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Hong Kong is in the sub-tropical region, and its marine environment supports
species of both tropical and temperate climates. Local waters contain
a wide diversity of fishes, crustaceans, molluscs and other marine life,
of which at least 150 species are of significance.
Set on the eastern bank of the Pearl River's estuary,
Hong Kong receives freshwater discharged from the river, especially in
its western waters. The eastern waters, on the other hand, are little
influenced by the Pearl River outflow and have a predominantly oceanic
characteristic. This special hydrographic condition helps to contribute
to the diversity of marine life found in Hong Kong.
Despite being close to the northern limit for hard
corals, Hong Kong supports some 80 stony coral species. This diversity
of corals is considered quite rich by international standards. A variety
of marine fishes also breed in Hong Kong waters. Typical of eastern waters
is the red sea bream, one of the several sea bream varieties whose fry
are abundant along the shore of Mirs Bay in early spring.
Despite the small extent of Hong Kong waters, two
marine mammal species can be found locally throughout the year. The better-known
one is the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, also known as the Chinese white
dolphin. The other is the finless porpoise. The humpback dolphin prefers
the estuarine environment and inhabits the western waters of Hong Kong
while the finless porpoise lives in the eastern and southern areas, which
are predominantly oceanic waters.
There has been concern over the degradation of the
marine environment by pollution, coastal development works, over-fishing
and destructive fishing practices. To counteract the disturbance to inshore
marine resources, the AFCD has installed artificial reefs to enhance fisheries
resources and the biodiversity of the marine environment. The Marine Parks
programme continues to serve as an important scheme in protecting and
conserving sites of special ecological and conservation value. |
