A civic group announced yesterday it would conduct a series of dives over a three-month period beginning at the end of this month to investigate the health of major coral reef habitats around Taiwan.
The Taiwan Environmental Information Association said its study will target seven areas: the northeast coast; two locations off the coast of Taitung County; Green Island (綠島); Orchid Island (蘭嶼); Dongyuping (東嶼坪) in Penghu County; and Siaoliouchiou (小琉球).
“The survey is aimed at continuing to monitor the health of Taiwan’s coral reefs,” said Association Secretary-General Chen Jui-pin (陳瑞賓), adding that this year will be the third year the survey is being done.
Chen described coral reefs as “tropical rainforests of the sea,” whose health and ecological balance have a major influence on the growth or decline in the populations of other forms of marine life.
Chen Chao-lun (陳昭倫), an associate researcher with the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica, said the situation in many parts of the world this year has not been good, with the abnormal global climate taking a massive toll on marine life.
The sea has also suffered from pressures of overfishing and human development, Chen said, and he urged the establishment of a marine life protection area to give it breathing space.
For this year’s survey, the association said it would invite local communities to join the cause to help create a groundswell of environmental conservation awareness.
The results of the investigation will be handed over to the California-based Reef Check Foundation for reference.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
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