In 2023, the Keelung City Government has continued its Marine Protected Area Operation and Management Maintenance Plan, subsidized by the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA). In addition to steadily accumulating baseline ecological survey data for the "Wanghaixiang Chaojing Bay Resource Conservation Zone" (hereinafter referred to as the Chaojing Conservation Zone), this year's program also builds on last year's Marine Citizen Scientist training camp by expanding into both terrestrial intertidal and advanced aquatic courses. This expansion allows more members of the public to participate in Marine Citizen Scientist training and collectively document the conservation outcomes of the Chaojing Conservation Zone. An exhibition showcasing the plan's ecological survey results will be held from October 16 to October 29 at the 3rd floor of Keelung East Wharf Plaza. Everyone is welcome to come and explore the beauty of this ocean!
The star photo of Chaojing this year — the adorable pygmy seahorse, the biggest celebrity of the season. Photo: Ye Hongwei.
Chaojing Conservation Zone
The Chaojing Conservation Zone has been established for more than 7 years. Surveys conducted this year in Chaojing Bay revealed not only an increase in the total number of fish species compared to 2022, but also impressive diversity across the entire Wanghaixiang Bay. A total of 165 fish species were recorded throughout the bay, of which 151 species were documented within the Chaojing Conservation Zone itself — meaning that nearly 90% of all fish species surveyed this year were found inside the conservation zone. Surveys also recorded a greater number of large fish exceeding 40 cm in body length. During summer, the total biomass within the Chaojing Conservation Zone was 27 times higher than in areas outside the zone, clearly demonstrating the zone's remarkably rich biodiversity.
The team conducts underwater surveys every season, building a systematic database of ecological survey data.
Lin Dingchao, Director of the Keelung City Bureau of Industrial Development, noted that assessing the effectiveness of a conservation zone requires ongoing periodic surveys to build systematic ecological data, enabling continuous tracking of the various factors affecting wildlife populations and providing a rolling basis for adjustments to marine conservation policy. Harnessing the power of citizen scientists makes ecological surveys both broader in scope and richer in content. In addition, in the interest of sustainable management, the Keelung City Government has formulated a 2.0 regulatory framework for the Chaojing Conservation Zone. In the future, the zone will be divided into a core zone and a sustainable-use zone, with zoning regulations, total-volume management, and qualification review requirements established to protect the ecological resources of the marine protected area. The framework has already been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and is expected to be officially announced and implemented in the first quarter of next year (2024).
Director Lin and guests in attendance view this year's results exhibition.
Anyone Can Be a Marine Citizen Scientist
Luo Jinming, Section Chief of the Ocean Conservation Administration, stated that conducting surveys is not limited to scientists — anyone equipped with a simple camera can become a Marine Citizen Scientist. Through the collective efforts of participants, precious ecological photographs of intertidal zones and underwater environments can be documented not just in Keelung, but across all of Taiwan. This turns the initiative into an excellent form of civic engagement, planting the concept of marine conservation deep in everyone's heart.
Pick up a camera and start documenting — you too can be a Marine Citizen Scientist!
Marine Citizen Scientist Training Courses
Through 6 different types of Marine Citizen Scientist training camps held this year — including the well-received basic aquatic course as well as the newly expanded advanced aquatic course and terrestrial intertidal course — participants learned not only marine life identification and underwater photography techniques, but also data collection methods. This training gives participants the opportunity to take part in on-site ecological surveys, helping to monitor the ecological conditions within the conservation zone and contributing to the accumulation of a biodiversity database for the Chaojing Conservation Zone, establishing both qualitative and quantitative survey data. This year, a total of 95 Marine Citizen Scientists were trained, and more than 1,200 precious photographs of the Chaojing Conservation Zone were successfully collected. Among the highlights, a citizen scientist's camera captured a remarkable camouflage behavior by a "deep-sea crab" within the conservation zone — the creature was observed snipping pieces of coral and placing them on its body as disguise. Scholars and experts are still searching for related information and working to identify the species. This discovery not only adds a touch of mystery to the Chaojing Conservation Zone, but also underscores the limitless possibilities of Marine Citizen Scientists.
A mysterious deep-sea crab never before recorded. Photo: Jason Lin.
Jin Yingyue, a participant in the advanced course, shared that transect surveys are something most people rarely get the chance to experience. "Learning all of this means I'm not just a recreational diver anymore — I also have the opportunity to contribute something to science. I think that's wonderful, and I hope the courses continue to be offered." Huang Baopei, a participant in the intertidal course, said: "Thanks to what I learned in the course, I can now confidently tell the difference between various snails and shellfish when I visit the intertidal zone in the future."
The Bureau of Industrial Development noted that the Chaojing Conservation Zone has in recent years been hailed as a "model student" among marine protected areas. This recognition is due not only to the Keelung City Government's strict enforcement of regulations and ongoing ecological surveys, but also to the enthusiastic participation of citizen scientists. It is hoped that greater civic involvement will allow more people to contribute to marine conservation together. Next year, the Keelung City Government will continue to offer related courses and expand them to the western coastal waters of Keelung, enabling more citizens to participate in and understand the importance of marine protection. Through big data analysis, participants will be able to gain a clearer picture of trends in marine resources and make more targeted contributions to their protection — together safeguarding our precious ocean resources.
Leading participants from the intertidal course in conducting actual surveys on the intertidal zone.
The annual results of Keelung's Chaojing Conservation Zone Ecological Survey and Marine Citizen Science Plan will be on display from Monday, October 16 to Sunday, October 29 on the 3rd floor of Keelung East Wharf Mall. A vibrant Ocean Market is also scheduled for the weekends of October 21 and October 22, from 2
p.m. to 8 p.m. The public is warmly invited to visit.Further Reading:
