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In this study, we assessed the general marine environmental knowledge and attitudes of university students from eight public universities in Hong Kong. The Ocean Literacy Framework and revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) were used as tools for questionnaire development. Data were collected via in-person and online surveys. An in-person survey was conducted at the university canteen from 16 May to 24 May 2017, and an online survey was conducted via email from 1 May to 31 May 2017. A structured questionnaire was provided to interested students from different levels of study and majors. Data obtained from these surveys were summarized based on participants’ correct answers in the general knowledge section and five-point Likert scaling for attitude statements. Results show that Hong Kong university students possess moderate marine environmental knowledge and pro-environmental attitudes. Knowledge scores significantly correlate with demographic variables, such as major of study, gender, institution, and parents’ education. Students’ pro-environmental attitudes are associated with different factors, including participation in various marine recreational activities, taking marine-related courses, and attachment to conservative marine initiatives. The study results have implications regarding the advancement of marine environmental knowledge and the pro-environmental attitudes of university students, such as mapping a well-structured pathway for disseminating marine environmental knowledge, curricular involvement, and the development of an integrated web resource.

Ecotourism has seen both demand and attention increase globally and locally. Dolphin watching tours, as a type of nature-based activity, have become popular in Tai O of Hong Kong. However, little attention has been paid to the quality and pricing of the tour operators in relation to the expectations of visitors. This study seeks to understand the willingness to pay (WTP) of local and non-local visitors and the relationship between WTP and environmentally responsible behavioural intentions (ERBI) and satisfaction. The key findings include a positive correlation between WTP and ERBI for local visitors and a positive correlation between WTP and satisfaction for non-local visitors. These differences between local and non-local visitors are the result of the affective connection of local visitors to the environment, as such connection is not found among non-local visitors. These findings provide important clues to help improve pricing strategies and service quality towards achieving a sustainable ecotourism industry in Hong Kong, and they offer implications for ecotourism elsewhere.

This study assesses the role of interpretative dolphin-watching activities in enhancing participants’ ecological knowledge, environmentally responsible behaviour intention, revisit intention and satisfaction with the experience. An on-site questionnaire survey was administered to participants of both an interpretative (experimental) and a noninterpretative (control) dolphin-watching group. The survey results revealed that participants who joined the interpretative dolphin-watching activities exhibited significantly better ecological knowledge, environmentally responsible behaviour intention, satisfaction and revisit intention than their counterparts. In addition, a regression test indicated a significant association between ecological knowledge and environmentally responsible behaviour intention as well as satisfaction and revisit intention. The findings highlighted the importance of interpretative programmes for nature-based activities, suggesting that the relevant service providers and managers of protected areas should implement such programmes to attract visitors and improve the environmental performance of the activities to achieve sustainability. The interpretative programme can also be an effective tool for environmental education to enhance the environmental conservation awareness of both tourists and local residents to nurture environmentally aware citizens.

This paper reports on the long-term effectiveness of a non-formal co-curricular educational program based on a campus ecogarden at a Hong Kong university in developing pro-sustainability awareness, attitudes and behavior among undergraduate students. This service-based, nature-based experiential learning program, termed the Ecogarden Farmer and Biodiversity Surveyor, has been running at the university since 2015. The program is divided into two consecutive phases: a training phase comprising various learning activities and a successive internship phase consisting of the all-round practical tasks involved in managing the garden. A retrospective evaluation of the program using phenomenographic approach and content analysis was adopted to reveal the diversity of students’ learning experience, as the indicators of the success of the program. Of 112 participants from 4 cohorts, 32 completed online questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were successfully conducted with twelve participants, three from each of the four cohorts. The results indicated that the program’s outcomes could be categorized into five themes. Most outcomes fit into the theme ‘an increase in knowledge and skill level,’ followed by ‘rise in environmental awareness,’‘facilitation of personal growth,’ and ‘enhancement of career development.’ Many structural experiences revealed may suggest the success of the program. The longer the participants had participated in the program, the more in-depth and diversified reflection of the senior participants relating to personal development were mentioned. This study provides critical insights into the validity of retrospective program evaluation for assessing the long-term impact of EfS programs by introducing a cross-sectional study of different cohorts as a serial time-point sampling strategy.

The Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong is on the verge of extinction, as it has been facing multiple human-induced threats. Dolphin-watching tours have provided great opportunities for raising public awareness of the conservation of the species; however, such tours may inevitably cause disturbances to dolphins if tourists do not behave responsibly. This study aims to assess the drivers of the environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB) of tourists in terms of motivation, interpretative knowledge enhancement (IKE) and satisfaction. A questionnaire survey was administered to participants of dolphin-watching tours in Tai O, a popular dolphin-watching destination in Hong Kong. A total of 745 questionnaire samples were collected, and structural equation modelling was performed for the analysis. The results show that motivation, IKE and satisfaction were all positively and significantly correlated with ERB, whereas IKE and satisfaction were found to mediate the relationship between motivation and ERB. IKE was found to be a stronger predictor of ERB than satisfaction. The following practical implications for ecotourism are drawn: 1) it is important to include interpretation for management and education in ecotourism; and 2) the content of interpretation should include conservation messages and suggestions for behavioural changes.

Purpose The problem of plastic wastes is serious nowadays worldwide, although plastic wastes recycling is already in practice. To promote sustainability in plastic waste recycling, the quality of wastes collected should be maintained well, resulted from a good recycling practice. This paper aims to study a new plastic recycling bin (PRB) and poster interventions on the enhancement of university hall residential students’ proenvironmental knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviours (KAB) and actual recycling behaviours; informative and feedback posters were used as interventions. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quasi-experimental setting to examine the effects of the new PRB on students’ KAB and actual behaviours in recycling, whereas the quality of the recycled plastic was measured according to the extent of cleanliness (CLE), separation (SEP), compression (COM) and sortedness (SOR). Findings Results showed that significant positive enhancements in KAB only happened with the use of blended interventions, which included promotion through the PRB and posters, suggesting that the use of the PRB and posters was useful in achieving better recycling behaviour. Originality/value Blended intervention study by using new design plastic recycling bin and poster on the effect of students’ proenvironmental and recycling KAB.

At every given site with conservation value, there is a dilemma between conservation and the use of natural resources. Here we describe the first in-depth investigation of the differences between perceived and actual behaviour in clam harvesting, with a view to determine a more sustainable approach to conserve a previously unprotected tourist and clam-harvesting site, Shui Hau, in Hong Kong. We assessed harvesting pressure by conducting a clam-harvest photographic survey and collected self-reported questionnaires in 2018. More than 90% of visitors per sampling day were assessed for the survey, resulting in 86 sets of completed questionnaires and clam harvest photographs, in which we counted the number of clams harvested and recorded the shell length of each clam. We found that the clam-diggers had high self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviour, and a higher new ecological paradigm score was associated with a better clam-digging related attitude and perceived clam-digging behaviour. The low correlation between self-reported behaviour and actual behaviour indicated that most clam-diggers had different concepts or definitions of the appropriate size of the clam harvest and the size of a mature clam, even though each digger reported that he/she had the highest level of environmental attitudes and behaviour. This differentiation may imply a transition problem between environmental attitudes and actual environmental behaviour. An effective management approach is needed to foster clam-diggers’ sense of biodiversity to embrace the long-term sustainable use of coastal resources.

We surveyed 41 sites to provide an updated baseline of Hong Kong coral communities. Five community types were identified, among them the most common one inhabited oceanic waters and dominated by both massive and upward-plating corals. The 41 sites had 2.1–⁠79% coral cover; among them 21 in the eastern waters had >40% coral cover. Corals in several sites showed signs of external bioerosion or bleaching-induced damage. Sites in the southern waters had low coral cover. Both coral cover and generic richness correlated negatively with several water quality parameters including total inorganic nitrogen concentration and turbidity, indicating the development of Hong Kong's coral communities is constrained by water quality parameters. Management actions are proposed to reduce bioerosion, and to monitor sites affected by bleaching.

The acorn barnacles (Cirripedia, Thoracica, Balanomorpha) are a diverse group of crustaceans found in virtually all marine and estuarine habitats. Barnacles are important model species in various biological researches, including evolution, intertidal ecology, larval biology and antifouling. However, there remains a lack of a thorough understanding of the phylogeny for this group of animals, particularly at higher taxonomic levels. In this study, we attempt to determine the phylogenetic relationships among balanomorphan families based on analysis of complete mitochondrial genome from various barnacle families and investigate the evolution of mitogenome in barnacles. Whole mitogenomes of six barnacles were newly sequenced, including Acasta sulcata (Archaeobalanidae), Armatobalanus allium (Archaeobalanidae), Chelonibia testudinaria (Chelonibiidae), Octomeris sp. (Chthamalidae), Savignium biporata (Pyrgomatidae) and Tetraclitella divisa (Tetraclitidae), which exhibit five different gene arrangements. Phylogenetic analysis on 15 complete mitochondrial genome sequences from major barnacle families supported Chthamalidae, Pyrgomatidae and Tetraclitidae formed monophyletic units, but suggested polyphyly of both Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae. Chthamalidae was the earliest diverged lineage in Balanomorpha. Chelonibiidae + Tetraclitidae formed the sister taxon to the monophyletic superfamily Balanoidea (Archaeobalanidae + Balanidae + Pyrgomatidae). The members of Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae intermingled in the inferred topology with the monophyletic Pyrgomatidae deeply nested within. Two Megabalanus species from the family Balanidae and A. sulcata from the family Archaeobalanidae share the same six-gene-cluster inversion as compared to the other ten balanomorphan barnacles, providing further evidence for the non-monophyly for the two families. We showed here that the informativeness of the complete mitogenome sequence and rare genomic events in resolving various questions concerning Balanomorpha relationships. The non-monophyletic status of Archaeobalanidae and Balanidae falsified many previous hypotheses concerning the complex evolution of Balanomorpha and call for further investigations and careful revision on the taxonomy of the group. Future study focusing on the enigmatic and tentatively basal lineages, for example, Chionelasmatoidea Pachylasmatoidea and Catophragmidae, would be most helpful in fully resolving the phylogeny and mitogenome evolutionary history of acorn barnacles.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore stakeholder perspectives of the role of a campus eco-garden in education for sustainability (EfS). It will combine the perspectives to highlight a powerful learning environment (PLE) for university students to realize the concept of EfS.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal stakeholder understandings of a campus eco-garden, as well as its associated expectations of learning activities and education outcomes. Three stakeholder groups were interviewed; designers, educators and environmental and non-environmental subject-related students.FindingsAll three stakeholder groups expected cognitive learning of EfS to be enhanced by the eco-garden. The use of affective learning was not strongly expected by the stakeholders. Psychomotor learning was believed to be the most difficult to realize. To fulfill the potential of the eco-garden in EfS, all stakeholders suggested learning activities and roles for both students and teachers. The combined perspectives of the stakeholders helped to visualize a PLE to aid EfS.Practical implicationsThis study underlines the importance of effective communication of expectations between stakeholders. It underlines the importance of integrating educational activities with the eco-garden as a PLE, highlighting the roles of teachers and students. It also sheds light on the importance of introducing a cultural component to the EfS program.Originality/valueThis is the first study to apply the PLE theory to enhance EfS with the aid of infrastructure. Both users and designers reveal their views on the planning of the campus eco-garden, especially in its educational function. The study is possibly the first to reveal the differences in expectations between designers and other stakeholder groups (teachers and students) using Köningset al.’s (2005) combination-of-perspectives model.

To tackle the serious problems caused by plastic wastes, it is critical to develop new plastic recycling beliefs and behavior, together with recycling skills (4 important steps of recycling: cleanliness, separation, compression, and sorting) of the plastic wastes in environmental education (EE). The study revealed the effectiveness of a plastic waste recycling program adopting an action competence approach with educational interventions using a new plastic waste recycling bin (PRB). The PRB allows further classification of plastic waste types. Seven primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the program. A total of 313 questionnaires which assessed pupils’ classification knowledge, behaviours of plastic waste recycling, and their pro-environmental attitudes in terms of New Environmental Paradigm were received. Semi-structured interview with 27 pupils from the schools were also conducted. Recycling performance (actual behaviour) of using the brown bins (general plastic recycling bin) and the PRBs in the schools was assessed as the evidence of action competence in plastic waste recycling. Comparing the schools which adopted programmes with a combination of two types of recycling bins (brown bin vs. PRB) and interventions (Poster vs. half/full training courses to teach the recycling knowledge and skill), both quantitative and qualitative results showed that learners of the program enhanced their recycling knowledge (K), attitudes (A), and behaviour (B) concerning plastic waste recycling. The recycling performance proved that there is a statistically significant change in the recycling steps, separation and compression. The study provides insights for environmental educators to develop strategic solutions to ease environmental issues as well as putting these actions into practice in schools.

Understanding the faunal community structure in the estuary would be crucial in assessing the health of the ecosystem. The poor visibility in the estuarine area due to the outflow from the Pearl River hinders the conventional visual census in assessing the megafaunal biodiversity. In this study, the fish and crustacean biodiversity of Hong Kong's western waters, i.e. the outer maritime estuary of the PRD, were studied through the metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA from the seawater and sediment samples was extracted from five sites in the region. After testing the performance of two genetic markers, amplicons of the cytochrome oxidase I, amplified by polymerase chain reaction, were subjected to Illumina high-throughput sequencing (MiSeq) analysis. A total of 22 fish species from 17 families and 34 crustacean species from 27 families were identified by blasting the sequences against the NCBI GenBank database, demonstrating segregation between samples from different sites. This study provides insight on the detail distribution of fish assembly in PRD, when compared with a previous eDNA study in the inner brackish PRD.

Recent advancements in deep-sea expeditions have made possible to sample adequate quantities of deep-sea organisms over wide geographical ranges for population genetic studies. Scalpellum stearnsii is a common stalked barnacle that occurs in the mesobenthic environment (>200 m depth) throughout the West Pacific Ocean and covers several major deep-sea basins. The present study examined the diversity and genetic differentiation of S. stearnsii populations from the East China Sea, West Philippine Basin, Sulu Sea, and Caroline Trenches. Molecular analyses based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene COI and nuclear gene H3 revealed four distinct clades of S. stearnsii—SS, CF1, CF2, and CF3—with distinct species-level pairwise divergences among the clades. SS (representing S. stearnsii, based on morphological comparison with holotype) is mainly present in the East China Sea and the Philippine Basin, CF1 is present in the East China Sea, CF2 is present in the Sulu Sea, and CF3 is exclusively present in the Caroline Trench (Southwest Pacific Ocean). Deep genetic differentiation between the northern (SS and CF2) and southern clades (CF3 and CF4) was estimated to have occurred around 33 million years ago, and the eastward-flowing Equatorial Undercurrent (100–200 m) and oxygen minimum zone (300–400 m) are the putative barriers to gene flow. The timing is concordant with reported diversification events in both shallow- and deep-water organisms during the Oligocene and Miocene periods. This cross-ocean, -taxon, and -habitat divergence time suggests speciation driven by global-scale events. Recent size expansion likely occurred in all the four clades and subsequent populations, predating the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The persistence of mesobenthic deep-sea barnacles through the temperature fluctuation at the LGM can be a common pattern.

During the summer of 2017 we visited 33 sites with substantial coral cover across Hong Kong waters. At six sites where coral bleaching was observed, video-transect surveys were conducted, which revealed 18.7% to 56.1% bleached colonies and 5.9% to 57.6% bleached coral covered area per site. Mainly affected were three plate-like and three massive coral species. Water quality parameters were analyzed, which indicated that hyposalinity might have triggered the bleaching event. Tagging and follow-up field observation revealed a pattern of recovery depending on coral growth form, with high recovery rates (>93%) at five sites dominated by massive and submassive corals, but moderate (70%) at a site dominated by plate-like corals. Our study shows that the corals of Hong Kong exhibit differential susceptibility to bleaching and ability to recover, therefore it is imperative to establish a long-term monitoring programme to detect the changes in community structure over time.

In marine environments, microplastics have become a focus in scientific research in the last decade due to the global threat this pollutant poses to the marine environment. Corals in Hong Kong are under threat due to the degradation of the marine environment caused by human activities. This study investigated the occurrence, abundance and composition of microplastic debris (0.3&ndash, 5 mm) in seabed sediments adjacent to coral communities in Hong Kong. Twenty-four benthic sediment samples were collected from four study sites located along the northeastern and eastern shores of Hong Kong. Microplastic concentrations ranged from 169 &plusmn, 48 to 221 &plusmn, 45 items/kg, and the mean concentration of microplastics in the seabed sediments was 189 &plusmn, 50 items/kg, which was comparable to similar studies in other regions. Microplastics accounted for 95.4% of particles extracted from benthic sediment samples using 40&times, light microscopy. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy analysis showed that polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) comprised the majority of polymer types, contributing 45.3% and 29.3%, respectively. The proportion of microplastics made from PE and PET in seabed sediments was significantly higher than that observed in local beach sediments. The proportion of microplastics made from PE and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) together in the seabed sediments was much higher than that of PET and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The results have provided information with reference to environmental concentrations of microplastics for fringe reef habitat close to urban areas, which can be applied in studies concerning ecotoxicity of microplastics.

This chapter is to, through an unconventional field-based and service-based education programme for undergraduates studying in the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), determine whether self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) diving in association with relevant training on marine conservation is an effective teaching intervention for environmental education. The aim of this programme was to promote participants’ action competence in marine conservation and protection. A team of seven undergraduate students, enrolled in the programme entitled Courier of Marine Stewardship at the EdUHK (Courier MS EdU), were trained with knowledge about marine conservation and protection, and basic skills in undertaking an underwater ecological study. Upon completion of their training, the team transferred their knowledge and experiences through educational talk to local pupils and participated in community services of Reef Check Hong Kong 2015 and seabed cleanup. Based on a post-programme interview of the team members, this programme was found to have enhanced participants’ acquisition of solid knowledge and positive values through first-hand unconventional learning experience, which in turn strengthen their action competence in conserving and protecting the ocean. The difficulties in organizing such unconventional programme included financial and logistic constraints, risks associated with diving, and leisurely expectation of the students which hindered the cognitive and attitudinal outcomes of this field-based activity.

Phylogeographical study of the brown macroalga, Sargassum aquifolium using nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2, plastidal RuBisCo spacer, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit-III revealed the populations in Southeast Asia to be homogeneous. On the other hand, genetic differences were detected between populations from Southeast Asia and western Pacific Islands/Guam, suggesting the presence of genetic break between these regions. This further suggests that populations of S. aquifolium may have survived east of Sunda Shelf during the Last Glacial Maximum and recent recolonization led to homogeneity of the populations in the Sunda Shelf region. Recolonization could be facilitated by year-round reproduction of the populations and dispersal of germlings on floating thalli by coastal currents. Restricted current flow across Maluku Sea and directional equatorial current flows could have isolated the Pacific Island and Guam populations from those of Southeast Asia. Our results support the presence of multiple refugia as the source of different lineages of S. aquifolium populations with a lack of secondary contact in the post-glacial dispersal between Southeast Asia and western Pacific as the mechanisms behind the phylogeographical patterns observed.

Balanus balanus Linnaeus, 1758, the model organism in the order Sessilia (Crustacea: Maxillopoda) is a cold water acorn barnacle in the family Balanidae distributing over the entire northern hemisphere. We present complete mitochondrial genome of this barnacle and analyze mitochondrial genomic characters of the family Balanidae. The length of mitochondrial genome is 15,955 bp, which is larger than those of the other barnacles in the same family. An inversion of a six-gene block (trnPro- nad4L- nad4- trnHis- nad5- trnPhe) is found between B. balanus and two Megabalanus (M. ajax and M. volcano). Three types of mitochondrial gene arrangements revealed in Balanidae have indicated the non-conserved gene orders even at intrafamilial level. Compared to pancrustacean ground pattern, large-scale gene rearrangements are found in B. balanus. Translocations of at least six tRNAs (trnAla, trnGlu/trnSer(AGY), trnPro/trnThr, trnLys, trnGln and trnCys) are identified and translocation and inversion occurred simultaneously in one tRNAs (trnTyr).

The present study describes a new species of Newmanella Ross, 1969 (Thoracica: Tetraclitidae: Newmanellinae) from Taiwan. Species in this genus are believed to be distributed in tropical western Atlantic waters and the present study is the first report of a new species of Newmanella in the western Pacific. Newmanella spinosus sp. nov. is morphologically close to N. radiata Bruguiére, 1789 but it is distinguished from N. radiata by the morphology of the scutum, tergum, cirrus II, mandible and maxillule. Sequence divergence of 12S rDNA between N. radiata and N. spinosus sp. nov. reached 7.6%, suggesting these are two different species. Newmanella spinosus sp. nov. is distributed in the Philippines, Taiwan and Okinawa but is absent from Hong Kong, Hainan and China. The distribution is probably affected by the Kuroshio Current. The subfamily Newmanellinae Ross and Perreault, 1999 contains two genera, Newmanella and Yamaguchiella RossPerreault, 1999. Neonrosella Jones, 2010 is a subgenus of Yamaguchiella. A recent molecular analysis (Tsang et al. 2015) determined that Yamaguchiella and Neonrosella are located in two distinct and distantly-related clades within the tetraclitid clade, suggesting that the subgenus Neonrosella is not closely related to Yamaguchiella and should be elevated to generic status.

Difficulty in species identification of Sargassum (Sargassaceae, Fucales) is partly attributed to the high polymorphism among its individuals and populations. This study aimed at assessing morphological and genetic variations in two varieties, var. hemiphyllum J. Agardh and var. chinense J. Agardh, of Sargassum hemiphyllum (Turner) C. Agardh, a widely distributed species in the northwestern Pacific. We investigated 26 measurable, five numerical, and 33 categorical morphological parameters associated with different branching levels of specimens from each of six localities within its distribution range using cluster analysis (CA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Leaf size of the primary and secondary branching levels and the vesicle size of the secondary branches of the specimens examined were determined to be the most important morphological parameters that were significantly different among populations. Change in leaf and vesicle length of individuals among the six populations followed a latitudinal gradient, with smaller leaves and vesicles associated with northern populations and larger ones in the southern populations. The possible influence of the gradual change in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) along this gradient in the northwestern Pacific on leaf and vesicle morphologies of this species was suggested. PCR-RFLP analysis of the RUBISCO spacer in the chloroplast genome revealed two distinct and highly homogenous clades, a China clade and a Japan-Korea clade, which corresponded to var. chinense and var. hemiphyllum, respectively. The formation of refugia along the ‘‘Paleo-coast’’ in the East China Sea during glacial periods is suggested to have led to the vicariance of ancestral populations of S. hemiphyllum and thus to have promoted genetic differentiation. The massive freshwater outflow of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers may continue to act as a barrier, prolonging the allopatric distribution of the two varieties.

Aim Phylogeographical patterns of marine organisms in the north-western Pacific are shaped by the interaction of past sea-level fluctuations during glacial maxima and present-day gene flow. This study examines whether observed population differentiation in the barnacle Chthamalus challengeri, which is endemic to the north-western Pacific, can be explained by the interactions between historical glacial events and patterns of contemporary gene flow. Location Eleven locations in the north-western Pacific. Methods Partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 12S, 16S and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) were obtained from 312 individuals. Parsimony haplotype networks and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) were used to determine whether the observed genetic structure corresponds to marine provinces (Kuroshio Current and China Sea Coastal Provinces), zoogeographical zones (oriental and Japan warm-temperate zones) and/or potential refugial areas (Sea of Japan and East China Sea) in the north-western Pacific. Neutrality tests, mismatch distribution analysis and Bayesian skyline plots were used to infer the demographic history of C. challengeri. Results In total, 312, 117, 182 and 250 sequences were obtained for COI, 12S, 16S and ITS1, respectively. A panmictic population was revealed, which did not conform to the ‘isolation by distance’ model. None of the a priori population groupings based on marine provinces, zoogeographical zones or potential refugial areas was associated with observed genetic patterns. Significant negative values from neutrality tests and the unimodal mismatch distribution and expansion patterns in Bayesian skyline plots for the COI and 16S data sets indicate a population expansion in the mid-Pleistocene (c. 200 ka). Information from the fossil record suggests that there has been a northward range shift of this species from the East China Sea or the Palaeo-Pacific coast of Japan to the Sea of Japan since the mid-Pleistocene. Main conclusions Chthamalus challengeri has experienced a population expansion and range shift since the mid-Pleistocene. The observed lack of population differentiation can be explained by this past population expansion and present-day wide-scale larval dispersal (owing to the long planktonic larval duration) across marine provinces, which have led to the successful establishment of the species in different zoogeographical zones and habitats.

Cirripedes of the superorder Acrothoracica are normally found as epizoic borings on marine calcareous substrates. Armatoglyptes taiwanus (Utinomi, 1950) is a lithoglyptid acrothoracican barnacle reported from different parts of the Indo-Pacific. Recent studies have demonstrated phylogenetic breaks between the Indian and Pacific Oceans populations in widespread Indo-Pacific marine organisms due to isolation events during the Pleistocene glaciations. It is possible that A. taiwanus represents a cryptic species complex in the Indo-Pacific, which the previous studies have failed to identify from morphology alone. In the present study, we analyzed the morphology and the sequence divergence of the 12S rDNA of A. taiwanus from the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan and the Philippines in the Pacific, and Phuket Island (Thailand) and the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, to test whether A. taiwanus is a cryptic species across its geographical range. The results showed that A. taiwanus has a homo...

Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt is one of the most well-known invasive species in the world. There have, however, been few genetic investigations on both its introduced and native populations. There are also some questions about the taxonomic status of this species. This study is the first to assess the genetic diversity of S. muticum on a global scale, by utilizing one marker each from the extranuclear genomes, namely, plastidial RUBISCO and mitochondrial TrnW_I spacers, as well as the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). Based on the markers investigated, both the invasive as well as the native populations of this species appeared very homogenous, when compared with other invasive and brown macroalgae. No variation in ITS2 and RUBISCO spacer was revealed in S. muticum populations, including those from its native ranges in Asia and the introduced ranges in Europe and North America. Two TrnW_I spacer haplotypes with a fixed two-nucleotide difference were found between the populations of eastern Japan and the other 15 populations examined. This study confirms that there is no cryptic diversity in the introduced range of this species. All the materials collected globally are indeed S. muticum. Results depicting the distribution range of the two TrnW_I spacer haplotypes also support the earlier suggestion that the source of the introduced S. muticum populations is most likely western and central Japan (Seto Inland Sea), where the germlings of S. muticum were likely to have been transported with the Pacific oysters previously introduced for farming in Canada, UK, and France in earlier years.

We list five acrothoracican barnacles of the order Lithoglyptida currently found in Taiwanese waters, including two new records, Trypetesa habei Utinomi, 1962 and Berndtiapurpurea Utinomi, 1950 and a new undescribed species of the genus Lithoglyptes. We also investigate the morphology and molecular genetics of Balanodytes taiwanus Utinomi, from its type locality, Taiwan. The original description of B. taiwanus in Utinomi (1950a) reported the absence of caudal appendages. Re-examination of the somatic body of one of the syntype specimens (the other syntype only having an opercular bar remaining) of B. taiwanus deposited in the Seto Marine Laboratory in Japan, revealed the presence of caudal appendages. The morphology of our specimens collected in various locations in Taiwan fits the description in Utinomi (1950a) and all have caudal appendages. The diagnosis of Balanodytes Utinomi, 1950 is revised herein. The genus Armatoglyptes KolbasovNewman, 2005 is a nomen nudum and ajunior synonym of Balanodytes. Our results also show that the widespread species Lithoglyptes habei Tomlinson, 1963 is a junior synonym of B. taiwanensis. The molecular sequence divergencse of the 16S RNA and COI genes were studied for samples of another monotypic genus Auritoglyptes (A. bicornis) from different regions of Taiwan. It was shown that there are at least three phylogenetic clades in Taiwan, suggesting that Auritoglyptes represents a cryptic species complex.

The present study describes a new barnacle, Chthamalus williamsi sp. nov., from rocky shores in Taiwan. Chthamalus williamsi sp. nov. belongs to the challengeri subgroup of Chthamalus due to cirrus I having no conical spines and the setae on cirri II having no basal guards. Within the challengeri sub-group, C. williamsi sp. nov. differs from C. challengeri Hoek, 1883, C. dalli Pilsbry, 1916 and C. montagui Southward, 1976 by its scutum and the tergum both having straight articular margins. Chthamalus moro Pilsbry, 1916 differs from C. williamsi sp. nov. in having strong ribbing on the shell surface, and C. williamsi sp. nov. differs from C. antennatus Darwin, 1854 by having a normal form cirrus III, rather than an antenniform cirrus III as in C. antennatus. The external morphology and size of C. williamsi sp. nov. are similar to C. sinensis Ren, 1984 (C. neglectus YanChan, 2004 is a synonym of C. sinensis, from molecular data presented in the present study) but the scutum of C. williamsi sp. nov. has a height similar to its width, whilst the scutum of C. sinensis is much depressed, being wider than high. From molecular analysis of a mitochondrial COI region, C. williamsi sp. nov. formed a distinct clade (divergencegt;15%) from other described species in the challengeri subgroup including C. challengeri, C. sinensis, C. moro, C. montagui and C. dalli, suggesting that it is a new species.

The long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum is well documented as causing bioerosion in coral reefs. In Hong Kong, increasing impacts of bioerosion by D. setosum are attributable to the absence of its key predator, the wrasse Choerodon schoenleinii. On 25th June 2012, we observed a starfish, Luidia maculata (maximum length >50 cm) feeding on D. setosum at 5 m depth in Chek Chau, northeastern Hong Kong (22.496°N, 114.359°E). The site has a gently sloping rocky shore with patchy sandy substratum and is next to a coral assemblage. The whole living urchin, including the spines (∼8 cm in diameter), was engulfed (Fig. 1a) and devoured by the starfish using extraoral digestion (Fig. 1b). This mode of digestion is atypical for luidiids, as most of them perform intraoral digestion (Lawrence 1987). Luidia spp. are noted scavengers and predators (Jangoux 1982; Lawrence et al. 2013). The diet of L. maculata includes mollusks and some echinoderms (Chiu et al. 1986). This is, however, the first time to observe its feeding on D. setosum. The prevalence of this prey-predator relationship is currently

A recent comprehensive survey covering 125 sites in Hong Kong waters recorded 29 soft coral species in 14 genera, 38 species of gorgonians in 19 genera and six species of black corals in two genera. Environmental variabilities based on water quality data collected by Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department were analyzed using multivariate statistics to find variables that are significantly correlated with coral distribution patterns. Eleven water quality zones with similar environmental variabilities were recognized, which could further be classified into five groups, namely Inner Bay, Outer Bay, Eastern, Western and Southern waters. LINKTREE analysis provided an overall trend indicating the importance of salinity, sediment and nutrient loadings in affecting octocoral and black coral distribution from west to east of Hong Kong waters, and from inner to outer bays. Furthermore, water turbidity and wave exposure could also affect the coral distribution patterns from north, northeast to southern waters.

Sea urchins are common herbivores and bioeroders of coral ecosystems, but rarely have they been reported as corallivores. We determined the spatial pattern of hard coral damage due to corallivory and bioerosion by the sea urchin Diadema setosum Leske in Hong Kong waters. Coral damage was common at the northeastern sites, with 23.7 - 90.3% colonies being either collapsed or severely damaged with >25% tissue loss. Many genera of corals were impacted by the sea urchin but the damage was most obvious for the structure forming genus Platygyra. The percentage of severely damaged and collapsed coral had significant positive correlation with the abundance of D. setosum, which ranged from 0.01 to 5.2 individuals per coral head or 0.1 - 21.1 individuals m(-2) across the study sites. Remedial management actions such as sea urchin removal are urgently needed to save these fringing coral communities.

Shark conservation has become a focus of current international conservation efforts. However, the misunderstanding of sharks and their negative public portrayal may hinder their conservation. More importantly, the consumption of shark fin, which is very common in Chinese cultures, poses a significant threat to sharks. Hong Kong has long been the world's largest shark fin trading center. Shark conservation would become more sustainable if public understanding of this predatory fish and an appreciation of its ecological significance could be promoted. It is possible that the demand for fins could be effectively managed through long-term educational efforts targeted at younger generations. To provide essential baseline data for planning of these educational efforts, this project investigated the perceptions of 11 to 12 year-old primary school students in Hong Kong about sharks, and their understanding of ecological concepts and shark-related knowledge. The findings indicate that these students lack sufficient knowledge and possess misconceptions about sharks and their ecological significance in the marine ecosystem. The students' conceptual understanding level is strongly correlated with their perceptions. Correlational analyses further demonstrated a positive association between formal education and perceptions toward shark conservation. The students who favoured shark fin consumption did so because of its tastiness, whereas concerns about shark population decline and the cruelty of shark hunting were the main reasons for not favoring shark fin consumption. This pilot study provides preliminary but important insights into primary school education regarding the conservation of sharks.

The present study describes a new species of Newmanella Ross, 1969 (Thoracica: Tetraclitidae: Newmanellinae) from Taiwan. Species in this genus are believed to be distributed in tropical western Atlantic waters and the present study is the first report of a new species of Newmanella in the western Pacific. Newmanella spinosus sp. nov. is morphologically close to N. radiata Bruguiere, 1789 but it is distinguished from N. radiata by the morphology of the scutum, tergum, cirrus II, mandible and maxillule. Sequence divergence of 12S rDNA between N. radiata and N. spinosus sp. nov. reached 7.6%, suggesting these are two different species. Newmanella spinosus sp. nov. is distributed in the Philippines, Taiwan and Okinawa but is absent from Hong Kong, Hainan and China. The distribution is probably affected by the Kuroshio Current. The subfamily Newmanellinae Ross and Perreault, 1999 contains two genera, Newmanella and Yamaguchiella Ross & Perreault, 1999. Neonrosella Jones, 2010 is a subgenus of Yamaguchiella. A recent molecular analysis (Tsang et al. 2015) determined that Yamaguchiella and Neonrosella are located in two distinct and distantly-related clades within the tetraclitid clade, suggesting that the subgenus Neonrosella is not closely related to Yamaguchiella and should be elevated to generic status.

Turtle barnacles are common epibionts on marine organisms. Chelonibia testudinaria is specific on marine turtles whereas C. patula is a host generalist, but rarely found on turtles. It has been questioned why C. patula, being abundant on a variety of live substrata, is almost absent from turtles. We evaluated the genetic (mitochondrial COI, 16S and 12S rRNA, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)) and morphological differentiation of C. testudinaia and C. patula from different hosts, to determine the mode of adaptation exhibited by Chelonibia species on different hosts. The two taxa demonstrate clear differences in shell morphology and length of 4-6(th) cirri, but very similar in arthropodal characters. Moreover, we detected no genetic differentiation in mitochondrial DNA and AFLP analyses. Outlier detection infers insignificant selection across loci investigated. Based on combined morphological and molecular evidence, we proposed that C. testudinaria and C. patula are conspecific, and the two morphs with contrasting shell morphologies and cirral length found on different host are predominantly shaped by developmental plasticity in response to environmental setting on different hosts. Chelonibia testudinaria is, thus, a successful general epibiotic fouler and the phenotypic responses postulated can increase the fitness of the animals when they attach on hosts with contrasting life-styles.

Sargassum hemiphyllum is commonly found in Japan and Korea, with a variety, var. chinense, that is found distributed in the southern Chinese coast. We previously reported distinct genetic differentiation between the two taxa based on the PCR-RFLP data of plastid RubiscoL-S spacer. The present study aims at elucidating the phylogeographic pattern of S. hemiphyllum based on more markers in the nuclear and extranuclear genomes, with a view to reveal the occurrence of hybridization. The two allopatrically distributed taxa were found to be genetically distinct in nuclear ITS2, plastidial Rubisco (Rbc) and mitochondrial TrnW_I (Trn) spacers. Their divergence was postulated to be attributable to the vicariant event which resulted from the isolation of the Sea of Japan during the late Miocene (6.58-11.25 Mya). Divergence within both S. hemiphyllum and the chinense variety was observed based on Trn spacer, while the divergence in S. hemiphyllum was further confirmed in Rbc spacer. This divergence appears to correspond to the separation of the Japanese populations between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific that occurred around 0.92-2.88 Mya (the early Pleistocene). The presence of an ITS2 clone resembling var. chinense sequences in a Japanese population of S. hemiphyllum (JpNS) raises the possibility of the introgression of var. chinense individuals into S. hemiphyllum population. Compared to that between S. hemiphyllum and the chinense variety, hybridization among the Japanese and Korean populations of S. hemiphyllum is highly probable as all these individuals share a pool of nuclear ITS2 sequences, possibly attributable to incomplete concerted evolution of ITS2.

We list five acrothoracican barnacles of the order Lithoglyptida currently found in Taiwanese waters, including two new records, Trypetesa habei Utinomi, 1962 and Berndtiapurpurea Utinomi, 1950 and a new undescribed species of the genus Lithoglyptes. We also investigate the morphology and molecular genetics of Balanodytes taiwanus Utinomi, from its type locality, Taiwan. The original description of B. taiwanus in Utinomi (1950a) reported the absence of caudal appendages. Re-examination of the somatic body of one of the syntype specimens (the other syntype only having an opercular bar remaining) of B. taiwanus deposited in the Seto Marine Laboratory in Japan, revealed the presence of caudal appendages. The morphology of our specimens collected in various locations in Taiwan fits the description in Utinomi (1950a) and all have caudal appendages. The diagnosis of Balanodytes Utinomi, 1950 is revised herein. The genus Armatoglyptes Kolbasov & Newman, 2005 is a nomen nudum and ajunior synonym of Balanodytes. Our results also show that the widespread species Lithoglyptes habei Tomlinson, 1963 is a junior synonym of B. taiwanensis. The molecular sequence divergencse of the 16S RNA and COI genes were studied for samples of another monotypic genus Auritoglyptes (A. bicornis) from different regions of Taiwan. It was shown that there are at least three phylogenetic clades in Taiwan, suggesting that Auritoglyptes represents a cryptic species complex.