Victoria Harbour Research Articles

Development of a multiple-biomarker approach using the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis for marine pollution monitoring: a case study in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Pollutants often exist as mixtures in environmental settings, creating a challenge in selecting the most effective combination of biomarkers for routine monitoring. This study was conducted seasonally in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, to compare the responses of nine biomarkers in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis with respect to its tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Multivariate statistical techniques were utilised to determine the single best predictor and optimal subset of biomarkers in P. viridis for each of the four scenarios: representing overall biomarker responses in the dry season, and wet season, as well as correlating tissue levels of mixed pollutants in the dry season, and wet season. Our findings recommend lysosomal destabilisation, and the nucleic acid ratio of RNA to DNA, as the core biomarkers in P. viridis for marine pollution monitoring. The non-specificity of these biomarkers allows effective identification of pollution hotspots and guides further detailed assessment.

Remotely sensed estimates of long-term biochemical oxygen demand over Hong Kong marine waters using machine learning enhanced by imbalanced label optimisation

In many coastal cities around the world, continuing water degradation threatens the living environment of humans and aquatic organisms. To assess and control the water pollution situation, this study estimated the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) concentration of Hong Kong's marine waters using remote sensing and an improved machine learning (ML) method. The scheme was derived from four ML algorithms (RBF, SVR, RF, XGB) and calibrated using a large amount (N > 1000) of in-situ BOD5 data. Based on labeled datasets with different preprocessing, i.e., the original BOD5, the log10(BOD5), and label distribution smoothing (LDS), three types of models were trained and evaluated. The results highlight the superior potential of the LDS-based model to improve BOD5 estimate by dealing with imbalanced training dataset. Additionally, XGB and RF outperformed RBF and SVR when the model was developed using log10(BOD5) or LDS(BOD5). Over two decades, the BOD5 concentration of Hong Kong marine waters in the autumn (Sep. to Nov.) shows a downward trend, with significant decreases in Deep Bay, Western Buffer, Victoria Harbour, Eastern Buffer, Junk Bay, Port Shelter, and the Tolo Harbour and Channel. Principal component analysis revealed that nutrient levels emerged as the predominant factor in Victoria Harbour and the interior of Deep Bay, while chlorophyll-related and physical parameters were dominant in Southern, Mirs Bay, Northwestern, and the outlet of Deep Bay. LDS provides a new perspective to improve ML-based water quality estimation by alleviating the imbalance in the labeled dataset. Overall, the remotely sensed BOD5 can offer insight into the spatial-temporal distribution of organic matter in Hong Kong coastal waters and valuable guidance for the pollution control.

Morpho-molecular and environmental evidence of the ocurrence of Karenia longicanalis (Dinophyceae: Kareniaceae) as a bloom former in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Karenia longicanalis, an athecate dinoflagellate, was first described during a bloom in Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong, China). This study confirms the presence of K. longicanalis as a bloom former in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Specimens were collected in March 2019 at three sampling stations in Acapulco Bay, Mexico. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were measured in situ at the time of sample collection. Cell morphology was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. A molecular analysis based on the amplification of the large subunit (LSU) rDNA region revealed that the LSU sequences formed a monophyletic group with other GenBank sequences belonging to K. longicanalis. The resulting phylogeny demonstrates that Karenia is closely related to Asterodinium, Gertia, and Shimiella. The morphology of the specimens was consistent with previous descriptions.

Sediment Spatial Distribution and Quality Assessment of Metals in Chinook Salmon and Resident Killer Whale Marine Habitat in British Columbia, Canada.

At-risk resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations of the northeastern Pacific, Canada, and their main prey, Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), are exposed to a variety of contaminants including chemical elements from both natural and anthropogenic sources, which may be constraining their recovery. Concentrations of 36 chemical elements in subtidal surface sediments (1-435m depth) collected from 98 sites along the British Columbia coast were used to characterize coast-wide patterns, and a subset of metals (mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb)) were selected to assess Chinook Salmon and resident killer whale marine habitat quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a dominance of Hg, antimony (Sb), Pb, Cu, and zinc (Zn) for Prince Rupert Harbour, Victoria Harbour, and Burrard Inlet, suggesting local sources. Based on the PCA, geochemical properties such as total organic carbon (TOC), acid volatile sulfide (AVS), and pH explained the spatial distribution of all elements in sediment (p < 0.001). Mercury, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, and Pb hotspots were identified along the coast of Vancouver Island, the central and north coast, in the Strait of Georgia, and Haida Gwaii. Bischof Island of Haida Gwaii and Ardmillan Bay on the central coast were most contaminated and enriched by Cd, determined by geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and enrichment factor (EF), respectively. Marine habitat quality was assessed by comparing metal concentrations to Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). Chinook Salmon populations may be indirectly affected by metal toxicity (As > Cd and Cu > Ni > Hg > Pb) to lower trophic level prey species. Toxicity related impacts to benthic organisms as a result of exposure to elevated Cd and As concentrations in Northern Resident Killer Whale critical habitat and to Hg, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, and Pb concentrations in Southern Resident Killer Whale critical habitat may indirectly pose a threat to resident killer whale populations, highlighting a need for management actions to reduce risks associated with these metals.

Extreme Sea Levels and Their Attribution for the Canadian Pacific Coast From a Baroclinic Regional Ocean Model and Tide‐Gauge Data

AbstractThe existing operational storm surge model for the Canadian Pacific coast is barotropic without coupling with tides. Here a baroclinic ocean model, which includes tides, storm surges, intra‐seasonal, seasonal, and interannual variations, is developed to reproduce coastal sea levels in the northeast Pacific from 1993 to 2020. The model results are validated against observations at tide‐gauge sites, demonstrating overall good skills for tides and non‐tidal sea levels. The Gumbel distribution is applied to derive extreme sea levels from hourly sea level anomalies. The model‐based extreme sea levels agree approximately with the observation‐based ones. For the 100‐year return period, modeled total extreme sea levels range from 2.14 m at Victoria Harbour to 4.43 m at Queen Charlotte City, and modeled non‐tidal extreme sea levels from 1.02 m at Bella Bella to 1.78 m at Queen Charlotte City. On average, the model‐based values underestimate the 100‐year return level by 0.18 m for total extreme sea levels and by 0.23 m for non‐tidal extreme sea levels. Both the model‐ and observation‐based results reveal that the storm surge at periods less than 10 d accounts for 60% of the 100‐year non‐tidal extreme sea level, and the intra‐seasonal, seasonal, and interannual variations account for 40% of it. The present study improves coastal sea level modeling and model‐based extreme level estimates. Moreover, this study also demonstrates for the first time that the intra‐seasonal to interannual changes contribute substantially to extreme sea levels and that El Niño can enhance this contribution on the Canadian Pacific coast.

Visual surveys provide baseline data on small vessel traffic and waterbirds in a coastal protected area.

The coastal waters of southern British Columbia, Canada, encompass habitat of international conservation significance to coastal and marine birds, including sizeable areas designated in the early 1900s as Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS) to protect overwintering waterfowl from hunting near urban centres. Two of these, Shoal Harbour (SHMBS) and Victoria Harbour (VHMBS), have seen significant marine infrastructure development in recent decades and experience considerable vessel traffic. Vessel-related stressors are known to affect waterbirds, but traffic characteristics in coastal urban areas are poorly understood for the smaller vessels not tracked by Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). We conducted a pilot study using shore-based observers to develop small-vessel baselines for the winter months, when regional waterbird numbers are highest. During our surveys we recorded considerable inter-site variability in vessel traffic characteristics, with one site (SHMBS) a source of nearly twice as many vessel transits as the other (VHMBS). Most recorded vessels were small watercraft (mean length 26 ± 17', mode 18'), and vessels at the high-traffic site were both shorter and faster on average. One in six vessels were classified as 'noisy', of interest given that noise is an important component of vessel disturbance of waterbirds and other marine animals. Few vessels (7% of all recorded) were of the type required to carry AIS transponders, which highlights the monitoring gap created by using AIS-based approaches alone in nearshore waters, and allows for correction of AIS-derived vessel counts. Waterbird community composition also varied by locality, with one site dominated by gulls (Laridae), cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), and seaducks (Tribe Mergini), and the other by gulls, cormorants, and alcids (Alcidae). Our results demonstrate that fine-scale local variability must be taken into account when managing for vessel traffic disturbance of waterbirds, particularly at sites of high human population density and increasing coastal development.

A novel multi-ship collision probability estimation method considering data-driven quantification of trajectory uncertainty

The collision risk prediction is crucial for the safety management of maritime transportation. Previous studies have primarily focused on the near-miss collision risk of two ships, yet the risk due to congestion caused by multiple ships is complex and also very challenging for safe management. In this paper, a novel multi-ship collision probability assessment method is proposed. To consider the uncertainty of ship motion, a deep learning multi-model integration method is proposed to predict the ship motion trajectory to quantify the time-varying stochasticity of ship motion. Then, a method for calculating collision probability is proposed based on Monte Carlo simulation by integrating importance sampling techniques with the cross-entropy method. The model is combined with the ship trajectory estimator to quantify the collision probability. To prove the validity of the developed model, a case study based on Victoria Harbour is illustrated. The results show that this method can provide early warning of multi-ship collision risk. The method can offer an important basis for maritime collision risk monitoring and ship navigation risk assessment for maritime administration departments and shore-based center of maritime autonomous ships.

Improving Risk Projection and Mapping of Coastal Flood Hazards Caused by Typhoon-Induced Storm Surges and Extreme Sea Levels

Seawater inundation mapping plays a crucial role in climate change adaptation and flooding risk reduction for coastal low-lying areas. This study presents a new elevation model called the digital impermeable surface model (DISM) based on the topographical data acquired by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) for improving seawater inundation mapping. The proposed DISM model, along with the bathtub model, was used to assess coastal vulnerability to flooding in significant tropical cyclone events in a low-lying region of Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. The inundation simulations were evaluated based on the typhoon news and reports which indicated the actual storm surge flooding conditions. Our findings revealed that the proposed DISM obtains a higher accuracy than the existing digital elevation model (DEM) and the digital surface model (DSM) with a RMSE of 0.035 m. The DISM demonstrated a higher skill than the DEM and the DSM by better accounting for the water-repellent functionality of each geospatial feature and the water inflow under real-life conditions. The inundation simulations affirmed that at least 88.3% of the inundated areas could be recognized successfully in this newly-designed model. Our findings also revealed that accelerating sea level rise in Victoria Harbor may pose a flooding threat comparable to those induced by super typhoons by the end of the 21st century under two representative emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The seawater may overtop the existing protective measures and facilities, making it susceptible to flood-related hazards.

Microplastics distribution in sediment and mussels along the British Columbia Coast, Canada.

Microplastics (MPs) were characterized in surficial marine sediment (n=36) and mussel (n=29) samples collected along the British Columbia (BC) coast, Canada, using visual identification and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry. MPs counts averaged 32.6±5.3 particles per kg in sediment and 0.38±0.04 particles per individual mussel (0.24±0.04 /g of tissue). Victoria Harbour and the North Coast (Prince Rupert area) were MP hotspots, likely resulting from a combination of local sources and oceanographic conditions. Microfibers <1000μm dominated the pattern in both matrices (61.1% in sediment; 65.4% mussels) highlighting the suspected role of textiles in the widespread distribution of MPs in the marine environment. Overall, polyester was dominant in sediment and mussels (54.1% and 63.5%, respectively), followed by polyethylene (16.2% and 11.5%, respectively). This is the first report of MPs in sediment and mussels along the coast of BC using standardized methods.

A historical re-analysis of the calamitous midget typhoon passing through Hong Kong on 18 September 1906 and its storm surge impact to Hong Kong

A typhoon passed through Hong Kong suddenly and unexpectedly on 18 September 1906 (the “Typhoon 1906”) and had a disastrous impact on Victoria Harbour and its surroundings in just a couple of hours. Since the year 1906 was the “Bingwu” year in the Chinese calendar, the typhoon is also known historically as the “Bingwu Typhoon”. Tremendous loss of lives and property resulted, and the shipping and fishing communities were devastated. Two mysteries arising from this calamitous typhoon have existed to date: 1) Why the Hong Kong Observatory was not able to provide any forewarning? 2) whether the storm surge reported in some contemporary records is entirely credible? This paper will focus on both of these.In this paper, we re-analyse historical weather observations recorded in various historical documents and estimate the possible storm size, intensity and track of Typhoon 1906 using tropical cyclone models. Based on the re-analyses, the storm surges, storm tides and wave heights in Hong Kong are also estimated using storm surge and wave models. The results reveal that Typhoon 1906 was a midget typhoon, with a radius of maximum winds of 11 km or smaller, during its passage through Hong Kong. This explains why it was technically impossible for a forewarning to be given at that time when real-time weather observations from ships, meteorological satellites and radars were non-existent. We also estimate that the maximum storm surges (storm tides) in Hong Kong were not higher than 0.82 m (2.43 mCD) and 1.98 m (4.15 mCD) in Victoria Harbour and Tolo Harbour respectively. These figures are found to be limited by the intensity and the storm size of the typhoon. Therefore, we conclude that the previously documented storm surge figures are not supported by the present study.

Characterization and Interpolation of Sediment Polychlorinated Biphenylsand Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethersin Resident Killer Whale Habitat along the Coast of British Columbia, Canada.

The northeastern Pacific northern and southern resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations are listed as threatened and endangered in Canada, respectively, with persistent, bioaccumulative contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), posing threats to their recovery. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in subtidal surface sediments collected from 97 sites along the British Columbia (BC) coast were used to identify their distribution and profiles, and to assess killer whale habitat quality. Victoria Harbour (VH3(site ID: 1) ) sediments exhibited the highest PCB and PBDE concentrations. For PCBs, PCB-138 was found at the highest concentration, followed by PCB-153, PCB-110, PCB-149, PCB-101, and PCB-118. For PBDEs, individual congeners were ranked as follows: BDE-209 > BDE-207 > BDE-206 > BDE-208 > BDE-47 > BDE-99. Principal component analyses (PCA) illustrated the variations in contaminant profiles, with PC1 for PCBs and PBDEs correlated with the octanol-water partition coefficient (log KOW , p < 0.003). Based on the PCA, sediment particle size, total organic carbon (TOC), and water depth at collection were other factors associated with the distribution of PBDEs, while PCB profiles were associated with TOC. Total PCB and PBDE concentrations at 100% and 34% of the sites, respectively, exceeded the recently adopted British Columbia's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Working Sediment Quality Guidelines (PCBs 3.7 pg/g dry wt and PBDEs 1000 pg/g dry wt), considered protective of killer whales. Our findings suggest that the legacy of banned PCBs and PBDEs has the potential to constrain the recovery of killer whales as a result of their mobilization from sediments and consequent uptake by marine food webs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2139-2151. © 2022 SETAC.

Ecological–Health Risk Assessments of Copper in the Sediments: A Review and Synthesis

The ecological and children’s Health Risk Assessments (HRA) of Copper (Cu) in aquatic bodies ranging from rivers, mangrove, estuaries, and offshore areas were studied using the Cited Cu Data in The Sediments (CCDITS) from 125 randomly selected papers published from 1980 to 2022. The ecological and children’s HRA were assessed in all CCDITS. Generally, local point Cu sources (8%) and lithogenic sources were the main controlling factors of Cu concentrations. The present review revealed three interesting points. First, there were 11 papers (8%) documenting Cu levels of more than 500 mg/kg dw while China was the country with the highest number (26%) of papers published between 1980 and 2022, out of 37 countries. Second, with the Cu data cited from the literature not normally distributed, the maximum Cu level was higher than all the established guidelines. However, the median Cu concentration was lower than most of the established guidelines. The median values of the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated a status of ‘unpolluted‘ and ‘moderate contamination’ for the contamination factor (CF), and ‘low potential ecological risk’ for the ecological risk (ER) of Cu. However, the Cu ER could be based at present on the above mentioned 8% of the literature in the present study. Third, the calculated hazard index (HI) values were found to be below 1, indicating no potential chance of Cu non–carcinogenic effects in both adults and children, except for children’s HI values from Lake Pamvotis of Greece, and Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. Thus, regular monitoring (every 2 years), depending upon the available resources, is recommended to assess the ecological–health risk of Cu pollution in aquatic bodies to abate the risk of Cu exposure to children’s health and avoid injurious impacts on the biota. It can be concluded that there is always a need for the mitigation and management of a Cu exposure risk assessment that can be used successfully for screening purposes to detect important human health exposure routes. Consequently, any sediments contaminated with Cu require rapid sediment remediation techniques.

Adaptive-weight water quality assessment and human health risk analysis for river water in Hong Kong.

The water quality of Hong Kong's four water control zones (Tolo Harbour and Channel, Port Shelter, Victoria Harbour, and Junk Bay) is of vital importance and has attracted much attention. This study aims to more objectively and comprehensively assess the water quality and its health impact based on the four-year monitoring data of 21 parameters collected from four zones. First, physicochemical characteristics of the water system were investigated based on multivariate statistical approaches, including Kruskal-Wallis test, hierarchical cluster analysis, and Mann-Kendall test. Then, water quality levels over space and time and the element sources were analyzed using adaptive-weight water quality index (AWQI) method, and factor analysis, respectively. Finally, the potential harm of trace elements for humankind was identified based on the health risk assessment model. The results revealed that (1) the values of more than half of the water quality parameters exhibited significant interannual changes, and the values of all parameters distinctly varied over space; (2) The water quality status in four water control zones showed a steady and long-term improvement trend from 2016 to 2019; (3) The sources of pollution elements impacting water quality status were related to the comprehensive influence of human activities and natural processes; (4) The carcinogenic risks of all trace elements were negligible or acceptable, while Mn and As may cause noncarcinogenic harm to humankind.

External and Internal Forcings for Hypoxia Formation in an Urban Harbour in Hong Kong

Eutrophication-driven hypoxia is one of the reasons for the deterioration of coastal waters, especially those adjacent to densely inhabited urban cities. Thus, effective hypoxia management is urgently needed, and quantitative knowledge of factors controlling hypoxia is required. A case in point is the coastal water around Hong Kong, a megacity that has over 7.5 million residents and is located downstream of the large and nutrient-rich Pearl River. The Victoria Harbour (VH) is the core area of Hong Kong water and has been suffering from marine environment deterioration for years because of external biogeochemical influxes from adjacent waters and internal physical and biogeochemical responses. Three channels orienting from south to north (C1), southeast to northwest (C2), and west to east (C3) connect the VH to adjacent waters and serve as the primary exchange pathways for water mass and biogeochemical substances. Using observational data and a coupled physical–biogeochemical model, we showed that the northward transport of low dissolved oxygen (DO) water from the coastal transition zone by the shoreward bottom current mainly through C1 directly contributes to the hypoxia formation in VH. The external influx of anthropogenic nutrients and organic matter through C2 further enhances the bottom water hypoxia in VH by stimulating phytoplankton bloom and microbial consumption of oxygen in water columns and sediments. Although the horizontal oxygen influx to VH is weak, the comparatively strong vertical mixing in C3 facilitates the replenishment of bottom water in the VH, mitigating bottom hypoxia. Locally in the VH, sediment oxygen demand is the dominant biogeochemical contributor (~93%) to hypoxia formation, while the contribution of water column remineralization is relatively minor (~6-7%). In general, vertical diffusion serves as the largest source (~57%) of DO in the VH because of the strong vertical DO gradient, whereas vertical motion ranks the second largest source of DO (~24%) and serves as a critical physical factor regulating the oxygen budget of the entire VH. In the spatial constriction area where the vertical DO gradient is weak, the magnitude of vertical motion exceeds vertical diffusion to become the largest source of DO (~48%).

Uptake of PCBs into sediment dwellers and trophic transfer in relation to sediment conditions in the Salish Sea

We examined uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into various marine sediment feeders relative to physical and geochemical factors and transfer to higher trophic levels. PCBs exceeding Canadian Council Ministers of the Environment Guidelines by 6–55× were found in industrialized harbours and some near-outfall sediments, indicating ongoing land input. Sediment PCBs were correlated with organic flux and content. Tissue PCBs were &gt;10× sediment PCBs in all samples and highest in Victoria Harbour infauna, suggesting considerable uptake from these extremely contaminated, organically enriched, chronically disturbed sediments. Sediment PCBs were the primary predictor of tissue lipid PCBs followed by %fines. This results in generally higher tissue PCBs in more depositional regions. The lipid/sediment PCBs (uptake rate) declined with increasing sediment PCBs, acid volatile sulfides and benthos biomass turnover. PCB homologue composition did not change with uptake from sediments or at higher trophic levels, suggesting minimal metabolization in tissues. Trophic bio-magnification occurs since lipid PCBs were 2–100× higher in seal blubber than sediment feeders. PCBs were compared with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) for the same samples. PCBs were highest in industrialized harbours, whereas PBDEs were elevated in harbours but highest near wastewater discharges. This reflects differences in usage history, sediment dynamics, and affinities. PCBs appear to be more bio-accumulative and persistent at higher trophic levels than PBDEs.

Benthic ostracod diversity and biogeography in an urbanized seascape

Hong Kong is one of the most urbanized coastal cities in the world. Yet, despite extensive anthropogenic impacts, adjacent marine environments harbour tremendous biodiversity. We investigated how the diversity, taxonomic composition, and biogeography of meiobenthic ostracods in Hong Kong's coastal waters vary in response to natural and anthropogenic factors. Our regression models indicated that metal pollution and mud content were the main factors affecting meiofaunal diversity, with eutrophication also playing a role. The highest diversity was observed in the Victoria Harbour region at the center of Hong Kong's urbanized seascape, and the lowest diversities were observed in Mirs Bay, Port Shelter, and Tolo Harbour. Ostracod diversity and biogeography patterns are congruent with published studies of other soft-sediment fauna, which also identified a diversity peak in Hong Kong's urban center and a vast southern water biofacies characterized by muddy and turbid conditions. These results do not apply to organisms that prefer oligotrophic conditions, such as hard corals. For those taxa, eutrophic waters in western Hong Kong are generally not habitable and higher diversities are observed in less productive, eastern waters. Our findings indicate that meiofaunal ostracods can be used more broadly as a bioindicator for the diversity of soft sediment benthos.

Improved urban heat island mitigation using bioclimatic redevelopment along an urban waterfront at Victoria Dockside, Hong Kong

Bioclimatic design provides solutions to mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect and improving urban quality of life. Waterfront settings provide a unique opportunity for UHI mitigation, as cool winds (i.e. sea breezes) provide good cooling conditions. We used ENVI-met numerical simulations to investigate the synergistic mitigation effects of redeveloped urban forms, ventilation corridors, and extensive greenery on local microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort at an urban waterfront in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. The thermal performance along the waterfront and within an inner urbanised area was evaluated in three scenarios: existing configuration (Case A), redeveloped building form (Case B), and Case B with a ventilation corridor and extensive greenery added. In the study area's subtropical climate, the additional strategies used led to a synergistic improvement in microclimate and thermal comfort in both settings. The appropriate use of combined urban forms and ventilation corridors along waterfronts can thus lead to a more acceptable pedestrian-level wind environment and enhance the ventilation potential within inner urbanised areas. The cooling intensity of greenery (turf and green facades) along such waterfronts can also be extended for further benefits. Overall, the synergistic mitigation effects of redeveloped urban forms, ventilation corridors, and extensive greenery in proximity to water bodies demonstrated here provide science-based guidance for the use of bioclimatic design along urban waterfronts in order to achieve improved microclimates and thermal comfort at neighbourhood scales.

Investigating the link between Pearl River-induced eutrophication and hypoxia in Hong Kong shallow coastal waters

We present geochemical analysis of 75 surface water samples collected in 2016 in Hong Kong coastal waters. We found that nitrogen distribution around Hong Kong can be characterized by two regimes driven by the influence of the Pearl River: 1) a regime where nitrate is the dominant species of nitrogen, associated with lower salinity and more faecal coliform and 2) a regime where dissolved organic nitrogen is dominant, associated with higher salinity and fewer faecal coliform. While the impact of the Pearl River on Hong Kong coastal waters is well characterized, we used the sharp contrast between the nitrogen regimes to produce new evidence about the role of the Pearl River on the generation of local hypoxia in Hong Kong. The impact of nitrate originating from the Pearl River on the generation of hypoxia in Hong Kong might be less important than previously thought, as no sign of eutrophication was found within the zones dominated by dissolved organic nitrogen and an historical decoupling of surface processes and bottom water oxygenation was observed. Moreover, we measured elevated ammonium levels and rapid cycling of ammonium and dissolved organic nitrogen in Victoria Harbour suggesting local sources, such as wastewater, might be rapidly oxidized and thus play an important role in the consumption of oxygen locally. A first-order calculation highlighted the potential for wastewater to drive the observed seasonal decline in oxygen. Taken together, these evidences suggest that eutrophication might not be the primary driver in the generation of seasonal hypoxia and that oxidation of ammonium released locally might play a bigger role than initially thought.

Spatial and temporal variations of coastal microplastic pollution in Hong Kong

Further to our 2015–16 investigation, this study revealed the repeated presence of microplastics (MPs) in the coastal environment (Deep Bay, Tolo Harbour, Tsing Yi and Victoria Harbour) of Hong Kong from July 2016 to March 2017. The highest level of MPs in coastal surface water (17,182 particles/100 m3) was detected in Tsing Yi. Microplastic abundance in sediments of different sites (59 to 225 plastic particles/kg), however, did not vary significantly. MPs in the size of ≤1 mm were predominated in surface waters (53.3% to 98.6%) and sediments (79.1% to 96.8%). MPs in the shape of pellets and fragments were prevalent in surface waters and sediments respectively. Seasonal pattern of microplastic pollution was consistently observed in Victoria Harbour and Tsing Yi, where the number of MPs was always higher in dry season than in wet season for two consecutive years.

Microplastics from effluents of sewage treatment works and stormwater discharging into the Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

Sewage treatment works and stormwater outfalls were identified as sources of microplastics in the Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. Local treated sewage and stormwater effluents contained up to 10,816 pieces per m3 of microplastics, mainly polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), being discharged at an average rate of 3.5 mg per capita daily. Bioaccumulation of microplastics in marine fish collected from the vicinity of the effluent discharge outfalls was also studied. The temporal variations of microplastics in terms of abundance, shape and polymer type in fish were found consistent with those in the effluents and surface water. The abundance of microplastics was significantly higher in March 2017 (dry season). Microplastics in fish were predominantly in fiber form and identified as PE and PP. The observed temporal variations suggest uptake of microplastics by fish from the treated sewage and stormwater effluents.