XN000022-1975-08-26 — Page 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1975

SPECIAL UNIT SET UP TO STUDY MARINE POLLUTION

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THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS STEPPED UP ITS FICHT AGAINST SEA POLLUTION BY SETTING UP A NEW UNIT TO STUDY CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG WATERS.

FORMED LATE LAST YEAR, THE MARINE POLLUTION UNIT IS NOW CARRYING OUT A SERIES OF RESEARCHES WITH A VIEW TO RECOMMENDING WAYS IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN AVOID OR REDUCE SEA POLLUTION WHICH COULD OTHERWISE SERIOUSLY AFFECT MARINE LIFE AND THE LOCAL FISHING INDUSTRY.

THE BIGGEST OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS NOW UNDERWAY IS A TERRITORY-WIDE STUDY OF PHYTOPLANKTON (MINUTE FLOATING PLANTS) TO DETERMINE THE VARIOUS DEGREES OF POLLUTION WITHIN HONG KONG WATERS.

IN THIS STUDY, WHICH IS BEING CARRIED OUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, SAMPLES OF SEA WATER AND PHYTOPLANKTON ARE COLLECTED EVERY TWO MONTHS FROM 50 PWD MONITORING STATIONS AROUND HONG KONG.

A SIMILAR BUT MORE INTENSIVE PROGRAMME IS ALSO BEING CONDUCTED IN TOLO HARBOUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY.

THE SAMPLES ARE ANALYSED IN THE LABORATORY TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL QUANTITIES OF PLANTS COLLECTED, AND TO IDENTIFY THE MOST COMMON SPECIES.

THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF PLANTS VARIES DURING THE YEAR BUT IS ALSO AFFECTED BY POLLUTION DOMESTIC SEWAGE CONTAINS PLANT NUTRIENTS AND MAY STIMULATE GROWTH, BUT MANY INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS ARE POISONOUS.

THESE EFFECTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE PHYTOPLANKTON FORMS THE BASIC FOOD OF MARINE ANIMALS UPON WHICH FISH FEED.

IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES IS USEFUL BECAUSE SOME PLANTS ARE ONLY ABLE TO SURVIVE IN CLEAN WATER, WHILE THERE ARE OTHERS WHICH THRIVE DEST IN POLLUTED CONDITIONS.

A SECOND RESEARCH PROJECT IS A SURVEY OF THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF BOTTOM DWELLING ANIMALS. WHICH ARE COLLECTED DOTH IN SPECIALLY DESIGNED GRABS AND BY LOCAL SCUBA DIVERS.

THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY MAKE MORE DETAILED LOCAL ASSESSMENTS POSSIBLE BECAUSE, UNLIKE THE FREE FLOATING PHYTOPLANKTON, MOST DOTTOM ANIMALS SPEND THEIR LIVES WITHIN ONE SMALL AREA.

THE UNIT IS HEADED BY DR. G.B. THOMPSON, A POLLUTION EXPERT WITH A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE BEHIND HIM INCLUDING WORK AS AN OIL POLLUTION RESEARCH OFFICER IN THE IRISH REPUBLIC AND WALES.

HE WAS RECRUITED FROM BRITAIN LATE LAST YEAR TO RUN THE UNIT, WHICH FORMS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S FISHERIES RESEARCH DIVISION.

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