List of Projects Funded by the Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund

Reference No. / Project Title	Project Description	Applicant Organisation	Funded Amount (HK$)	Completion Report
MEEF2017015B Conservation Ecology of Chinese White Dolphins across the Pearl River Estuary Phase 3: Connectivity, Metapopulation Structure and Source-Sink Dynamics#	This application is part of a multi-year project, aiming at developing a sound ecological framework for the conservation of Chinese White Dolphins (CWDs) across the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) region, from Hong Kong to the western reaches of the PRE. The current phase of the project will investigate the population processes that shape the daily lives of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) dolphins and quantify metapopulation dynamics and the socio-spatial network of interactions for CWDs across the whole PRD region. Furthermore, molecular techniques will be applied to examine the source-sink dynamics of the PRD metapopulation, and its likely ecological determinants.	Cetacea Research Institute Limited	1,900,000 (For Year 19/20)
MEEF2018010A What Do Dolphins Do At Night?: Filling Knowledge Gaps in Night Time Range and Behaviour Activities of Chinese White Dolphins in Hong Kong*	This application is part of a multi-year project, aiming to conduct night time acoustic surveys of the entire habitat of CWDs in Hong Kong to provide information on night time density, occurrence and behaviour information of CWDs. Day time acoustic surveys will also be conducted to calibrate visual observations with the respective acoustic data. The collected information on habitat use patterns and behaviour will assist in understanding the temporal change in dolphin population for filling knowledge gaps in night time.	SMRU (HONG KONG) Limited	1,215,460 (For Year 19/20)
MEEF2018011A Impact of microplastics on the Chinese horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus in Hong Kong western waters (Phase II)*	This application is part of a multi-year project, aiming to investigate the ecological impact of microplastics (≤ 250 μm) on Chinese horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong western waters based on laboratory and field studies.  Findings from this project will help to identify local pollution hotspots and to evaluate the ecological risk of microplastics to horseshoe crabs, providing important information for conservation of horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong and South China.	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	349,000 (For Year 19/20)
MEEF2019002 Value of peri-urban and small-scale mangrove forests in the Pearl River estuary as fish habitats	This application is part of a multi-year project, aiming to assess the value of peri-urban small-scale mangrove forests in the Pearl River estuary (PRE) as habitat for juvenile fish and understand the importance of mangrove forest structural complexity to supporting juvenile fish use of the habitat. The project findings will be used in recommending ecologically sound options for the management and restoration of mangrove habitats in the PRE.	The Chinese University of Hong Kong	934,740 (For Year 19/20)
MEEF2019008 Habitat conservation by high resolution mapping of population connectivity: oyster reef recruitment patterns in the Pearl River Delta	The project aims to use population demographics and genetics to map the status of oyster populations, genetic diversity, recruitment patterns, gene flow, and connectivity between oyster populations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), especially around Lantau Island and western Hong Kong.  The project findings will facilitate protection and restoration of key oyster populations and overall oyster reef associated habitat conservation efforts in Hong Kong and provide a better understanding of the connectivity in the PRD to facilitate the development of conservation strategy.	The University of Hong Kong	691,358
MEEF2019010 Three-dimensional forensic scene investigation of marine vessel interaction in Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises in the Hong Kong waters	This application is part of a multi-year project, focussing on three-dimensional forensic scene investigation of marine vessel interaction, by conducting matching analysis on injury on all cetaceans stranded in the HK waters, using 3-D models obtained from virtopsy and 3DSS datasets of the carcasses and suspected injury-inflicting instrument. In addition, spatio-temporal models of vessel interaction risk based on the overlap between cetacean population density/habitat use and marine traffic, and the unsuspected vessel interaction ‘hot spots’ will also be established and identified, which can complement information provided by postmortem investigations and eye-witness reports. This project will achieve useful outcomes to facilitate related government departments and stakeholders to formulate and implement effective management plan for injury prevention for vulnerable local resident cetaceans in Hong Kong waters.	City University of Hong Kong	1,224,237 (For Year 19/20)