HKU Swire Institute of Marine Science launches youth program to cultivate future ocean stewards

The University of Hong Kong

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Students examining marine organisms that have colonised an Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structure (ARMS).

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Credit: HKU

The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has launched the Exploring Marine Biodiversity: Empowering Youth Ambassadors for Ocean Stewardship programme. Supported by the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF), the programme immerses local secondary school students in marine science through hands-on training, empowering them as the next generation of ocean stewards.

The programme was inaugurated at an opening ceremony on 30 January at the Rayson Huang Theatre at HKU, attended by Professor Jay SIEGEL, HKU Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning); Professor David BAKER, Interim Director of SWIMS; Dr Eric Kam-chung CHENG, Chairman of the Environment and Conservation Fund Committee; and Dr Jim CHU, Assistant Director (Fisheries and Marine Conservation) of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). More than 100 students and teachers from 25 secondary schools in Hong Kong attended the ceremony.

Hands-On Learning in Marine Science and Conservation

Each participating school nominates five student ambassadors to take part in a four-day immersive training programme at SWIMS’ Cape D’Aguilar research facility, located adjacent to the Cape D’Aguilar Marine Reserve. The programme blends lectures, laboratory sessions, and field visits to key sites such as Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Telegraph Bay, and Tai Tam, covering diverse habitats including coral communities, rocky shores, and mangroves.

Students gain firsthand experience with advanced research techniques used by marine scientists, including drone mapping of restored mangroves and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for species detection. The programme also focuses on building leadership and advocacy skills, enabling participants to share their knowledge within their schools and wider communities.

Ms Janis MOK, Outreach and Strategic Partnerships Manager at SWIMS, explained the mission, “This programme unites Hong Kong’s schools, cboth local and international. We hope to achieve a cascading and multiplying effect, reaching beyond the students we teach. Already, 175 students from 39 schools have signed up, exceeding our expectations.”

Dr Jim CHU, AFCD Assistant Director (Fisheries and Marine Conservation) emphasised the programme’s broader goal: protecting Hong Kong’s marine environment, “The most important message is to teach the general public to protect our oceans, how to enjoy nature while being its guardians, not just its guests.”

Inaugural Workshop Engages Students in Biodiversity Discovery

The first workshop of the programme, Discovering Marine Biodiversity, took place on 28 February. Students explored Hong Kong’s rich marine ecosystems and the importance of conservation, followed by interactive activities such as identifying marine organisms collected using an Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structure (ARMS).

“The workshop was fantastic! The kids were super engaged, jumping right in, collaborating,” said Josh BLUE, Head of Education, Curriculum, Learning and Assessment Education at English Schools Foundation. He continued, “Hopefully, we will continue building on this message of sustainability, protecting marine ecosystems, and creating a better world.”

SWIMS Outreach and Education Officer Dr Phil THOMSON agreed, “Everyone was very enthusiastic! The challenge is to identify the organisms they find on the ARMS, but this is the whole point of this exercise. The number of species, or biodiversity, matters for the health of the environment. That’s the important message from the course that the students will share with their peers.”

One of the participating students, Lolan CHIU, a year 12 student at ESF Sha Tin College, said the programme gave her a glimpse into what being a real scientist means, “I want to become a marine biologist. I have already been to the Philippines to get my SCUBA diving license and Thailand to participate in CoralWatch. I was really surprised by how detail-oriented you have to be, looking at different species and carefully observing small details in their shapes and patterns! I cannot wait to share with my schoolmates what I have learned in this programme.”

The programme represents a significant step in nurturing youth engagement in marine conservation and strengthening Hong Kong’s culture of environmental stewardship.

About The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS)
Part of the Faculty of Science at The University of Hong Kong, the Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) is one of the world’s leading marine research institutions. SWIMS specialises in the study of shallow coastal seas and the interaction between humanity and the ocean. Since its foundation in 1990, SWIMS has trained hundreds of scientists from around the world who now play leading roles in marine research and conservation.

Images and captions available at: https://www.scifac.hku.hk/press

Student Lolan CHIU identifying marine species she found on an ARMS under a microscope

 

Dr Phil Thompson and an ARMS that he just retrieved from the sea.

Participants in the Discovering Marine Biodiversity workshop at SWIMS

 

Normative messaging bridges the partisan gap in pandemic risk-taking, study shows

University of Plymouth

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People’s political persuasions can have a significant influence on their initial response to a global health crisis, according to new research.

But while they do tend to respond to guidance issued or followed by their political leaders of choice, the study showed that people’s behaviour can be altered by targeted interventions that highlight the potential impact of choices they make on those around them.

The research was carried out around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and recruited more than 800 United States citizens who had voted for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election.

They were invited to take part in an interactive game that included simulations of a virtual disease outbreak, with efforts to reduce the transmission risk incurring a personal cost while participants contracting the virtual disease losing all bonus payments for the game.

The researchers observed the participants’ responses and compared differences in behaviour among participants who had voted for either candidate in the election.

They found voters for the Republican Party (Trump) were significantly more likely to make decisions involving an element of risk than those who voted for the Democrats (Clinton), and risk-takers in the game were less likely to intend to wear masks, engage in physical distancing, wash their hands or reduce their mobility in the context of the real ongoing pandemic.

However, despite starting from different baselines, both groups reduced their risk-taking tendencies when presented with a simple message asking them to choose the safer option for their own and others’ benefit.

The effect of the intervention was stronger in an abstract version of the game (avoiding medical terms) than in a version directly addressing a pandemic. At the same time, both groups showed a strong effect of reducing their risk-taking in the pandemic-framed version, showing a potential effect of prevalent messaging at the time of the study.

The study was led by researchers in the University of Plymouth’s School of Psychology working with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the IESE Business School in Barcelona.

They say the research, published in the Journal of Behavioural Decision Making, does support previous suggestions that people on the political left are more likely to adopt preventive health behaviours than those on the political right.

However, the researchers believe their findings also demonstrate that exploring ways to connect with people based on personal principles is as important – if not more so – than reaching out to them on the basis of their political views.

Dr Jan Woike, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Plymouth and the study’s lead author, said: “This study was carried out at a time when the world was experiencing one of the worst health crises in living memory and in the United States, there was a massive partisan gap in COVID-19 death rates. Our results show that while there was a partisan gap rooted in fundamental differences in personal characteristics, it was not immovable. Whether they were Trump or Clinton voters, people significantly reduced their risk-taking when presented with a simple message asking them to choose the safer option for their own and others’ benefit.”

The study builds on existing research at the University into the use of games to study human behaviour and investigate ways to promote cooperation.

Researchers are currently using experimental games to study public responses to other societal issues, from efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change to delivering long-term benefits in sustainable behaviour.

Their interest is to explore how social preferences and cognitive abilities affect decision making in situations that impact both the decision maker, those they engage with on a regular basis and wider society.

Dr Patricia Kanngiesser, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Plymouth and a co-author on the current study, added: “We believe this new study offers valuable lessons to take into account during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic in the future. Our approach offers a valuable tool and sandbox for studying effective interventions when people might already be exposed to public messaging and information. Some studies may underestimate the power of interventions as people have already experienced them in their daily life. Our game-based simulation approach allows us to isolate causal factors from an ongoing situation.”

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Journal

Journal of Behavioral Decision Making

DOI

10.1002/bdm.70066 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Partisan differences in risk-taking in a simulated pandemic

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2026

 

Screen time among children and adolescents has increased over three decades – especially after COVID-19 pandemic

University of Turku

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First systematic review to track long-term trends across pre- and post-pandemic periods finds dramatic rise in screen use among children and adolescents.

Screen time among children and adolescents has increased significantly over the past three decades, with clear rise occurring after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new systematic review conducted at the University of Turku, Finland.

The review analyzed 60 peer-reviewed studies published between 1991 and 2022 and is the first to comprehensively examine long-term trends in screen time use among individuals aged 0–19 years across both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods.

Postdoctoral Researcher Yuko Mori from the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku, Finland, the shared lead author, tells that the nature of screen use has changed dramatically, shifting from traditional television to more interactive and personalized digital devices, such as mobile phones and video games. Earlier studies focused mainly on TV viewing, but from the mid-2010s onward, research began to include newer devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

“Interestingly, even during the pandemic, television viewing continued to decline,” says Mori.

School closures during the pandemic intensified screen dependence

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, research showed a mixed picture, as most studies indicated an increasing trend while others showed mixed results. The majority of studies conducted after the pandemic showed a dramatic increase in both total and leisure screen time among children and adolescents.

Across age groups, older children and adolescents generally reported higher screen time than younger children.

“This likely reflects developmental factors,” says shared lead author Sanju Silwal, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Turku. “Adolescence is a life stage where peer relationships, online social interaction, and romantic relationships become increasingly central.”

The increase in screen time was observed across socioeconomic groups, but it was more pronounced among children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors suggest this may reflect greater access to personal digital devices.

Guidance needed for healthy screen use

The sustained rise in screen exposure raises concerns regarding potential impacts on physical health, mental well-being, sleep, and development. Beyond time spent on digital devices, digital environments may expose young people to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and unrealistic body ideals.

Several countries have introduced regulatory measures in response to growing concerns about youth digital media use. The authors emphasize that effective responses must be grounded in high-quality evidence.

Most research has focused on the duration of screen use rather than the quality, context, or content of digital activities. The authors call for future research to adopt a more nuanced and multidimensional approach, examining not only how much time children spend on screens but also what they are doing online and how it affects their well-being.

“Technology offers tremendous opportunities, but it also presents risks,” Silwal notes. “To ensure that children benefit from digital environments, we need continuous research, evidence-based policies, and coordinated efforts from families, schools, communities, and governments.”

This systematic review was funded by the INVEST Flagship programme of the Research Council of Finland and the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

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Journal

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry

DOI

10.1177/13591045261432532 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Long-Term Trends in Screen Time Use Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review Including Pre- and Post-COVID Periods

Article Publication Date

21-Mar-2026

 

Soil bacteria break down toxic chemicals in the environment

Biotechnology

Ruhr-University Bochum

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Inoculation of Rhodococcus by Selvapravin Kumaran 

 

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Credit: © Dirk Tischler

A large genome with many redundancies

“Our ‘pet’ Rhodococcus opacus 1CP is characterized by a particularly large genome, which encodes a large number of enzymes, some of which are redundant,” explains Dirk Tischler. These enzymes enable substrates to be converted and often work in a specific sequence, thereby forming a metabolic pathway. If an aromatic compound, such as styrene, is supplied to the bacterium, it is activated and metabolized, ultimately producing CO2. “In the course of this metabolism, the bacterium has gained energy and cleaned the environment for us: a central element of environmental biotechnology,” says Tischler. “Understanding these processes is very important to us because it not only helps us understand how to remove pollutants from the environment, but also how to support ecosystems in doing this themselves, so to speak.” 

The redundancies in the genome of soil bacteria are a great advantage here: the various enzymes of the same class are produced under different environmental conditions, for example depending on oxygen concentration, temperature or nutrient availability. This allows bacteria to adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions. In the context of climate change, this is a vital ability.

Switching off one enzyme opens up a new metabolic pathway

To find out which enzymes contribute to the breakdown of aromatic compounds, Dirk Tischler’s team analyzed the genome of Rhodococcus opacus 1CP. “We were able to show that when certain enzymes are knocked-out, others step in, thereby even new metabolic pathways become active,” reports Tischler. In all cases, it became clear that two or three enzymes of the same class are often actively involved in the initial activation or subsequent conversion. This is also the case with phenol and cresol: here, the strain has three enzymes that normally activate phenol or cresol and form catechols. If these are switched off, other enzymes are suddenly recruited, allowing the breakdown of aromatic compounds via alternative routes. “There is still a lot we can learn here,” says Dirk Tischler enthusiastically.

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Journal

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

DOI

10.1128/aem.00045-26 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Whole-Genomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Elucidate p-Cresol and Styrene Degradation Metabolism in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP

Article Publication Date

27-Mar-2026

 

Ultrasound helps the brain overcome fear more quickly

Radboud University Nijmegen

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Neuroscientist Sjoerd Meijer of the Donders Institute at Radboud University has shown for the first time that targeted ultrasonic sound waves can help the brain overcome fear more quickly. These findings may open new avenues for the treatment of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

Meijer used a relatively new research method, placing a small device that emits sound waves on the heads of test subjects. These high-frequency vibrations are inaudible to the human ear but can reach and influence very specific areas of the brain. The technology is similar to the ultrasound used to view babies in the womb, but is now being applied to safely support the brain from the outside, without the need for surgery, in unlearning fear.

Amygdala

Meijer directed the sound waves at the amygdala, a small almond-shaped structure deep within the brain that determines how strongly emotional experiences are stored. ‘We know from animal research that the amygdala plays a major role in fear, and brain scans show that this area becomes active when people experience fear. However, it had never been demonstrated in humans that the amygdala is actually crucial for both learning and unlearning fear.’

In the experiment, participants were shown images of snakes. Some of these images were occasionally followed by a mild electric shock, teaching participants which snakes were ‘dangerous’. The researchers measured the intensity of the fear response through sweat reactions on the skin. For half of the images, the amygdala was simultaneously stimulated with sound waves; for the other half, it was not.

‘We found that participants developed a fear response more slowly when the amygdala was stimulated. They required more repetitions to learn to perceive the snakes as threatening, although they did eventually learn.’

Quick to learn, slow to forget

The most striking finding came afterwards. When the "dangerous" snakes were no longer followed by electric shocks, the fear response diminished more quickly in participants whose amygdala had previously been stimulated - even though the ultrasound stimulation had already stopped.

‘This suggests that the amygdala not only determines how quickly we learn fear, but also how easily we can unlearn it. Fearful memories formed when the amygdala is fully active may therefore be more resistant to change, even when the threat has long passed', says Meijer.

Exposure therapy

These findings open up new therapeutic possibilities. ‘This method could become a valuable addition to exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. In this approach, patients are gradually exposed to what they fear. When a fear memory is reactivated, we could stimulate the amygdala, potentially helping to update that memory more quickly. We have now demonstrated this effect in the formation of new fear responses; the next step is to investigate whether it also works in modifying existing fear memories.’

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Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.aea8233 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The human amygdala in threat learning and extinction

Article Publication Date

25-Mar-2026

 

New technique turns everyday surfaces like walls and desks into touch panels

Tohoku University

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(left) Example of blanching detection by the AI model used in this technology. (right) Example use of the technique: a wall is used as a touch input surface to interact with a virtual interface.

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Credit: ©Zhao et al.

Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets let us see the world around us with virtual elements superimposed on top. For example, many modern AR/MR headsets use hand-tracking cameras to detect hand gestures in the air, which allows users to type on a virtual keyboard that appears to be floating in front of the user. As exciting as this sounds initially, the approach often needs handheld controllers, and keeping your hands in the air for a long time can cause arm fatigue. These air gestures also lack physical feedback, which can make interaction less comfortable.

Searching for an innovative way to make typing more comfortable while using AR/MR technology, researchers at Tohoku University found a method that transforms regular surfaces into keyboards - no extra equipment required.

The key to this innovation is a natural reaction our body has when we apply pressure to our fingertips. If you try pressing down on a hard surface like a desk, you will notice a flush of white. This color change is called the blanching phenomenon. By analyzing images from the headset camera with an AI model, the system can detect when a fingertip touches a surface.

"This research means that ordinary surfaces all around us - walls, desks, or partitions - can be used as a touch input area," said Guanghan Zhao, who led the study. "Moreover, this method doesn't require special sensors, markers, or additional devices. Anyone can use it easily.

To make this vision a reality, the research team trained an AI model to reliably recognize the blanching phenomenon in fingertip images captured by a standard camera on the headset. In addition, a supporting interaction system was developed to provide easy-to-access user experience.

User studies showed that the system reliably detected fingertip contact across several common surface materials. Participants were able to perform interaction tasks with stable input accuracy. The surface-supported interaction also allowed users to rest their fingers on the surface during operation.

"Our primary objective was to develop a technology that allows touch input on everyday physical surfaces for AR and MR without the need for special hardware, making these devices easier to use and promoting the wider adoption of AR and MR technologies for everyday use," said Guanghan.

The findings were presented at the 33rd IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, held in South Korea from March 21 - 25, 2026. The paper has also been accepted for future publication in IEEE Computer Society Digital Library.

 

How life stories shape the path to assisted death

Universiteit van Amsterdam

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The debate surrounding the provision of assistance to those wishing to die has long centred on abstract notions such as individual choice and personal autonomy. What is often missing from the discussion, says sociologist and PhD candidate Kalima Carrigan, is a sense of the individuals behind these choices. Therefore, Carrigan spoke extensively with people facing this profound decision and places their life stories at the centre of her research. She will defend her dissertation on 31 March at the University of Amsterdam.

In many Western countries, public debate about assisted dying centres on the idea of “choice” – the right of individuals to decide when and how they die. Switzerland has become a focal point in these discussions because its laws allow assisted suicide under certain conditions, including for non-residents. As a result, a growing number of people from countries where assisted dying is illegal travel there to seek help in ending their lives – a practice sometimes referred to as “suicide tourism.” 

Despite frequent media coverage and political debate, very little is known about the inner lives of the individuals who make this journey. Carrigan’s research shifts the focus from laws and policies to the personal stories behind the decisions. 

Looking beyond “choice” 

Rather than treating assisted dying as a simple matter of individual freedom or autonomy, Carrigan examines how people understand their decision within the context of their entire life story. Over seven years, Carrigan conducted in-depth interviews with individuals planning to travel to Switzerland for an assisted death. She explored their past experiences, present realities and fears about the future. 

Her findings challenge the common assumption that choosing assisted death is purely a rational decision made in isolation. Instead, she shows that it often emerges gradually, shaped by illness, loss of independence, changing relationships and shifts in identity. 

Choice, Carrigan says, is not a single moment. It is part of an unfolding life narrative which continues to evolve until the end. 

“Biographical contraction” and “Biographical closure” 

Carrigan introduces two new concepts to help explain this process. 

“Biographical contraction” describes the feeling many participants expressed that their world was shrinking. As illness progressed, they experienced physical limitations, social isolation and a growing sense that they could no longer live as the person they once were. Life felt increasingly confined – not only physically, but emotionally and socially. 

“Biographical closure” refers to the meaningful steps people take when preparing for death. Participants described putting their affairs in order, repairing or strengthening relationships, and reflecting on the meaning of their lives. These actions were not simply practical arrangements; they were ways of completing their life story on their own terms. 

Together, these concepts suggest that a wish to hasten death is often tied to a desire to preserve identity and coherence in one’s life narrative. 

Implications for end-of-life care 

Carrigan’s research highlights the isolation and uncertainty that many people face when considering assisted dying abroad. Because the option is illegal in their home countries, individuals often navigate the process quietly, with limited support. 

Carrigan calls for greater attention to personal biography in end-of-life care. She suggests that healthcare professionals and policymakers should look beyond legal criteria and abstract debates about autonomy and instead engage more deeply with the lived histories and experiences of patients. 

‘By listening closely to individual stories, society can better understand what unbearable suffering means – not only in physical terms, but as a disruption to identity, dignity and connection.’