Open Day Guided Tour
Funded by the HSBC 150th Anniversary Charity Programme, the Hong Kong Marine Life Stranding and Education Centre (HKMLSEC) has officially opened on 2 September 2019. The HKMLSEC is the first full-scale necropsy, virtopsy and education facility in Asia. In order to further enhance education in conservation, OPCFHK offers the public (for Ocean Park admission ticket holder only) a free monthly Open Day guided tour so as to let our participants to have a closer look at our work in marine life conservation and stranding response operation.
Hong Kong Marine Life Stranding and Education Centre | |
Date: | Second Sunday of each month |
Time: |
10:30am, 11:30am, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00pm1 |
Language: | Cantonese, supplemented by English and Putonghua |
No. of Participants: | Maximum 20, all ages are welcome2,3 |
Gathering location: | Outside The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures Souvenir Shop4 |
Fee: | Free5 |
Remarks: |
1. Tour time may vary or may be reserved for special activities. Please refer to the information outside The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures on that day. |
During the tour, you will:
- Learn about marine life (i.e. cetacean, shark and sea turtle) stranding programme
- Find out how the team provides rapid response and investigation of stranded marine animals found in waters of Hong Kong and neighbour regions
- Get to know the facility and equipment (i.e. CT scan, necropsy room, histopathology lab, walk-in freezer and fridge etc.)
- Experience case study, skulls display, and stranding programme video showing
- Learn about main threats of marine animals, especially cetacean, in Hong Kong
Weather Arrangements:
In general, Ocean Park remains open in inclement weather, as we have many sheltered areas to protect visitors. However, in extremely adverse conditions such as when the Hong Kong Observatory issues a rainstorm warning or tropical cyclone signal, special Park arrangements will go into effect. For safety reasons, the tour may be suspended during inclement weather. Visitors should call Ocean Park enquiry hotline at (852) 3923 2323 or visit https://www.oceanpark.com.hk/en/weather-arrangements for information about our current weather arrangements.
Facility and Equipment
The Hong Kong Marine Life Stranding and Education Centre (HKMLSEC) is the first full-scale necropsy, virtopsy and education facility in Asia that offers all-round analysis of potential causes of marine life injury and death, while producing data-driven insights to help inform future monitoring and conservation efforts. The HKMLSEC is funded by the HSBC 150th Anniversary Charity Programme.
Background Information | |
Stranding Analysis |
Since OPCFHK started cetacean stranding investigations in 2006, 30% of the cases were found with human-caused injuries. While entanglement, boat strikes and infections have been identified as the three major human-related factors threatening survivals of cetaceans in Hong Kong waters, most carcasses found are severely decomposed and only 10% of the causes of death can be determined. With the opening of the new facility, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK) will be able to further investigate stranding cases and process more samples for laboratory analysis to fill the knowledge gaps. |
Training and Education |
The HKMLSEC is a unique medium to consolidate valuable stranding response skills, develop training resources, and facilitate local and regional research. It provides a platform for experts on the regional stranding network to exchange knowledge and skills to ensure high quality animal care and wildlife conservation in Asia. The HKMLSEC also aims to inspire and train a new generation of scientists and conservationists. Through hands-on experiences and workshops, OPCFHK hopes to give the public an opportunity to learn more about stranding response operations and research, while expanding its conservation education efforts. |
Necropsy Area | |
Equipment | Details |
CT Scan |
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Digital X-Ray |
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Walk-in Fridge |
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Walk-in Freezer |
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The Histopathology Grossing Station |
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Histopathology Lab Instruments | |
Equipment | Details |
Digital Slide Scanning System |
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Biosafety Cabinet |
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Upright Bright Field Microscope and Stereo Microscope |
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