Happy #WorldWetlandsDay2022 a day to acknowledge the essential support these ecosystems provide for a healthy planet and society. So let’s work hard to protect these biodiversity reservoirs and their unexpected visitors

Honoured to be part of this review in @ELSenviron examining the roles that macrofauna play in the fragmentation of macro to micro and nano plastics! Led by Mandy So with @SCannicci and Christelle Not it’s available for free for the next ~40 days iMEco Lab The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) HKU

Fauna is playing a role in the plastic debris degradation Free access to our new publication led by Mandy So with @SCannicci and Dr Lyle D Vorsatz 👇👇👇 authors.elsevier.com/a/1eayXzLNSc6d4

Congratulations to Kevin Geoghegan for passing his PhD defense this week, with his thesis titled; "The present and prospective ecology of a rocky shore predator: foraging, physiology and their microbiome". Well done Dr Geoghegan! The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) HKU Bayden D. Russell @SCannicci iMEco Lab

🚨Just published open-access🚨. Check out our new paper looking at how fine-scale environmental conditions and thermal tolerance of crab larvae 🦀🦀🦀influence their community dynamics in HK mangroves! @SCannicci Francesca Porri_mare iMEco Lab doi.org/10.1007/s10113…

Well done Kevin Geoghegan!

🦀🐚🦞🐠 A brilliant keynote talk at MMM6 - Colombia by @sara_fratini. It was great to hear about the importance of genetic approaches in the #conservation and management of #mangrove fauna

Out today fully open access in Marine Pollution Bulletin sciencedirect.com/science/articl… with fantastic colleagues Christelle Not @SCannicci - we looked at the drivers of anthropogenic pollution in the peri-urban mangroves of Hong Kong iMEco Lab The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) HKU Biological Sci UCT

Our findings indicate: 1⃣ Spatial Variability: Debris abundance and distribution varied across zones, with plastic being the predominant material. 2⃣Top Contaminants: Both plastic and non-plastic domestic items covered the most surface area (largest potential ecological impact)

3⃣Landward Accumulation: Debris aggregation was highest in the landward zones, aligning with existing research and 4⃣ Seasonal Impact: In the dry season, more debris accumulated in both seaward and landward zones.

Implications: Our results confirm that land-derived debris from mismanaged waste, rather than debris coming from the Pearl River, is the primary source of anthropogenic debris threatening Hong Kong's mangroves. 🚮

This research underscores the urgent need for improved waste management, policy implementation and coastal conservation efforts to safeguard these vital ecosystems #mangroveprotection #HongKongecosystems #MangrovePollution #Debris