The 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) was held in late October 2024 in Cali, Colombia, South America. At this COP16 meeting, marine ecosystem conservation drew widespread attention — particularly the alarming frequency of large-scale coral bleaching events. The world is currently experiencing the fourth global mass coral bleaching event, with bleaching cycles growing progressively shorter and impacts increasingly severe and far-reaching. Ocean warming poses grave challenges not only to coral reef ecosystems — the cradle of marine life — but also threatens to reduce global marine biodiversity and alter habitats across the world. As divers, is there something we can do?
On World Ocean Day, June 15 this year, the Ocean Conservation Administration invited 20 alliance businesses to gather together and receive a ceremonial flag from Ocean Affairs Council Chairperson Bi-Ling Guan, with hopes that through industry-government-academia collaboration, collective efforts can help improve the marine environment.
The Coral Special Dive Alliance Is Launched! The OCA Brings in Expert Instructors to Train Dive Businesses
In 2024, the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) spearheaded the "Coral Special Dive Alliance" initiative, achieving remarkable results in its inaugural pilot year. The OCA established partnerships with dive businesses across northern, southern, and eastern Taiwan as well as the outlying islands, and organized three professional training courses, each 16 hours in length, with a total of 64 dive instructors participating. These courses were taught by subject-matter experts across multiple disciplines, giving dive instructors an in-depth understanding of coral reef ecosystems, how to conduct coral reef ecological monitoring, identification of coral, reef fish, and invertebrates, and coral conservation knowledge.
Three professional coral reef ecological monitoring courses were held this year, with a total of 64 instructors participating.
Over the two-day courses, instructors had the opportunity to take part in hands-on coral reef ecological survey work, returning to their local waters to conduct in-situ marine ecological monitoring. This produced invaluable records across 40 survey sites throughout Taiwan, comprising 120 transect lines in total (3 transect lines of 30 metres each per site), laying the groundwork for future Taiwanese marine data.
Using the Coral Special Dive Alliance to Help Monitor Coral Reef Ecosystems
Of the 40 survey sites surveyed across Taiwan this year, the majority were hard-substrate rocky reef environments. Hard coral cover varied greatly between sites and regions; overall, the Hualien, Orchid Island, and Green Island areas had the highest hard coral coverage, at approximately 40% or above. Xiaoliuqiu had the lowest hard coral coverage of all regions (17%) and the highest algae coverage of any site surveyed (11%). Survey results for most other sites this year were assessed as "stable," while Xiaoliuqiu had comparatively the most "declining" sites and was the only region with sites assessed as "dysfunctional." This suggests that Xiaoliuqiu may be suffering from the cumulative impacts of intensive recreational activity, fishing and poaching, and coastal development, leading to the degradation of its coral reef ecosystems.
In terms of indicator fish species, butterflyfish and parrotfish were the most commonly observed indicator species on coral reefs across Taiwan. However, the parrotfish recorded in most areas were predominantly small-bodied individuals, reflecting the population pressure from fishing. Other carnivorous fish species such as Grouper, snappers, and sweetlips were generally scarce, with only sporadic records at select sites. Notably, the humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) and the bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) were not recorded at any survey site this year.
Among invertebrates, the diadema sea urchin was the most commonly observed indicator invertebrate on coral reefs across Taiwan. At some sites where diadema densities were particularly high, there is a potential risk of impacting coral recruitment. Giant clams were primarily distributed in southern and eastern Taiwan, present in low numbers and mostly as small individuals. Other indicator invertebrates were found at extremely low densities overall; many commercially valuable species such as lobster and Tripneustes gratilla may be constrained by both environmental limitations and fishing pressure. The overall results indicate that, while variation exists between individual sites, coral reefs throughout Taiwan are broadly affected by anthropogenic disturbance and fishing pressure, resulting in generally low animal abundances.
With the assistance of Coral Special Dive Alliance member businesses, monitoring was conducted across 40 sites in Taiwan's waters, strengthening ocean monitoring capacity.
Citizen scientists are members of the general public who, while not professional scientists, actively participate in scientific research activities by helping to collect data, conduct analyses, or make observations. Although they typically lack a formal scientific background, the foundational data they contribute plays an important role in expanding the scope of scientific research and raising public awareness of and engagement with science. Through this participation, citizen scientists not only help fill gaps in professional research data but can also play a pivotal role in scientific inquiry, fostering a deeper integration between science and society.
This year, the OCA invited industry alliance members and the wider public to join the Coral Bleaching Reporting Program. The program aims to gather coral bleaching report data from locations across the country with the help of the public, enabling real-time monitoring of coral ecosystem conditions.
Analysis chart of coral bleaching report data for this year.
Since the program's launch, the first public bleaching report appeared on May 6, 2024, from the Shanfu waters of Xiaoliuqiu. As of October 31 (ROC Year 113), a total of 171 reports had been collected from around Taiwan, with an average recorded water temperature of 28.59°C. The data shows that the shallowest coral bleaching record came from the Magang intertidal zone in New Taipei City, while the deepest bleaching record was documented in the Doli Reef in Green Island waters, Taitung County, at a depth of 18 metres. These figures underscore that, as the impacts of global climate change intensify, Taiwan's corals are facing unprecedented challenges.
The OCA hopes that through this program, the spirit of citizen science can be further realized, and that more members of the public will be mobilized to submit coral bleaching reports. As more people join the effort going forward, increasingly accurate and real-time data will be generated to support coral ecosystem protection, building an ever-stronger foundation for marine conservation and research.
Data submitted by citizen participants has the potential to be referenced and used by research institutions.
2024 has been a particularly dire year for coral bleaching globally, and such cycles may shorten further in the future. As an island nation surrounded by the sea, we must take a broader, more comprehensive view of the changes unfolding in our oceans. This is both the responsibility and the mission of every one of us as divers. We look forward to the continued influence of the "Coral Special Dive Alliance" as it works hand in hand with us to protect the ocean that sustains us all.
Related Links
- Ocean Conservation Administration Official Website (Coral Special Dive Alliance)
- Coral Special Dive Alliance Event Page
Further Reading
