grand Aquarium – brushing algae off coral fragments, moving them to better positions and feeding them with care.

Expert care: The Chinese University of Hong Kong collects coral fragments in Hong Kong waters and hands them over to Ocean Park for restoration. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

These corals were formerly in the sea, where they faced threats such as bleaching, caused by higher ocean temperatures, and human activity. At Ocean Park they are being rehabilitated, and also serve as a living teaching aid for marine conservation.

The tanks are fitted with lighting and filtration systems specially designed for corals, and fish can be seen swimming inside. Accompanied by educational panels and videos, they draw visitors to linger and watch. From Wednesday to Friday at designated times, interactive guided sessions are provided on coral care, biodiversity and restoration work.

Coral conservation

Awarded a grant of more than $3.5 million from the Environment & Conservation Fund (ECF), Ocean Park launched the exhibition earlier this year. Showcasing 12 species of hard and soft corals found in Hong Kong waters, it has attracted more than a million visitors to date.

The funding also covered renovations to other facilities at the aquarium and the establishment of the Coral Ecology & Conservation Discovery Centre, now a key venue for coral rehabilitation and public education.

“This project combines coral conservation, public awareness and education,” said Ocean Park Lead Conservation Manager Ashley Kwok.

Immersive experience: Jarvis Ng (left) and Jit So take part in a workshop to learn about different coral species and how cultivation tanks work. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Ms Kwok explained that the park works closely with Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) School of Life Sciences Assistant Professor Apple Chui and the Coral Academy founded by her. CUHK provides coral fragments collected in Hong Kong waters and professional advice on local coral cultivation, while Ocean Park provides the facilities to ensure quality care.

Immersive learning

The discovery centre, located in the back-of-house area of the Grand Aquarium, is equipped with professional coral care facilities and runs STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) workshops and public guided tours.

On a recent visit, a group of primary school pupils took part in an on-site workshop, gaining an immersive introduction to coral restoration and other aspects of marine conservation.

“Are corals animals?” a coral care worker asked. The children eagerly raised their hands to answer “yes”, as they touched coral specimens under guidance and learned about what is needed to set up a cultivation tank.

Coral revival: Ocean Park Lead Conservation Manager Ashley Kwok says cultivated, restored coral fragments will be transplanted back to Hong Kong waters to rebuild coral communities and enrich local marine ecology. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Jit So, who is in Primary Six, drew a picture with his classmates showing how different coral species are placed in various positions in a tank according to their habits and requirements, which involve aspects such as shading needs and water flow strength, so that they can grow well.

Jarvis Ng, from Primary Four, said he had seen corals while snorkelling before but had not known previously that coral polyps live inside corals and feed on plankton. He also put on virtual reality glasses to glimpse a coral habitat, saying it really felt like being underwater.

Ocean Park says the workshops, launched just a month ago, have already engaged more than 100 pupils, while the guided visits have involved over 1,600 participants.

The park also plans to run a teacher training programme in the first half of next year so that primary school teachers can bring conservation knowledge back to the classroom.

Coral fragments that have been cultivated and restored to health will be transplanted back to southern Hong Kong waters to rebuild coral communities and enrich the marine ecology of restoration sites.

Proud record: Environment & Conservation Fund Committee Chairman Eric Cheng says the fund has supported more than 7,200 environmental projects and activities since its establishment. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Green transition

ECF Committee Chairman Eric Cheng said the coral project showcases innovative local restoration techniques, promotes environmental awareness and encourages people to take action to protect the environment.

“When corals can live healthily, it also indirectly proves that Hong Kong has excellent water quality and that the natural environment is well protected,” he remarked.

Mr Cheng outlined that the ECF has funded more than 7,200 environmental projects and activities over its 32-year history, disbursing a total of over $4.7 billion in funding. He added that many of the projects are closely related to people’s daily lives, covering areas such as waste reduction at source, recycling, biodiversity, carbon neutrality, low-carbon living, clean shorelines and clean air.

Citing food waste pre-treatment system projects as an example, he said the ECF had approved about $73 million as of September to fund about 25 premises, including private housing estates and universities, in adopting the locally developed “Food TranSmarter” system.

The technology converts food waste into slurry, which is then sealed and sent to government central treatment facilities, reducing door-to-door collections to once or twice a week and significantly lowering carbon emissions and total costs. The projects also encourage different sectors to actively participate in food waste recycling.

Discovering corals: Ocean Park’s coral exhibition, backed by the Environment and Conservation Fund, has attracted over one million visitors to date. Image source: www.news.gov.hk

Mr Cheng remarked that in future the ECF will steer its approvals towards local and national green transition initiatives, in particular the Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2050 and the development of the Northern Metropolis. He said the ECF fully supports the Government’s policy direction and welcomes applications from eligible local organisations for funding related to environmental protection and nature conservation.

The world’s coral reef ecosystems almost all face a high risk of collapse in the next 50 years, mostly due to warming oceans and heat waves, according to a global assessment released Thursday.

It's the latest dose of bad news for coral reefs, which are critical sources for seafood and tourism and often serve as buffers from coastal erosion and storms. Sometimes dubbed “rainforests of the sea,” they have some of the world’s richest biodiversity. They support a quarter of marine species as well as coastal communities and businesses.

Some 96% of shallow-water reef systems are already critically endangered and could disappear by 2075, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on the sidelines of a U.N. biodiversity conference in Albania.

Most of the world’s famous reef systems — including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Coral Triangle in the Western Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and the Red Sea coral reefs — are all critically endangered, the highest level of threat.

“The risk of coral reef collapse is escalating, but this must be a wake-up call rather than a cause for despair,” said Mishal Gudka, the scientific lead of the global IUCN Red List of Coral Reef Ecosystems assessment, the first of its kind.

“Coral reefs have shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from devastating bleaching events,” he said. “Pockets of surviving, resilient coral reefs can still remain in the future, so we must do everything within our reach to set them up for success.”

When a reef collapses, hard corals disappear and are replaced by algae, rubble and sponges. As a result, the reef no longer supports a diverse ecosystem that can include everything from tiny invertebrates to reef fish like grouper.

“Coral reefs are one of the clearest vital signs of the ocean’s health,” Grethel Aguilar, the IUCN director general, said in a statement.

The assessment, spanning 127 tropical and subtropical ecoregions, and encompassing 72,726 square miles (188,362 square kilometers) of coral reefs globally, called climate change the “single most consistent threat driving coral reef decline worldwide.”

A week ago, another study in the journal Nature by the IUCN found that nearly 44% of reef-building coral species face an elevated risk of extinction due to climate change. A year ago, a survey found that harmful bleaching of the world’s coral has grown to include 84% of the ocean’s reefs — the most intense of its kind in recorded history.

The year 2024 was Earth’s hottest on record, and much of that is going into oceans. The average annual sea surface temperature of oceans away from the poles was a record 69.57 degrees Fahrenheit (20.87 degrees Celsius).

Beyond combating rising global emissions, experts said efforts to reduce pollution, overfishing and coastal development can help reefs survive.

“We know what is needed: ambitious emissions reductions, stronger protection and restoration efforts, and sustained investment in resilient coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them,” Aguilar said.

Andrew Baker, director of the Coral Reef Futures Lab at the University of Miami, sought to inject some hope after reviewing the assessment. He said stopping global warming and pollution isn't the only way to save corals.

“It means finding new ways to restore corals using emerging technology and innovative approaches,” he said, “that can throw a lifeline to struggling reefs and buy us critically needed time to make these transitions.”

FILE - Two clownfish swim in an anemone on Moore Reef in Gunggandji Sea Country off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia on Nov. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil, File)

FILE - A diverse coral assemblage is seen after a 2024 bleaching event at Pompey Reef in the northern Great Barrier Reef, far North Queensland, Australia, on Jan. 1, 2025. (Australian Institute of Marine Science via AP, File)