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HKU Stephen Hui Geological Museum holds exhibition on private mineral collections in Hong Kong
The HKU Stephen Hui Geological Museum will hold in collaboration with the Mineralogy Society of Hong Kong a "Mineral Collections in Hong Kong" exhibition from March 3 to August 31, to showcase over 200 precious minerals from 18 private collectors in Hong Kong. The exhibits include one of the best gemmy single crystals of Tanzanite from Merelani Mine, a very rare large gem quality Aquamarine on Albite with large fluid inclusions from Balochi, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and a 18 cm large gemmy Rhodochrosite on Quartz from the famous Sweet Home Mine in Colorado, U.S.A.. The mineral display cabinet of the late Dr Stephen Hui Sze-fun with a selection from his private collection is also included.
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HKU conducted the first demographic study of the Chinese white dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary and urges conservation of dolphin critical habitat
A demographic study of the Chinese white dolphins inhabiting the Pearl River Estuary, led by Dr Leszek Karczmarski, Associate Professor at the HKU School of Biological Sciences, revealed that the PRE dolphin population is declining approximately 2.5% per year and is fast approaching its viability threshold. The findings indicated that the PRE dolphin population is deemed to become extinct unless effective conservation measures can rapidly reverse the current population trend.
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HKU study reveals Hong Kong hosts more than ¼ of all marine species recorded in China
Hong Kong has a record of 5,943 marine species, according to a recent review by a research group led by Professor Gray A. Williams of The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) and School of Biological Sciences of HKU. This first comprehensive review of local marine biodiversity shows that with only about 1,651 km2 marine area (~0.03% of China's total), Hong Kong already accounts for ~26% of the total marine species recorded in China. However, currently only less than 2% of Hong Kong’s marine area is protected as marine parks or reserve. The research team urged the government to move towards the global target of at least 10% marine protected area by the year 2020 under United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). To establish a platform for the international scientific community to access the marine species in Hong Kong for conservation, research and education purposes, the research team, in collaboration with international experts, has also launched the Hong Kong Register of Marine Species (HKRMS) under the umbrella of the largest global marine biodiversity database, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Hong Kong is one of only ten regions in the world that has such a regional species database, and was the first in Asia.
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