Canto Cutie - Volume 3

But things are taking a turn for the better. Sewage discharge became
regulated, and recently, researchers have been coaxing the recovery of these
corals by outplanting coral recruits in parts of the Tolo Channel, with a
restoration success rate of 80%.
“Despite all the stressors, both natural and human-caused, these hardy
corals have survived the odds and are thriving in their current situation,”
the lecturer announced. “Don’t give up on Hong Kong corals!”
*
I bit into my SCUBA regulator and let the air out of my buoyancy control
device, letting gravity pull me and my oxygen tank down. We descended
towards the coral restoration project, a large metal structure that stuck out
from the seafloor.
Baby staghorn coral grew entwined with metal poles, reaching up towards
the light at the surface. Shrimps crawled in and out of sight, hiding within
the corals as a refuge. Tiny fish swarmed around the coral polyps, nibbling
at bits of algae. The restored corals provided the structure needed to house
so many creatures. Thanks to the work of marine scientists and divers, they
managed to nurture so much abundance.
Two contradicting images of Hong Kong constantly flit about my head. One
is a land of hopelessness, a wasteland that offered me nothing and a place I
would do well to get far away from. The other is a land of hidden surprises,
which revealed its full glory and abundance if you cared to look.
And if I wanted to preserve the beauty around me, I had to give the latter
image a chance. But nothing can be taken for granted. I had to give Hong
Kong a chance even when things don’t look right, just like how the
restorationists nurtured these corals to grow in this stressful environment.
Wandy Cheng
Pages of Hong Kong
Illustration
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