Page 9 - Accelerating Research and Impact - Issue 6

Citizen Scientists -
Fostering a biodiversity-friendly city
Unique specimen collection
The SU has recently established a publicly accessible Natural History Collection of specimens of local amphibians and reptiles to document Hong Kong’s biodiversity for research, conservation and education purposes.
https://lingnancollection.wixsite.com/naturalhistory
More than 500 individual specimens, representing 92% of the amphibian species and 36% of the reptile species in Hong Kong are documented in this database currently. It covers species of high conservation or scientific research values, such as the white-headed blind snake and Romer’s tree frog which is found only in Hong Kong - so precious! (see inside front cover)
The Collection contributes to the goals of Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and is funded nearly HK$1.1 million by the Environment and Conservation Fund of the HKSAR Government.
“Specimens represent a valuable resource for future generations, often for uses that we currently cannot predict. For example, the impact of climate change was revealed by comparing specimens from modern times to those collected in 1911, when there was no concept of climate change,” said research team leader Prof Jonathan Fong.
White-headed blind snake
- unique to Hong Kong
Lives in our Environment
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