The Universiti Brunei Darussalam Museum and Herbarium are two small zoological and botanical university collections that started in the 1980s, mainly as research facilities. They contain collections and type material from northern Borneo that are of historical and scientific interest, and have received the contributions of several internationally renowned researchers. We here provide a first account of the history, recent activities, current state, present assets, and possible future developments of these two natural history collections. A brief review of the Southeast Asian natural history museums and collections, including herbaria, highlights the scarcity and importance of natural repositories of biodiversity in this region, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

The Universiti Brunei Darussalam Museum and Herbarium are two small zoological and botanical university collections that started in the 1980s, mainly as research facilities. They contain collections and type material from northern Borneo that are of historical and scientific interest, and have received the contributions of several internationally renowned researchers. We here provide a first account of the history, recent activities, current state, present assets, and possible future developments of these two natural history collections. A brief review of the Southeast Asian natural history museums and collections, including herbaria, highlights the scarcity and importance of natural repositories of biodiversity in this region, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

Six species of vampire crabs, Geosesarma noduliferum (De Man, 1892), G. confertum (Ortmann, 1894), G. rouxi (Serène, 1968a), G. bicolor Ng & Davie, 1995, G. dennerle Ng, Schubart & Lukhaup, 2015, and G. hagenNg, Schubart & Lukhaup, 2015, are known thus far from Java, Indonesia. All are endemic to the island. Surveys inand around Mount Halimun Salak National Park in West Java showed that the sesarmid crab fauna for the islandis much richer, and five new species are described. The new taxa are described, figured, and compared with theirclosest congeners. Two poorly known species, G. confertum and G. rouxi are also re-diagnosed and figured. A keyto the known species of Geosesarma from Java is also provided.

The Sisters’ Islands, consisting of Small Sister’s Island and Big Sister’s Island—officially known as Pulau Subar Darat and Pulau Subar Laut, respectively, support 144 vascular plant species from 59 families, of which 90 species are native, 34 are non-native, and 20 are cryptogenic weeds. The native species include 10 nationally Critically Endangered species, eight nationally Endangered species, 14 nationally Vulnerable species, and 58 species that are not nationally threatened. The 2.76-ha Small Sister’s Island has 0.94 ha of coastal forest, 1.80 ha of managed vegetation, and 0.02 ha of built-up structures. The 4.53-ha Big Sister’s Island has 1.67 ha of coastal forest, 2.84 ha of managed vegetation, and 0.02 ha of built-up structures.