To promote the development of marine scientific research, our office signed a Memorandum of Understanding today (May 3) with the Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI) under the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs). Through this partnership, marine scientific research capacity within national parks will be further strengthened. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Research Fellow Shao Kwang-tsao of the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica; Dean Wang Chao-chang of the College of Marine Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University; Deputy Director Cheng Chun-chieh of the Southern Region Coast Guard Administration; Captain Yang Chao-ching of the Fifth Coast Patrol Corps; and distinguished guests present, marking a new chapter in collaboration between marine science and conservation.
Conservation and research are core missions of national parks. Through effective management, natural resource protection and sustainability can be realized. To commemorate the occasion, our office presented TORI with a satellite image of Dongsha Atoll. In return, TORI presented our office with a model of the R/V Ocean Researcher, symbolizing this collaborative partnership. It is hoped that through our administrative planning and TORI’s advanced research facilities and technical expertise, marine research capacity in Dongsha Atoll National Park and Penghu South Four Islands National Park will be enhanced, further strengthening the branding of the Dongsha Marine Research Center and the Penghu South Four Islands marine environmental education site.
On the same day, our office also held the 2016 Conservation Research Results Presentation. Research Fellow Shao Kwang-tsao of Academia Sinica delivered a keynote speech titled “International Trends in Marine Protected Areas and Taiwan’s Current Status.” The presentation included documentary films such as Racing Extinction, which approach conservation from a marine perspective, as well as discussions on conservation indicators and management both domestically and internationally. Subsequently, commissioned research teams presented their findings, including Associate Professor Chen Yu-yun of Aletheia University and the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society, who shared results on the sicklefin lemon shark at Dongsha and the white-breasted waterhen. The event also featured the launch of the new book Flora of the Penghu South Four Islands. Interaction between speakers and the audience was lively, and the event concluded successfully at around 3:00 PM.
In 2017, our office continues to promote diverse conservation research initiatives. At Dongsha Atoll National Park, studies are underway on soft corals, atoll geomorphology, insects and plant communities, and the sicklefin lemon shark. At Penghu South Four Islands National Park, ongoing investigations focus on fish fauna, coastal invertebrates and macroalgae, as well as historical development. The results of these studies will be presented to the public next year (2018). Through these efforts, we aim to gradually cultivate and strengthen public awareness of marine conservation and further advance the vision of sustainable management for Taiwan’s marine national parks.
