Dr Stefano Cannicci
Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, HKU &
Associate Director, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, HKU
Date: September 11, 2018 (Tuesday)
Time: 7:00 pm (light refreshments from 6:30 pm)
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre, Graduate House, HKU
Medium: English
Abstract
The talk will introduce the burgeoning marine diversity of both Hong Kong and Italian coastal waters. Hong Kong marine area, with only about 0.03% of China’s total water, harbours more than one fourth of all marine species recorded in China, while the Mediterranean Sea hosts about 18% of the world marine species, although its surface area is just 0.82% of the world ocean. Participants will be guided into a journey through the coastal and underwater marine habitats of Hong Kong and Italy, during which the importance of corals, mangroves and seagrass beds and their beautiful diversity will be shown and explained. The importance of preserving and conserving marine biodiversity will also be highlighted, and the different approaches developed in Hong Kong and Italy will be discussed.
About the speaker
Dr Stefano Cannicci has been studying mangrove ecology and biodiversity all over the world (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Hong Kong and, recently, Brazil) for more than 20 years. He is interested in the patterns of diversity of crabs and molluscs in mangroves and their role in ecosystem functioning. He also studies the behavioural ecology, eco-physiology, taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship of Sesarmidae and fiddler crabs, which are the most common taxa present in Indo-Pacific mangroves. Dr Cannicci is an invited member of the Mangrove Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest organization devoted to nature conservation.
All are welcome. Registration is required.
Please visit www.scifac.hku.hk/events/comm/2018/ithkbiopl for seat reservation.
Please click here for the details
