Towards a 3-dimensional model of Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Hong Kong

Abstract

Hong Kong has a unique marine environment. The intermixing of low salinity water, from the nearby Pearl River estuary outflows, with sea water from three different marine currents producing a variety of varying marine environmental conditions at different times of the year. Hoi Ha Wan is a shallow, small, enclosed bay in the north-east corner of Hong Kong. It has been designated a Marine Park primarily because it contains significant examples of the incipient reefal coral systems that are scattered throughout the local waters. A key interesting feature of this marine community is its ability to tolerate a large variation of temperature and salinity during each year. It is therefore of interest to measure the changes and the rates of changes in key environmental parameters and try to relate these to the actual condition of the marine life in the key areas. The authors have previously reported the development of the Databuoy I system. This paper discusses the upgrades to the original systems, (to DataBuoy II) and reports preliminary results from the current project, which is to develop a 3-dimensional model of the bay, using real-time data from an array of sensors attached to the Databuoys.