Ocean Park has launched a coral restoration centre. It aims to rebuild coral reefs in Hong Kong’s southern seas while educating people about marine wildlife.
“Coral ReefStoration Centre” is nurturing more than 120 coral fragments. They will be planted at Middle Island in Deep Water Bay. There, the project hopes to rebuild 20 square metres of coral reefs in three years.
The project is a joint effort by Ocean Park and Archireef, a new company that uses 3D printing to restore corals.
“Hong Kong’s coral communities now occupy just two-fifths of the sea areas they once ruled,” says David Baker, a professor of ecology. “The corals are scattered around Middle Island. They’re not very abundant. Our goal is to make a rich marine ecosystem.”
The project is using 3D-printed terracotta reef tiles to help the coral fragments grow and survive. David says terracotta is a natural material, and it is also friendly to corals, which attach to the tiles easily.
So far, 7.5 square metres of reef tiles have already been sent to Middle Island.
To safely store the remaining coral fragments in the aquarium at Ocean Park (in the photo), the team used technology such as LED plant-growing lights and intelligent water testing.
Last year, the project asked Hong Kong students to design a game booth that explained the importance of protecting corals. Ten winning students were selected as Star Coral ReefStorators. They had the chance to do more learning about corals through snorkelling and eco-tours.
One of the Star Coral ReefStorators, 10-year-old Lau Pak-yu, said his favourite activity was snorkelling at Tung Ping Chau.
Five things to know about
- Corals are formed by tiny animals called polyps. Coral usually grows in warm tropical oceans.
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A coral reef is a place where many corals grow. The reef makes a good home for many other animals, such as fish, crabs, clams and sponges.
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Each coral animal deposits a mineral called calcium carbonate around itself. This makes the solid structure of the reef. When the animal dies, new polyps live on top of the old one. The rock they make is also called coral.
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Coral reefs grow around islands. They can protect islands against tsunami.
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The Coral ReefStoration Centre at Ocean Park is holding guided tours. You can see the 3D-printed reef tiles and watch experiments to understand the threats faced by coral reefs.
