Five months ago, a new species of box jellyfish was discovered in Hong Kong. It is a relative of the deadly Australian box jellyfish, one of the most venomous(有毒的) animals on Earth. One sting(刺伤) from it can kill a person in minutes.
A university team in Hong Kong, led by Qiu Jianwen from the Hong Kong Baptist University, discovered it at the Mai Po Nature Reserve, a local wetland area. It was the first discovery of a new box jellyfish species in Chinese waters.
But it's not the first time bi ology professor Qiu has discovered a new creature. He's made more than 30 discoveries in about 20 years spent exploring new marine(海洋的)anımals.
Qiu doesn't go looking for new species on purpose. In 2014, he did research on the health of coral in Hong Kong waters. To learn more, Qiu and his team needed to find all of the coral species involved. And in doing so, they discovered four new coral species.
Finding new species reminds Qiu of how biologically diverse Hong Kong's waters are. Hong Kong takes up just 0.03 percent of China's total marine area, yet it is home to more than 25 percent of all marine species recorded in China, a report by the University of Hong Kong showed.
However, Hong Kong's marine animals face threats, due to factors including habitat loss, climate change and overuse of natural resources.
Although action is being taken, it focuses more on bigger creatures, like dolphins and birds. "Many marine species are small and they are often overlooked. If these species were to become extinct, few people would notice or care. But for me, each one has its rightful place," said Qiu.
He hopes everyone can recognize the importance of the ocean. "When more people show concern for the ocean, we are, in fact, acting for our own benefit," he said.
