The joint Swire Institute of Marine Science, Hong Kong, and Natural History Museum, London, Hong Kong Submarine Caves Expedition, 2002: introduction

Abstract

An investigation of two subtidal caves in the eastern exposed waters of Hong Kong was undertaken in 2002. The geological context and the physical parameters of the cave environments are described. The caves, or zawns, occurring at depths of between −9.3 to −12.4 m C.D. and −1.8 to −18.2 m C.D. at Steep Island and Conic Island, respectively, were probably created at a time of lowered sea levels during the last ice age >19,000 years ago. The caves have subsequently been drowned and each now possesses a floor that is covered in muddy sand. The present paper sets the context for the range of taxonomic and ecological studies undertaken during the 2002 Hong Kong Marine Caves Expedition.

Keywords:

• Hong Kong
• submarine caves
• geology
• structure
• sediment composition
• expedition
• aims and objectives

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr J. Aitchison, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, for comments on the geology section of this paper, and to Paul Hodgson formerly of the Swire Institute of Marine Science for the maps of the caves. We are grateful to the associated researchers who contributed to the functioning of the expedition and to the analysis and reporting of the material and findings. These include, alphabetically, Mrs S Chambers (Royal Museums of Scotland), Prof. C Erséus (Swedish Museum of Natural History), Dr P Garwood (Identichaete), Dr GLJ Paterson (NHM) and Dr JD Taylor (NHM). For a full list of personnel involved in this expedition, see Appendix 1.