Journey to Coral Restoration

Funded by the Subventions for Biodiversity Education (2022), Coral Academy organized for secondary school students and the public. Through a series of activities including a coral introductory seminar, 360° VR virtual underwater survey exercise, coral adoption, water quality monitoring workshop, and a guided tour to visit the coral nursery and propagation facilities at the Simon F. S. Li Marine Science Laboratory CUHK, the participants got to know more about coral biology and their current status in Hong Kong. Also, they were able to assist in the restoration of local coral communities on a first-hand basis, which further connected them with the local coral communities. A total of 179 students and 28 teachers from 16 secondary schools, and 20 public participated in the tours.

For more details, please refer to: https://www.coralacademy.hk/journey-to-coral-restoration

Secondary School Coral Nursery Education Programme

It came the fourth year of this programme with the support of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). Due to the impact of the pandemic last year, this year’s programme is a continuation of the previous academic year. Over 200 students and teachers from 18 schools are participating in the “Secondary School Coral Nursery Education Programme” this year. Same as the previous years, students and teachers can learn more about coral biology and ecology through workshops, seminars and hands-on practices on maintenance of coral tanks and monitoring of corals’ growth and health. Also, we have prepared a range of e-learning materials to enhance students’ understanding on coral nursery.

More information can be found in the summary of this programme in year 2020-2021 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJj9-REVws4

Memorandum of understanding with WWF-HK

In 2022, Coral Academy signed a memorandum of understanding with WWF-HK to collaborate on WWF-HK Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre as coral conservation and nursery demonstration hub to foster education and learning for coral conservation in Hong Kong, so that the education and expertise of Coral Academy could be put to good use for the betterment of Hong Kong’s marine life.

Efforts to Promote Coral Conservation

Coral Academy team has been supporting the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park Visitor Centre of AFCD by providing Staff trainings on topics related to coral biology and restoration in year 2021 and 2022. Invited by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Coral Academy conducted a workshop “Experience Coral Survey through Virtual Reality” at Eco Expo Asia 2022. In 2022, SKLMP member Dr. Apple P.Y. Chui – the founder of Coral Academy – has delivered various coral conservation related public talks and sharing. Examples included AFCD Dialogue with Scientist Series 2022: Coral restoration – a local and global perspectives, Dialogue with Scientist Series 2022: Hong Kong Coral Bleaching, Reef Check Technical Seminar 2022 – Hong Kong Hard Corals, Hong Kong Science Museum – Scientist Sharing session 2022: Coral Mum, Ocean Park Conservation Day – Coral Restoration 101, i-cable – Little Things Big Impact, and RTHK TV Programme – Hong Kong Stories: inventors in Hong Kong.

Our impact

In 2022, we have reached around 10,000 students and teachers from 28 schools through our school-based outreach programme. Apart from imparting knowledge about coral communities and marine life in Hong Kong, we believe that through the activities and unique first-hand experiences provided by Coral Academy, we can help raising students and public awareness of marine environmental threats and conservation efforts, and motivate pro-environmental behavioural changes.