WIMS

Understanding the number of species we have in our marine environment is a 1 need if we are to protect and conserve our biodiversity. This is 2 in today's rapidly changing world, not just here in Hong Kong, but 3 in Southeast Asia which holds the world's most diverse marine habitats. SWIMS is playing a 4 role in trying to measure and conserve these important resources, both within Hong Kong but also, together with its regional collaborators, in Southeast Asia." said Professor Gray A. Williams, the leader of this study and the Director of HKU SWIMS. The enormous 5 of marine life in Hong Kong, however, has yet to receive its desirable level of conservation as currently only less than 2% of Hong Kong's marine area is protected as marine parks or reserve as compared with approximately 40 % of our terrestrial area. The Government has committed to designate more new marine parks in the coming years. The Brothers Marine Park in the northern Lantau waters 6 soon, which will bring Hong Kong's total protected marine area to more than 2%. The research team welcomed the initiative of the new marine park 7 also urging the Hong Kong government to move towards the global target of at least 10% marine protected area by the year 2020 under United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).