Document of bibliographic reference 300567

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

A 30-year monitoring of changes in coral community structure following anthropogenic disturbances in Tolo Harbour and Channel, Hong Kong

Abstract

Coral communities in Tolo Harbour and Channel, northeastern Hong Kong, suffered from tremendous degradations in 1980s due to excessive sewage pollutions. This study examined changes in coral community structures over the last 30 years including period before, at the height of and after implementation of abatement measures of pollution impacts. Signs of coral degradations finally stopped in inner harbour and some corals started to reappear, likely due to sewage export scheme since 1998. Yet, the coral cover remained very low (<2%) in 2012. Natural recovery is limited by very low coral recruitment success other than that of Oulastrea crispata. The outer coral communities, which suffered least in 1980s, continued to decline, possibly due to new biological disturbances like sea urchin predation and bioerosion. This long-term study clearly revealed how coral communities could so easily be destroyed and yet natural recovery could be so difficult and unlikely.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000441853600100

Bibliographic citation

Wong, K.T.; Chui, A.P.Y.; Lam, E.K.Y.; Ang, P. (2018). A 30-year monitoring of changes in coral community structure following anthropogenic disturbances in Tolo Harbour and Channel, Hong Kong. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 133: 900-910. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.049

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true