Program

In tandem with the development of the local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan under the international Convention on Biological Diversity, a mega-project has been initiated by the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government to assess the current status of marine coastal communities in Tolo Harbour and Channel (Tolo area), an area that is known to support a highly diverse flora and fauna but is threatened by intense human activities.  A multidisciplinary team consisting of 24 scientists and environmentalists from different institutions have joined to undertake a comprehensive ecological study, covering a wide range of habitats and taxonomic groups including rocky and soft shores, mangroves and juvenile fish assemblages.  To cover both sheltered and exposed areas, the inner and outer parts of the Tolo area were stratified into four sections and surveys were conducted in the aforementioned habitats twice in the dry (December to March) and wet (May to September) seasons to assess spatial and temporal variations. Qualitative surveys using systematic searches for organisms were conducted in the wet season to produce a more complete species inventoryof the study area.  The current ecological status and economic value of marine resources in Tolo area are also being evaluated through questionnaire surveys and economic modelling.  Since December 2015 (i.e.,10-months into the surveys),we have been able to document the spatial and temporal variations of the marine biodiversity in Tolo area and discoversome rare and new species.  The integration of these data will not only contribute toproduce a species inventory for scientific, conservation and educational purposes, but more importantly this mega-project will establish a blueprint of standardised, scientific practice for future marine biodiversity assessments (e.g. environmental impact assessments and monitoring programmes) in Hong Kong waters.