At the year-end party on the 23rd of January, 2021, we not only celebrated the hard-working of the past year but also promoted the ongoing petition of protecting the marine ecosystem on the northwest coast of Taiwan by aligning with some external organizations- The Wild Bird Society of Changhua and Changhua Environmental Protection Union.
In 2019, Datan Algal Reef is listed as one of the Hope Spots from Mission Blue because of its unique biotic ecosystem. The main difference between the algal reef and coral reef is the elements to consist. The algal reef consists of algae and dead corals; the coral reef consists of coral polyps. Under the porous carbon blocks, breeding a large population of marine species, including moray eels, crabs, and the endangered hammerhead sharks. Also, undefined octopuses and rare fishes such as Goniobranchus tumuliferus appeared here before. Even more, the enormous Polycyanthus chiashanensis can be used to record the local history of coral groups.
The red reef in springtime. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Liu (Ching-Yu, Liu)
The closer look of red reef. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Liu (Ching-Yu, Liu)
An Eriphia ferox, red-eyed reef crab. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Liu (Ching-Yu, Liu)
Unfortunately, the algal reef is confronting the fact that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is constructed next to the algal reef. Industrial development may impact the habitat directly, causing marine creatures to move to other places to survive. In other words, it is likely they may disappear if they cannot find a better place to live. Moreover, losing the algal reef can also mean destroying the natural defense that prevents the enemy from coming in. This algal reef region stretches for about 27 kilometers and thicknesses between 4 to 6 meters when this place is compounding of more than 7,500 years of history.
There are still many unexplored questions about this amazing reef and many unknown marine creatures await to be uncovered. (Mission Blue, 2019) During the campaign, we collected over 110 signatures. At the end of the national campaign, 700,000 signatures were collected which passed the threshold. This petition will be considered for a referendum on whether liquefied natural gas (LNG) should stay away from Datan Algal Reef. We hope this amazing place will not disappear in our generation before yet to explore those treasures.
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Sign the petition to save the Datan Algal Reef