Besides the aesthetic, geological, geomorphologic and historical values, Ha Long Bay has been recognized as a place containing high biodiversity values, abundant in species, ecosystem, rare and precious genetic sources.
These marine ecosystems considered as a “reservoir” of genetic sources is the home to nearly 3,000 animal and plant species with 1,260 terrestrial species and 1,553 marine ones, including 102 rare and endangered species in accordance with the Vietnam Red Book, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Over the years, the Board has actively coordinated with international experts, research institutes, universities, scientists and relevant branches and agencies to implement biodiversity research and supervision.
Specifically, in 2008 and 2015, Ha Long Bay Management Board supervised coral reefs on Ha Long Bay to update the latest data on the status of coral reefs, including species composition and coverage, thereby proposing appropriate management and preservation solutions. As a result, the Board collected a database set with 212 species and 66 races belonging to 11 families of Scleractinia or hard corals and 1,315 species living in coral reef communities. From the above results, in 2016, the Board implemented zoning of two areas of Cong Do and Hang Trai with high coral coverage on Ha Long Bay to preserve the status of coral reef biodiversity values.
Along with that, the monitoring of mangrove forest ecosystem and water quality has been actively implemented by Ha Long Bay Management Board and related units to create relatively adequate database of Ha Long Bay biodiversity, contributing to protecting the integrity of biodiversity values on the Bay.
Translated by Thu Giang
