Protecting the Rainforests of the Sea:

Taiwan is located at the intersection of three large marine ecosystems: the Kuroshio Current, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea. It also lies at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, home to the highest marine biodiversity in the world. These factors have produced a rich variety of corals and other marine species. Of the world’s roughly 1,500 reef-building corals, more than 440 are found in the waters around Taiwan, comparable to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Reef-building corals create habitats for marine life. The photo shows neon damselfish (Pomacentrus coelestis) swimming around leafy hedgehog coral (Echinopora lamellosa) in the seas off Penghu. (courtesy of Dai Chang-feng)

How corals build reefs and ecosystems

Dai Chang-feng, a pioneer in coral ecosystem research in Taiwan and retired professor in the Institute of Oceanography at National Taiwan University, notes that wherever there is hardground in the seas off Taiwan, there are coral reefs. Even in Western Taiwan, where the seafloor is mostly sandy, reefs may develop wherever there are manmade solid structures to which coral planulae (the free-swimming larvae of coral polyps) can attach themselves and conditions for growth are good.

For example, at the Yong’an Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Kaohsiung, the breakwaters are built of blocks of concrete, providing the kind of hard foundation needed for coral growth. They also keep the water in the harbor calm, thus protecting the corals from being impacted by stormy seas. Moreover, there is little human activity there. All these conditions facilitate coral growth, and 130 species of coral can be found there.

Dai, who has been studying coral reef ecosystems since he was a postgrad student, recalls the days before anyone in Taiwan researched them and people knew little about these beautiful undersea worlds. He explains that coral reefs are actually built by colonies of coral polyps, whose combined skeletons cover the surface of the foundations. There are symbiotic algae in their bodies which perform photosynthesis to provide nutrition, and which create the multiple colors of corals. The coral polyps secrete calcium carbonate to form rigid exoskeletons, and it is the long-term accumulation of these skeletons that forms coral reefs. The reefs attract small fish such as butterflyfish that feed on coral polyps, which in turn attract larger fish that hunt these small fish. Reefs provide habitats where various forms of marine life can feed, reproduce and raise their young, thus giving give rise to rich, diverse ecosystems. It is no exaggeration to call them “rainforests of the sea.” 

Dai Chang-feng has dedicated his life to studying and defending coral reef ecosystems. He argues that the most important step in protecting corals is to practice environmental conservation.

Taiwan lies at the intersection of three large marine ecosystems and at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, giving it abundant coral species and ecologies. The photo shows robust feather stars (Himerometra robustipinna) attached to a barrel sponge (Xestospongia) on the seafloor in Kenting National Park. (courtesy of Dai Chang-feng)

The seafloor off Western Taiwan is mostly sandy, but all it takes is hard manmade structures and a hospitable environment to make a habitat suitable for coral growth. The Yongan Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Kaohsiung is a case in point. (courtesy of CPC Corporation)

International conservation targets

Climate change and marine heatwaves are causing coral bleaching worldwide, threatening the very existence of these creatures. However, based on years of observation, Dai points out that the most important factor in the declining coverage rate of Taiwan’s reefs is continual damage by sediment and by pollution coming from the land. Coastal development and torrential rains generate large amounts of sediment that settles on corals, smothering them and acting as an invisible killer—a primary factor in coral degradation over the years. Therefore, Dai argues that the most important step to protect coral is environmental conservation.

The international community is focusing on the United Nations “30×30” conservation targets (which aim to protect 30% of the Earth’s land and ocean areas by 2030), and applying the concept of “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs), whereby areas that are not formally protected are appropriately managed to promote biodiversity. Although Taiwan is not in the UN, it is also working towards such international targets. Besides marine protected areas such as Kenting National Park and Dongsha Atoll National Park, many areas managed by harbor authorities, military units, or enterprises (such as Hoping Industrial Port in Hualien County and the liquid natural gas terminal at Shen’ao in New Taipei City) are using conservation and management measures to facilitate coral growth. These are examples of the successful use of OECMs.

Dongsha Atoll is highly adaptable to climate change, making it one of the world’s four “super reefs.” (courtesy of Taiwan Space Agency)

Coral may become bleached if its living environment is stressful. But this doesn’t mean instant death: If the environment can be improved, the coral can gradually recover. The photo shows partially bleached mushroom coral. (courtesy of Dai Chang-feng)

Crown-of-thorns starfish are coral killers. They reproduce rapidly, and when their population explodes the result is a disaster for coral reefs. (courtesy of Dai Chang-feng) 

A super reef in Taiwan

Scientists worldwide are working to address the threats posed to coral reefs by climate change. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) in the US has studied heat-tolerant “super reefs.” Dai explains that while high sea temperatures can cause coral bleaching, they are not always rapidly fatal to corals. If the environment can be improved, the corals can recover. Some reefs experience regular influxes of cold water that reduce temperatures, making the overall environment more heat tolerant.

Taiwan’s Dongsha Atoll is a case in point. Dai says that the circular atoll is affected by regular “internal waves” (waves propagated within the ocean water column) that cause water temperatures to fall by 7–10℃, enabling bleached coral to recover. These waves originate at the Luzon Ridge and travel westward, and on reaching the Dongsha Atoll they cause cold water to surge up from the seafloor. The effect is most notable after spring tides in summer. The WHOI has determined that among all the coral reefs it has observed worldwide, Dongsha Atoll is one of only four super reefs with strong climate adaptability. This means that Taiwan is home to a coral reef that can play an important role in the global conservation blueprint.

Delta Electronics Foundation CEO Wim Chang says that if Taiwan’s science and technology can assist in marine research and rehabilitation, it can greatly benefit coral conservation.

Every propagated coral fragment is the product of meticulous care.

When used in the propagation of coral fragments, Delta’s LED spectral control system can accelerate coral growth.

Using technology to protect coral

In recent years, private enterprises have injected further dynamism into Taiwan’s coral conservation efforts.

Since 2020, the Delta Electronics Foundation (DEF) has been involved in protecting and restoring corals and preserving their genetic material. CEO Wim Chang states: “Our role is to restore coral reef habitats and accelerate recovery of marine ecosystems.” DEF and the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Keelung together established the Chaojing Coral Conservation Center (CCCC), leveraging Delta Electronics’ strengths in automatic control systems and energy-saving technologies to build a greenhouse for coral propagation. Coral fragments propagated there are transplanted to the seafloor in the Wanghaixiang Chaojing Bay Conservation Area. The CCCC utilizes only renewable energy, making it Asia’s first “net-zero carbon” coral conservation center.

DEF is also working with the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung to conduct research on heat-tolerant corals, the collection of coral sperm and eggs, and the propagation of coral fragments. Chang says that if Taiwan’s science and technology can assist in marine research, they can provide great benefits for conservation. For example, Delta’s spectral control system for LED lighting, originally developed for plant greenhouses, can be used in coral fragment propagation. By adjusting the ratio of red to blue light in order to simulate the stimulus of natural sunlight, it can accelerate coral growth. 

DEF will soon attain its goal of propagating 10,000 coral fragments in three years. This achievement has been made possible by a community of volunteers who have made invaluable contributions. DEF organized a volunteer diving team composed of Delta Group employees who undertake tasks including attaching coral fragments to seafloor frameworks, clearing algae to protect the coral environment, collecting sperm and eggs, making photographic surveys, and observing coral growth. Many of the volunteers come from engineering and technology departments and make suggestions for improvements. For example, says Chang, as a result of feedback from colleagues, DEF will soon begin an experiment using robotic arms to assist coral conservation.

A team of volunteers made up of Delta Electronics personnel has been specially trained in coral care. They dive to the reefs to clear away algae and inspect conditions to ensure a suitable environment for coral growth. (courtesy of DEF)

The sight of lesser valley coral (Platygyra verweyi) spawning is majestic, creating the appearance of a starry sky underwater. (courtesy of DEF)

A Noah’s Ark for coral

Delta is also taking its coral conservation technology to foreign lands. In late 2024, DEF began working with Singapore’s National Parks Board to establish a coral culture facility at the St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory. Incorporating Delta’s automatic control systems and smart aquaculture technology, its goal is to propagate 100,000 coral fragments in ten years.

Moreover, recently DEF has been working with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to experimentally apply the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric to marine environments for the first time and to develop quantitative indicators for marine conservation outcomes.

Besides DEF, a growing number of organizations are leveraging their strengths to engage in action for coral conservation. For example, Taiwan Cement Corporation has developed artificial reef foundation modules suitable for transplanting coral fragments; the Hon Hai Technology Group is working with National Taiwan Ocean University to develop artificial reefs based on recycled materials, in order to support marine life; and Lunghwa University of Science and Technology is reusing reservoir sediment to make ceramic bases for coral fragment propagation. These efforts aim not only to benefit Taiwan, but to provide concrete solutions to the challenges of global climate change.

Dai Chang-feng notes that Taiwan lies at the intersection of tropical and subtropical zones, with the waters around most of Northern Taiwan being subtropical. In winter, sea temperatures in this area are low, and although coral has grown there in the past, it does not readily form large reefs. However, with climate change, tropical waters are reaching temperatures that are fatal for corals, so these creatures may relocate to cooler subtropical areas. Taiwan lies at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, and the coastlines from Taitung and Hualien to Yilan and the Northeast Coast may become important refuges for tropical corals.

This is Dai’s hope: “If we can protect the coral environment in northern and northeastern Taiwan and designate more marine protected areas, in the future we can become a Noah’s Ark for tropical corals and make a major contribution to the preservation of global oceanic biodiversity.” 

If the coastal ecosystems of eastern and northeastern Taiwan can be protected, the island can become a Noah’s Ark for tropical coral species and make a major contribution to the preservation of global marine biodiversity.