Ta Kang Liu

Influence of waste management policy on the characteristics of beach litter in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Marine debris is a ubiquitous problem that poses a serious threat to the global oceans; it has motivated public participation in clean-up campaigns, as well as governmental involvement in developing mitigation strategies. While it is known that the problem of marine litter may be affected by waste management practices on land, beach survey results have seldom been compared with them. In this study, marine litter surveys on four beaches of Cijin Island were conducted to explore the effects of waste management and policy implications. Indirect evidence shows that chances for land-based litter, such as plastic bags and bottles, entering the marine environment can be greatly decreased if they can be properly reduced, reused and recycled. We suggest that mitigation measures should focus on source reduction, waste recycling and management, utilizing effective economic instruments, and pursuing a long-term public education campaign to raise the public awareness of this problem.

Vessel traffic patterns in the Port of Kaohsiung and the management implications for preventing the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species

Data on shipping traffic in one of the busiest seaports in the world, the Port of Kaohsiung, were analyzed to evaluate the implications for ballast water management. Results show that 67% of the arriving vessels were registered to a flag of convenience, which typically have a lower degree of environmental records. The top five donor countries historically suffer from harmful algal bloom problems. The short journey and busy trading between these countries and Taiwan lead to a higher risk of inoculation. In addition, only 1.4% of all vessels visited more than once every year during the 9-year span, indicating that the port authority encounters many new vessels each year. These findings could influence the design and application of ballast water management strategies as well as highlight the challenges in their implementation. We suggest that an analysis of vessel traffic patterns should be coupled with other useful vessel information to make risk assessment successful.

Rapid assessment of target species: Byssate bivalves in a large tropical port

Rapid assessment sampling for target species is a fast cost-effective method aimed at determining the presence, abundance and distribution of alien and native harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens that may have been introduced by shipping. In this study, the method was applied within a large tropical port expected to have a high species diversity. The port of Kaohsiung was sampled for bivalve molluscan species that attach using a byssus. Such species, due to their biological traits, are spread by ships to ports worldwide. We estimated the abundance and distribution range of one dreissenid (Mytilopsis sallei) and four mytilids (Brachidontes variabilis, Arcuatula senhousa, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Perna viridis) known to be successful invaders and identified as potential pests, or high-risk harmful native or non-native species. We conclude that a rapid assessment of their abundance and distribution within a port, and its vicinity, is efficient and can provide sufficient information for decision making by port managers where IMO port exemptions may be sought.

Comprehensive assessment of coastal eutrophication in Taiwan and its implications for management strategy

Due to the rapid population growth, anthropogenic activities result in agricultural, industrial, and urban diffuse runoffs that elevate the level of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in coastal waters. Currently there is no integrated analysis for coastal eutrophication in Taiwan. A comprehensive analysis of the coastal eutrophic status was performed in this study based on decade-long coastal water quality monitoring data from Taiwans Environmental Protection Administration. A 3-tiered monitoring strategy is recommended based on the severity of the current eutrophication state. Results indicate that the most problematic area of coastal eutrophication is located in the estuary of the Donggang River (DGR) and its adjacent coastal waters, i.e., the Kao-Ping mouth (KPM) and Dapeng Bay (DPB) in south-western Taiwan. With a worsening eutrophic status, these areas demand intensive monitoring and research with higher spatial and temporal resolutions to evaluate the stresses of nutrient forcing and predict possible future responses.

Critical Success Factors Analysis of Implementing MPA at the Yilan Gueishan Island, Taiwan

Gueishan Island, located along the strong Kuroshio current, is one of the most essential fishing grounds in Taiwan’s offshore fishery, and critical during its transitional fishery periods. However, long-term pollution, overfishing and rapid coastal development result in overexploitation and adverse environmental and ecological impacts. Previous studies focused on single species fishery management or merely the interpretation relevant laws whereas the views and perceptions of the stakeholders are often overlooked. Therefore, stakeholders’ participation and co-management seem to challenge the future establishment of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Gueishan Island. This study focuses on the evaluation of stakeholders’ perception and analyzes the critical success factors for MPA planning through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The results showed that although most fishermen do not fully understand the intention of MPAs, they pay much attention to the negotiations among stakeholders before an MPA is implemented. Thus, stimulating appreciation and education about conservation and MPAs is crucial while setting up a co-management mechanism is recommended for the implementation of such MPA.

Information theoretic perspective on coastal water-quality monitoring and management near an offshore industrial park

A semi-continuous water-quality monitoring system was installed in Yunlin Offshore Industrial Park (YOIP), the largest industrial park in Taiwan, in 2007 to provide real-time water-quality information such as pH, water depth, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, and chlorophyll. To interpret the large quantities of high-frequency data generated by this system, information theory was applied for data analysis and extraction of useful information for further coastal water-quality management. Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics that involves the quantification of information. Shannon entropy is a key measure of information that was calculated in this study to reveal the inherent uncertainty of water-quality information. The applicability of Shannon entropy for signaling possible coastal pollution events in the YOIP was explored and results showed that it provides new insight into the inherent uncertainty or randomness of the original data. Specially, when Shannon entropy was high, multiple instable readings were observed for turbidity and salinity. This indicates that Shannon entropy may be a useful new tool for exploratory data analysis. It can be used as a supplementary indicator along with the original environmental data to signify some episodes of water-quality degradation.

Conservation of the Eastern Taiwan Strait Chinese White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis): Fishers' Perspectives and Management Implications

The abundance of the eastern Taiwan Strait (ETS) population of the Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis) has been estimated to be less than 100 individuals. It is categorized as critically endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Thus, immediate measures of conservation should be taken to protect it from extinction. Currently, the Taiwanese government plans to designate its habitat as a Major Wildlife Habitat (MWH), a type of marine protected area (MPA) for conservation of wildlife species. Although the designation allows continuing the current exploitation, however, it may cause conflicts among multiple stakeholders with competing interests. The study is to explore the attitude and opinions among the stakeholders in order to better manage the MPA. This study employs a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire survey of local fishers. Results from interviews indicated that the subsistence of fishers remains a major problem. It was found that stakeholders have different perceptions of the fishers’ attitude towards conservation and also thought that the fishery-related law enforcement could be difficult. Quantitative survey showed that fishers are generally positive towards the conservation of the Chinese white dolphin but are less willing to participate in the planning process. Most fishers considered temporary fishing closure as feasible for conservation. The results of this study provide recommendations for future efforts towards the goal of better conservation for this endangered species.

THREE NEWLY RECORDED GENERA AND SPECIES OF GOBIID FISHES (TELEOSTEI: GOBIIDAE) FROM THE DONGSHA ATOLL (PRATAS ISLANDS), SOUTH CHINA SEA

Three newly recorded gobiid genera of coral-reef gobies have been collected and examined by scuba diving in the Dongsha Atoll, also known as the Pratas Islands, South China Sea. They are Feia Smith, 1959; Sueviota Winterbottom and Hoese, 1988; and Trimmatom Winterbottom and Emery, 1981. These three genera were formerly unrecorded in the Dongsha Atoll and all Taiwanese waters before this paper. One representing species was found for each gobiid genus. The diagnosis for these three newly recorded species and genera will be provided in this paper.

DNA Barcoding of Coastal Larval Fish Communities of Dongsha Island, South China Sea Revealed by Mitochondrial CO I Sequences

The 70 different samples of larval fish morphotypes have been successfully amplified and sequenced in detail via PCR amplification for the partial sequences of mtDNA CO I gene. The overall genetic similarities ranged from 83% to 100%. Totally 26 different fish species can be detected and analyzed. There are 16 fish species can be identified into specific level. However, there are remaining 12 species can be expected just into suggested fish generic level. Apparently, two major groups of taxa would be the members of Gobiidae and Apogonidae which comprised 50% of total species diversity, and also comprised 67% of total fish samples. The promising method seems to gather reliable information for further development of larval fish identification in further fish resources study.

First Record of Bryozoan Amathia (= Zoobotryon) verticillata (Bryozoa: Vesiculariidae) from Taiwan

Abstract: The bryozoan Amathia (= Zoobotryon) verticillata was found near the northern entrance to the Port of Kaohsiung in November 2015 and is the first record from Taiwan. This bryozoan can form extensive colonies and is considered to be one of the more invasive nonindigenous species, occurring worldwide from Mediterranean to tropical environments within the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. Colonies extending to approximately 80 cm in length were on immersed ropes attached to quay walls. It is likely that the species is established in the Port of Kaohsiung. Its distribution within the Pacific is reviewed.