eSeaAnimals

Welcome to the “eSeaAnimals” app of Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab (AAVL) from the City University of Hong Kong!

Reporting the occurrence of aquatic animals in our ocean is important for science and conservation. Your quick reporting may help save an animal’s life by providing rescuers with real-time information about the location and kind of aquatic animals in trouble and allowing scientists to collect valuable information that will help aquatic animal conservation.

The app allows you to share your sightings of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and sea turtles with scientists whenever you are at sea, fishing, diving, sailing, swimming or just enjoying the beach time. By collecting information from sightings of cetaceans and sea turtles, we can significantly improve their research and protection, as this makes it easier to identify areas of the presence of individual species, trends in their abundance, and especially the occurrence of rare and new species.

Also, citizens often encounter injured, stranded, or dead cetaceans and sea turtles found on shore or in the sea. At that point, determining who to contact is not always easy. By using the app and selecting the status of the animal found, the app will offer you the option to report the incident and contact the governmental agency and organization that can arrange care and assistance. To make it easier to find the animal and gather the necessary additional information, please leave your exact details in the app so they can contact you as needed.

Overall, the “eSeaAnimals” app allows you to:

Identify the aquatic animals by providing an electronic field guide of cetaceans and sea turtles found off the Hong Kong waters.
Help rescue live and deceased aquatic animals by providing you with a list of “do’s and don’ts” or tips on what to do when you encounter a live or dead stranded aquatic animal.
Send a time/date/GPS coordinate stamped photo of the animal to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
Report live or deceased stranded, injured, or entangled cetaceans and sea turtles by connecting you to the governmental agency and organization, so that trained responders and veterinarians can help the animal.

Under the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health and the Department of Chemistry of the City University of Hong Kong, the Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab is the first of its kind in the world, applying cutting-edge technologies such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, 3D surface scanning, and unmanned aerial vehicle routinely, to assess the health of stranded and free-ranging aquatic animals like cetaceans and sea turtles worldwide. Using virtopsy techniques alongside conventional stranding investigation, our research focus is to investigate the biological profiles and diseases in aquatic animals, as well as to assess anthropogenic impacts on the survival and well-being of animals. Ultimately, we aim to enhance our understanding of aquatic animal health, provide a sound scientific basis for effective conservation measures, and guide policy and management decisions for protecting precious aquatic animals in Hong Kong and worldwide.

This app is financially supported by the Environment and Conservation Fund, and the Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund. Any opinion, findings, or recommendations expressed in this app are not necessarily the views of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and the Environment and Conservation Fund; and the views of HKLTL, CAPCO and the HK Electric, and the Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund. We would like to thank various governmental agencies and organizations including but not limited to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, City University of Hong Kong, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, and numerous volunteers for their continuous support.