Climate change and human interference have caused the coral life surrounding the island of Xiaoliuqiu to decrease dramatically. That’s according to recent research from the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung County.
A researcher at the museum, Fan Tung-yung, says that overfishing, tourism, typhoons, and heat waves have polluted the waters around the island, making it almost impossible for marine life to survive there. The coral reefs in Xiaoliuqiu’s intertidal zone have been characterized as disabled by Taiwan’s Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA), the most extreme categorization.
Taiwan’s coral reefs have been in steady decline, especially after suffering massive bleaching in 2020. Coral bleaching occurs when the coral experiences extreme stress in the form of climate change, pollution, and other shifts in the environment. Coral bleaching has hurt Xiaoliuqiu’s ecosystems more than any other region in Taiwan, and a lack of biodiversity in this area could threaten marine life around the whole country.
Fan says that immediate action is needed to save the coral reefs, and that the government needs to restrict the number of Xiaoliuqiu tourists and establish conservation zones for marine life to gradually return to its normal levels. Besides banning the public from entering, the OCA is also considering instituting a full fishing ban in these conservation areas.