The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium on Saturday announced that it would join the Frozen Ark global conservation project by freezing the DNA of coral species living off the shore of Pingtung County’s Kenting (墾丁).
The Frozen Ark, launched by British scientists Bryan Clarke and his wife, Ann, is a registered charity based at the University of Nottingham in the UK that collects and preserves tissue, viable cells and DNA samples from endangered species.
Supported by more than 22 partners worldwide, the project has collected more than 48,000 samples belonging to about 5,500 species. Kenting’s corals would be the first Taiwanese species to join the project’s collection.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Protecting coral is an urgent issue as it is threatened by global warming and human activity, museum researcher Lin Chia-hsin (林家興) said.
Prior to joining the project, the museum had over the past decade been using freezing techniques to preserve the cells of precious coral species and build a DNA database.
Asked if certain coral species would be selected for the global project, Lin said it would be great if he could save more than one species and he hopes to preserve all the animal and algal species needed to sustain a complete coral ecosystem.
Photo copied by Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
However, the storage conditions for different corals vary widely, which is challenging for researchers, he said.
Ideally, different protective measures, such as setting up conservation zones, artificial coral farming and freezing coral to preserve it should be carried out simultaneously, Lin said.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS