Bearing Witness to 11 Years of Underwater Analysis and Including 9 New Species Information for Hong Kong
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 April 2026 – BLOOM Affiliation Hong Kong formally launches the publication, Unbelievable Reef Fishes and The place to Discover Them—Area Information of the 114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey (hereafter known as “the Area Information”). Funded by The Swire Group Charitable Belief, the Area Information is a documentation of reef fishes present in Hong Kong waters, created with the intention of enhancing public understanding of native reef fish biodiversity and selling marine environmental schooling, conservation, and consciousness.
Unbelievable Reef Fishes and The place to Discover Them—Area Information of the 114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey options 422 reef fish species, together with 9 species that weren’t beforehand recorded in Hong Kong in any scientific literature.
This Area Information showcases findings of the 114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey (hereafter known as “the 114°E Survey”), primarily based on underwater survey observations and knowledge collected within the 11 years from 2014 to 2024. It options 422 reef fish species from 91 households, together with 9 species that weren’t beforehand recorded in Hong Kong in any scientific literature (See Appendix I). The 5-lined coral goby (Gobiodon quinquestrigatus) which spends most of their lives in a small patch of corals, and the brightly colored Threespot angelfish (Apolemichthys trimaculatus) are some examples, suggesting that there should be fish species that await discovery in native waters. The e-book incorporates over one thousand underwater images, all taken in Hong Kong waters, and every species account is accompanied by meticulous fish illustrations to focus on key identification options. It’s the first amongst native publications of its type, and offers readers with correct, accessible, and academic content material.
The 114°E Survey started in 2014 with solely a handful of volunteer divers, working to systematically report the range of Hong Kong’s reef fishes by scuba diving surveys. Since then, greater than 400 volunteers have participated, coming from a variety of backgrounds and introduced collectively by a shared ardour for diving and appreciation for the marine life. Seeing the rising consciousness for biodiversity conservation within the metropolis and the truth that beforehand printed native reef fish guides are largely not accessible out there, Stan Shea, co-founder of the 114°E Survey and one of many editors of the Area Information, conceived the thought of manufacturing a brand new information utilizing the intensive knowledge and images gathered through the years.
“Many individuals are unaware of the unimaginable range beneath the waves. If the general public doesn’t even know what sorts of fish dwell in our waters, how can we anticipate extra folks to assist marine conservation?” says Stan Shea.
Among the many 400+ reef fish species documented by the 114°E Survey group are well-known species, similar to Seahorses and Clownfish, in addition to species which can be threatened with extinction, such because the Hong Kong grouper and the Humphead wrasse. The Area Information highlights the fishes’ magnificence and traits, aids identification, and presents species’ sighting frequencies throughout years. It combines knowledge with survey anecdotes, overlaying encounter patterns, ecological tales, and interactions between divers and reef fishes. These accounts have interaction readers whereas additionally function a historic report of Hong Kong’s reef fish range for this decade.
One other editor of the Area Information, Yiu Wai Hong, famous that past serving as a sensible software e-book for nature lovers and the general public, he hopes that the Area Information may even assist environmental schooling for the subsequent era. It’s supposed to offer colleges, lecturers, and college students with regionally related studying supplies for marine science and ecology, encourage additional analysis and publications for Hong Kong’s marine area, and encourage assist for conservation measures, such because the institution of marine protected areas, to make sure that Hong Kong’s unimaginable range is preserved for the appreciation and pleasure of generations to return.
Abstract
Unbelievable Reef Fishes and The place to Discover Them – Area Information of the 114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey paperwork 422 reef fish species from 91 households recorded throughout underwater surveys in Hong Kong waters between 2014 and 2024. The e-book consists of:
- Species accounts detailing options, traits, and offering identification steerage
- Basic info on native distribution
- Underwater images of reef fishes taken in Hong Kong waters
- Reef fish ecological tales
- Divers’ observations and interactions with reef fish
Objective and Significance of the Publication:
BLOOM Affiliation Hong Kong hopes that the publication will:
- Improve public understanding of reef fish range in Hong Kong waters
- Assist environmental schooling for colleges, lecturers, and college students
- Present baseline information usable for reef fish analysis and conservation
- Function a historic report of native reef fish range for the previous 11 years
Hashtag: #BLOOMAssociationHongKong
The issuer is solely liable for the content material of this announcement.
About BLOOM Affiliation Hong Kong
Established in 2009, BLOOM Affiliation Hong Kong is devoted to bridging the hole between folks and science, inspiring public curiosity in marine conservation, and dealing with stakeholders to enhance each native waters and world oceans.
