Ocean Park and Archireef launch coral restoration centre in Hong Kong, aim to rebuild reefs in Deep Water Bay
- Coral ReefStoration Centre is nurturing over 120 rescued coral fragments with goal to rebuild 20 square metres of reefs on Middle Island in three years
- New facility in the theme park’s Grand Aquarium is also hosting tours and programmes for people to learn about marine conservation
The new Coral ReefStoration Centre at Ocean Park Hong Kong is storing more than 120 rescued coral fragments. Photo: Elson LiOcean Park Hong Kong has launched a coral restoration centre to rebuild reefs in the city’s southern waters while educating the next generation about marine conservation.
The new facility, Coral ReefStoration Centre, is nurturing more than 120 rescued local coral fragments, which will be deployed on Middle Island in Deep Water Bay. There, the project aims to rebuild 20 square metres of reefs in three years.
The facility in Ocean Park’s Grand Aquarium is also hosting tours for the public to learn more about corals.
Supported by Sino Group and the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation, the Coral ReefStoration Project is a collaboration between Ocean Park and Archireef, a start-up that uses 3D-printing to restore corals.
What are coral reefs and why are they at risk?
“Hong Kong’s local coral communities currently occupy just 40 per cent of the marine area they once dominated,” said Dr David M. Baker, co-founder of Archireef and associate professor of ecology and biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong.
“The corals are scattered [around Middle Island] – they’re not very abundant ... Our goal is to make a rich marine ecosystem that will have many benefits for everyone involved.”
The restoration project is using Archireef’s unique 3D-printed terracotta reef tiles to help the coral fragments grow and survive. According to Baker, terracotta is not only a natural, ocean-friendly material, but it is also highly compatible with corals, which attach to the tiles easily.
So far, 7.5 square metres of reef tiles have already been deployed to Middle Island.
To safely store the remaining coral fragments at the facility, Alex Wong, supervisor of zoological operations in Ocean Park, said the team used energy-efficient aquarium technology, such as LED plant-growing lights and intelligent water testing.
“We hope coral reefs can be healthily stored here and used for education, preservation and demonstration,” Wong added.
Melanie Kwok, assistant general manager of Sino Group’s sustainability department, stressed the importance of public participation in coral reef conservation.
Last September, the Coral ReefStoration Ambassador Programme tasked Hong Kong students with designing a game booth that conveyed the urgency of coral protection.
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Based on their outstanding performance in this programme, 10 students were selected as Star Coral ReefStorators. These pupils had the chance to do more hands-on learning about corals through snorkelling and eco-tours.
One of the Star Coral ReefStorators, Lau Pak-yu, said his favourite activity was snorkelling in Tung Ping Chau.
“I saw numerous clusters of coral reefs, and they were very colourful. Since normally I can’t see that many coral reefs during snorkelling, I think it broadened my horizons,” recalled the 10-year-old from AD&FD of POHL Leung Sing Tak School.
Another of the winning pupils, Yvonne Chan Man-hei, shared that the programme helped expand her understanding of corals.
“In addition to lectures and quizzes, we also joined a guided tour of the Grand Aquarium and organised booth activities to teach other students about coral reefs through games,” said the 12-year-old from St Paul’s Co-educational College.
“Their positive impacts to our world are manifold, so I feel like we should protect corals,” Yvonne said, explaining that coral reefs provided protection against tsunami. “I hope to make good use of my role as a Star Coral ReefStorator to promote coral conservation knowledge ... by giving out speeches at school.”
This summer, guests at the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel have special access to a snorkelling experience and coral workshop, and the Coral ReefStoration Centre is offering guided tours for the public.
As part of the interactive tour, visitors can have a closer look at the 3D-printed reef tiles and watch experiment demonstrations to understand the threats faced by corals. Visit Ocean Park’s website for more details about the guided tours.