Taiwan's coral reefs are healthier than those in other parts of the world, leading US researchers to team up this week with the nation's scientists to study the natural undersea formations, in the hope of saving coral reefs worldwide.
Academics from California State University (Northridge) and experts from eastern Taiwan's National Dong Hwa University yesterday opened the Taiwan Coral Research Center, based in the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung County.
The center's scientists will study the unique nature of the nation's coral reefs, which are found mostly off the southern coast, as well as encircling its smaller islands.
"Current movements in the western Pacific make the living conditions on Taiwan's coral reefs better than [on reefs in many other countries]," said Fan Tong-yun (
Waters off the southern coast, such as near Kenting, have a much higher rate of coral coverage -- approximately 40 percent -- than the average rate of 20 percent in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The phenomenon of coral bleaching is also less serious here.
Coral bleaching is suspected to be caused by rising water temperatures and pollution as a result of global warming.
Fan said coral reefs all over the world, especially those in popular tourist destinations such as Hawaii, Tahiti and the Caribbean Sea, had suffered serious bleaching last year.
But coral reefs off Kenting City had escaped this fate because there was an upwelling current in the sea there that prevented the sea temperature from rising too much, he said.
"Taiwan's know-how in coral conservation is ahead of that in many countries in the world," Fan said.
"[Taiwan] may even be the Noah's Ark of corals, but to reach that conclusion, we need to carry out more research on an international scale," he said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner