The phenomenon of coral simultaneously releasing their tiny eggs and sperm, known as coral spawning, has been recorded off Taiwan’s east coast for the first time, Academia Sinica researchers said.
Coral spawning, which creates the appearance of an underwater blizzard with billions of colorful flakes, takes place once a year, dependent on the lunar cycle and water temperatures. It often coincides with the birthday of the sea goddess Matsu in the spring.
Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center has previously spent time and resources recording the phenomenon in Kenting and Penghu, but this year, researchers went to Taitung County on April 25 and 26, where they discovered coral spawning in waters off the coast of Jihui (基翬) in Chenggong Township (成功).
Photo courtesy of Kuo Chao-yang
Researcher Allen Chen (陳昭倫) said that he and his colleagues recorded seven types of hermaphrodite coral, which have both male and female sex organs, releasing gametes.
“It was like it was snowing underwater, with pink and purple gametes floating everywhere,” Chen said.
They also recorded activity of Goniopora tenuidens, a gonochoric species that only releases sperm, Chen said.
“The great amount of sperm released by the Goniopora tenuidens looked like a thin white fog around the colonies,” he said.
Even though the underwater spectacle showed that corals in eastern Taiwan are healthy, their habitat is nonetheless threatened by human activity, Chen said.
Chen, the Taiwan Environmental Information Association, and Citizen of the Earth in late February issued a statement saying that the environmental evaluation of the Baosheng marine eco-park project near Jihui — where work on the project began on March 1 — did not include an assessment of its potential effect on coral reefs.
Baosheng Corp chairman Lu Ming-hsien (呂明賢) said that the project would not endanger coral colonies, as the construction site is hundreds of meters from the coast.
However, excavation work at other construction sites along the coast already seems to have affected the reef’s health, environmental groups said.
The proportion of coral off Jihui covered with sediment reached a record of 21.9 to 22.5 percent in February, up from 15 to 20.63 percent in May last year, a report by Chen and the two non-governmental organizations said.
The coral reefs would get sick or even suffocate if covered by an excessive amount of sediment, the report said.
Mass death of corals is inevitable “if any land-based development project nearby loosens topsoil, which will be washed into the ocean by heavy rain,” it said.
The Environmental Protection Administration on March 1 said that it would send delegates to Jihui to study the effect of the Baosheng project on the marine ecology and decide whether an underwater evaluation is needed.
The agency has yet to reach a decision.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS