Newsletter No. 24

CUHK Newsletter No.24 November 1991 became part of the Department of Biology, its directorship resided directly with the chairman of the department However, this arrangement proved to be not entirely satisfactory, as often the chairman was too busy in his original capacity, or not sufficiently specialized in marine science to do justice to the post. Dr. L. B. Thrower, who was chairman of the department at the time, therefore established an associate directorship for the laboratory to oversee its research activities. The first associate director, Dr. Wear (then visiting senior lecturer in biology), was appointed on a concurrent basis in 1973. He wassucceeded by Dr. W. Y, Tseng in 1976. The present associate director, Dr. N.Y.S. Woo, took up the post in 1983 and was later joined by Drs. K. H. Chu and C. K. Wong to form the backbone of the present research team in the laboratory. The laboratory experienced two major expansion programmes, in 1979 and 1987. The year 1979 saw the construction of a culture room with six fish and shrimp ponds, a research laboratory, a speed boat maintenance room, four large outdoor culture ponds and 14 small fish ponds. The 1987 expansion programme added a new general office, a research laboratory and a teaching laboratory. Three Researchers Talk about Their Experiences The three senior researchers at the Marine Science Laboratory have managed not only to pursue their own specializations, but also to extend the scope and reach of the laboratory through joint projects with both local and overseas institutions. They have talked to the CUHK Newsletter about their work in this unique environment and their most interesting experience. Dr. N. Y. S. Woo 一 The Fish Physiologist Dr. N. Y. S. Woo joined the Marine Science Laboratory in 1977 and has witnessed some of its most important developments. Each time he catches sight of the now levelled ground and the new road connecting the laboratory and the main campus, he is reminded of the difficult times a few years ago. In order to build the Tolo Harbour Highway, the government had to block the laboratory's waterway, which prevented researchers from going out to the sea in search of specimens. Also, the only pavement connecting the laboratory with the campus was turned into a muddy path by all the construction activities, making it accessible only with waterproof footwear on. Even cars found the going rough, and both teaching and research work were severely curtailed. However, this was a relatively short period of inconvenience in Dr. Woo's 14 years of service to the laboratory, and he recalls other more surprising occurrences, such as the particular sea trip which resulted in the discovery of whale bones. These whale bones have been displayed at the entrance to the laboratory ever since, to symbolize marine science research. He also recalls the alarm felt by the crew one day when they encountered a severe hailstorm which threatened to overturn their launch, and their bafflement when the entire fish stock in the laboratory perished overnight, an unexplained mystery even today. A specialist in fish physiology, Dr. Woo studies the way in which fish grow and metabolize in relation to the conditions of their environment, such as water temperature, oxygen content, salinity, nutrients, and hormones, in the hope of establishing an optimum environment for their growth and health. Concentrating on sea water fish such as sea bream, garoupa, and sea bass, Dr. Woo recently discovered that rotifer, a kind of planktonic organism, is ideal for feeding newly hatched fish larvae. A new problem is worrying him at the moment though: the poor quality of the water in Tolo Harbour. The laboratory has always relied on the water in Tolo Harbour to sustain the fish and shrimps which they keep, but as the harbour becomes increasingly polluted, it is endangering the lives of the fish and therefore the research results of the laboratory. Dr. Woo says with regret, ‘When Dr. Trott founded this laboratory, the place was chosen for its proximity to the sea, with a good supply of sea water. Now Tolo Harbour has been deprived of high quality sea water and hence marine life worth studying. The location of the laboratory has become a liability rather than an asset.’ The best solution, he suggests, will be to relocate the laboratory, but until then, he is doing his best to improve the situation, and research students are helping him to find ways to purify the water used by the laboratory. One such purification process which has recently been adopted is the introduction of microorganisms into the process, a procedure known as 'factory- based' marine fish culture. "fertilization