The Coral Monitoring Team of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong (LPC UWC HK) (http://www.lpcuwc.edu.hk/en/qc/qc_coral.php) has received funding from the prestigious PADI Project Aware Grant programme (http://www.projectaware.org/asiapac/english/default.asp?o=ap). The funds have been provided for the LPC UWC HK students to conduct an underwater survey of Tung Ping Chau for a fish blast detection system that was successfully trialed by Teng Hoi Conservation Organization ( http://www.tenghoi.org/index3 ) in collaboration with WWF and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2007. The students will snorkel, dive and map the area in order to identify suitable sites. The activity is Hong Kong’s first organized event for the International Year of the Reef global action programme for coral reefs sponsored by the World Bank and NOAA amongst others
The trial detection device placed by the LPC UWC Coral Monitoring Team underneath the WWF Center in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park recorded blast fishing on twelve occasions in a pilot operation between November 2006 and May 2007 (see map). Blast fishing is extremely destructive to marine environments.
The project is also possible because of support from a variety of organisations in addition to LPC UWC HK and PADI Project Aware. Equipment has been provided by Bunns Divers Institute (http://bunnsdivers.com/) for the environmental service since its establishment in 1995 and the boat and diving services that have been expertly provided by Rise Limited.
Map of Coral Monitoring Activities
This page was last updated on July 18, 2008.
