(Pictures) HK corals remain generally healthy amid summer bleaching: AFCD

Despite the impact of bleaching in summer, local corals are generally in healthy conditions with high species diversity, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD).

This marked the reoccurrence of coral bleaching in the city since 2022, but the AFCD spokesman emphasized the corals in most of the bleaching sites have been gradually recovering due to the decreasing seawater temperature since last month.

The five-month Hong Kong Reef Check 2024, conducted in June, covered 33 survey sites, including nine marine parks and several ecologically significant sites spanning from Tung Ping Chau in the north to the Ninepin Group in the south.

Collaborating with the Hong Kong Reef Check Foundation, a total of 106 dive teams comprising over 1,170 volunteer divers participated in this year’s survey.

Coral coverage ranged from 12.8 percent to 75.1 percent among the sites, with Coral Beach in Hoi Ha Wan recording the highest coverage.

Eleven sites recorded coral coverage exceeding 50 percent, with five located within marine parks.

The average health index of corals was 3.95 this year, lower than last year’s 4.28 but above the general average value of 3, indicating that the corals are in good health overall. 

Reef Check divers also recorded an abundance of all 20 specific indicator species at the survey sites, including wrasses, butterflyfishes, groupers, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and cowries, representing a high species diversities.

No signs of destructive fishing practices were observed at any sites, but abandoned nets were found at 12 sites with minor impacts.

As coral reefs are key to supporting a high diversity of marine life, the AFCD noted their cooperation with local coral and marine science experts in August to explore research and conservation strategies, such as identification and enhancement of monitoring of environmental factors associated with coral bleaching as well as devising research projects for alleviating the impact of coral bleaching in the local environment.