ASPECTS OF HONG KONG MARINE FAUNA*
LAMARR B. TROTT, PH.D.
Introduction
We are in an age of exploration. The human animal is using its abilities to travel outward, downward, and inward toward the unknown in realms of space, the oceans, and living cells. The past decade, the 1960's, has found men circling and finally landing on the moon, living for weeks in underwater laboratories, and understanding much of the complex molecular structure of protoplasm. Hong Kong has been an active participant in all these adventures, for William Anders, who circled the moon, was born in Hong Kong, and our two universities are engaged in research in the other two fields of exploration. As my scope of interest falls in the marine field, I will concentrate on this.
An interest in submarine features of the sea was generated during the second world war, particularly by those persons who were involved in the Pacific theater; by various navies in connection with underwater demolition and sonar detection; by the invention of the aqualung; and, by a general interest in obtaining more food for a constantly expanding world population. Indeed, by the end of the 1950's, 2/3 of the world's population was underfed† Now this figure is even higher. The number of people in the world, with the aid of medical science, is increasing at an almost Malthusian exponential rate. Population pressures are exceedingly evident in Hong Kong, and the inability of the colony to produce enough food for its people is a constant threat to continued well-being. Seventy percent of the world is covered by water. Utilization of marine resources is thus a possible answer to feeding the undernourished.
As is the case with other Asian areas, Hong Kong depends to a great extent on marine food products. The yield of marine edible foods in Hong Kong for the year 1967, for example, was 93,000 metric tons‡ Eighty-six percent of this was fishes, 10%
* Presentation based on a lecture given to the Hong Kong Branch, Royal Asiatic Society in April, 1969. Dr. Trott is Lecturer in the Department of Biology, Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
† Walford, 1958.
‡ Williamson, 1968.
The colour plates of 1-6 at the end of the Volume illustrate this article. Ed.