From Landscape to Laptop

The Digital Arboretum (DA) is the brainchild of Mr Gavin Coates, Senior Lecturer at HKU’s Division of Landscape Architecture. “Teaching planting design, landscape technology and landscape representation are my specialities and, for all of these, taking groups of...

Hatching a Plan

Hong Kong and southern China produce more than 30 per cent of the world’s edible oysters, largely using a species endemic to Hong Kong (Crassostrea hongkongensis) that is popularly called the Hong Kong oyster, as well as indigenous aquaculture practices that have been...

Sweet Deal for Songbirds

We are all familiar with the ubiquitous image of a hummingbird hovering in front of a flower as it drinks the nectar but scientists only proved they could in fact taste sweet in 2014. Now a new study has shown that songbirds are also able to distinguish sweet tastes...

Rapid Response

Increased ocean acidification (OA) in recent decades means that pH levels in the global oceans are predicted to decline to levels which may affect some marine fish. Knowing how it will affect growth, behaviour and even survival of various types of fish is essential to...

Leapin’ Lizards

A 40-year study, begun on the Izu Islands in the early 1980s, has shed light on how lizards preyed upon by snakes are active at higher body temperatures than lizards living on islands with no snakes. The study also found significant climatic warming through the 40...