Background Application Documents Funded Projects Committees Meetings Meetings

List of Projects Funded by the Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund

2023 - 2024 | 2022 - 2023 | 2021 - 2022 | 2020 - 2021 | 2019 - 2020 | 2018 - 2019 | 2017 - 2018
Reference No. /
Project Title
Project Description Applicant Organisation Funded Amount (HK$) Completion Report
MEEF2017015C

Conservation Ecology of Chinese White Dolphins across the Pearl River Estuary Phase 3 (Cont.): Metapopulation Dynamics and Viability Analyses#

This is part of a multi-year project, aiming to quantify the metapopulation dynamics and eco-demographic viability for the Chinese White Dolphins (CWDs) across the Pearl River Estuary and assess relevant conservation implications. The project will complete the data-gathering phase of this multi-year undertaking and assemble quantitative evidence that is (i) fundamental to the understanding of conservation ecology of CWDs, (ii) important for strategizing evidence-based conservation priorities and (iii) future delineation of long-term conservation/management framework. Cetacea Research Institute Limited 1,000,000
(For Year 20/21)
**
MEEF2019002A

Value of peri-urban and small-scale mangrove forests in the Pearl River estuary as fish habitats*

This 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 the habitat for juvenile fish and to 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 492,960
(For Year 20/21)
MEEF2019010A
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 is part of a multi-year project, focusing in 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 3-D surface scanning datasets of 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 is expected to 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

1,009,439
(For Year 20/21)
MEEF2020001
Sea of Noise: Documentary about Marine Noise Impacts on Chinese White Dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary
The project will produce a documentary of "Sea of Noise" based on the findings of study on the underwater noise impact on the Chinese white dolphins population in the Pearl River Estuary, followed by screening and public education programme aim to raise public awareness of regional cetacean conservation. The project team aim to generate public support for a planned online petition and pledge, and hence encourage decision makers to adopt mitigation measures to alleviate underwater noise arising from coastal construction, marine traffic and dolphin ecotourism activities. World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong 1,080,934
(For Year 20/21)
MEEF2020005
Using New Tools to Monitor Human Behaviour in Critical Dolphin Habitat and Marine Protected Areas
This is part of a multi-year project, aiming to modify and assess the use of acoustic devices for marine mammal detection to evaluate if the device can act as an efficient means of (a) informing management authorities of unlawful activities (such as illegal trawler operation) and (b) determining the risks of the spatial overlap between trawlers and dolphins. Southeast Asia Marine Mammal Research Limited 570,426
(For Year 20/21)
**
MEEF2020006
Automated CWD Detection with Machine Learning for Vessel-based Line-transect Survey
This project will use machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to build an automated detector for recognising Chinese white dolphins captured by video cameras during the vessel-based line transect survey. The detector not only embeds human expertise and relieves human effort but also improves the effectiveness of sighting and monitoring Chinese white dolphins by performing simultaneous and continuous detection on a 180-degree field of view. City University of Hong Kong 854,712
(For Year 20/21)
MEEF2020008
Non-invasive investigation of the microbiome of dolphins and porpoises in Hong Kong as a novel One Health approach to protect marine ecological health in Hong Kong

This project will use novel non-invasive methods to characterise the parasitic and bacterial microbiota of the two species of resident cetacean in Hong Kong, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, to understand the health status of cetacean. This novel approach, within the One-Health concept which examines jointly human, marine species and ecological health, is essential to enhance cetacean conservation in the Pearl River Estuary and provide recommendations to reduce marine pollution.

Hong Kong Wildlife Health Foundation Ltd 448,184
(For Year 20/21)

Note:
* 2nd Phase of Project
# 4th Phase of Project
** Completion Report to be published upon the submission by Applicant Organisation and acceptance of Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund Management Committee