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SECTION
4 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES CAPITAL STOCK
| 4.2 |
Existing
Capital Stock and Trends |
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| Marine
Invertebrates
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| 4.2.2.25 |
In
parallel with the terrestrial invertebrate
community in Hong Kong, local marine invertebrates
are exceedingly diverse and abundant. Marine
invertebrates include echinoderms (eg sea
urchins, starfishes), anthozoans (eg corals,
anemones), molluscs (eg limpets, snails,
bivalves, squids), crustaceans (eg crabs,
shrimps, barnacles), coelenterates (eg jellyfish)
and annelids (eg sandworms, polychaetes)
all of which have been recorded on various
coastal shores and/or subtidal zones of
Hong Kong waters.
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| 4.2.2.26 |
Over
50 species of coral occur in Hong Kong. Hong
Kong's coral fauna forms two distinct communities,
namely the hermatypic reef community and the
ahermatypic/octocorallian community (see Hard-bottom
Marine Habitats above). Several species of
coral, including the mushroom coral, Fungia,
and the branching coral, Pocillopora, are
among the species of coral reported by HKU
researchers in the 1950s, but have not been
observed for many years and are presumably
locally extinct. Other species such as Acropora
sp and the distinctive Galaxea sp are rapidly
declining in numbers (Scott 1984). |
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| 4.2.2.27 |
Populations
of horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong are known
to have declined over the past ten years
prompting calls for their conservation (Chiu
and Morton 1999). Although there were abundant
numbers of Tachypleus tridentatus and Tachypleus
gigas in Tai Po as recently as the late
1980s (Mikkelsen 1988), none can be found
in this area today. Habitat is currently
limited to areas of Deep Bay and the northwest
coast of Lantau Island and it is suspected
that both habitat loss and pollutant impacts
may be harming the remaining populations.
Although horseshoe crabs are currently protected
under the Marine Parks Ordinance (Cap 476),
the areas of key habitat for this species
in Hong Kong (at Pak Nai in Deep Bay, along
the north west coast of Lantau Island and
at Shui Hau on the southern coast of Lantau
Island) are not located within currently
designated or proposed marine parks or reserves
(and the species protected in Schedule 2
of the Marine Parks Ordinance are not protected
outside of the designated Marine Park areas).
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| Marine
Species of Special Concern |
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| 4.2.2.28 |
Organisms
which are protected under the Wild Animals
Ordinance (Cap 170) and/or the Marine Parks
Ordinance (Cap 476), or are documented to
be rare, threatened or endangered are listed
in Annex D. Several
marine species are included on this list
and many of these species can be considered
"flagship" species based on the
amount of public concern regarding their
welfare.
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| 4.2.2.29 |
The
Chinese white dolphin is arguably the best
known of Hong Kong's marine species of special
concern. With the initiation in 1989 by WWF
of a sightings programme, followed by intensive
research in the mid-1990s in conjunction with
concerns about impacts resulting from the
new international airport at Chek Lap Kok,
the Chinese white dolphin is often featured
in the media. Vessel-based dolphin observation
cruises have become a popular pleasure/recreational
activity during recent few years. |
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| 4.2.2.30 |
Perhaps
because less is known about the Finless porpoise,
or because it is more difficult to observe,
this species has garnered less concern. However,
there is a growing recognition that it too
should have a conservation and management
plan and research to support this plan is
currently underway. Recent action has been
taken to protect the Green turtle nesting
site at Sham Wan, and various regulatory measures
are available to assist with conservation
of corals (stony corals, true corals and black
corals), seagrasses, sea horses and horseshoe
crabs. |
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