NCKU research project advances sustainable aquaculture in Taiwan

2019/11/07

A water quality monitoring project implemented by National Cheng Kung University in Tainan City, southern Taiwan, is assisting local farmers adapt to climate change and promoting sustainable development of the country’s aquaculture sector.
 
 Developed under NCKU’s Implementation Plan Adapted to Environmental Change in Tainan Coastal Area (IMPACT), the project employs big data to analyze rainfall and water temperatures—critical information required by aquaculturists when tailoring short- and long-term production processes.
 
 Project leader Lee Nian-shyun, a postdoctorate researcher at NCKU’s Department of Environmental Engineering, said global warming is playing havoc with weather patterns. Traditional forecasting still has an important role to play in management processes, but real-time data guarantees more timely responses to changing conditions, he added.
 
 According to Lee, prohibitively high costs and knowledge barriers put commercial water quality monitoring devices out of the reach of most aquaculturists. The merit of the project lies in its affordability, ease of use and ability to withstand the high humidity and saline levels in southern Taiwan, he said.
 
 Supported by the Ministry of Education, IMPACT aims to better utilize the talents of Taiwan’s tertiary students in combating climate change, raising community awareness of related issues and realizing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
 
 IMPACT is one of 220 university-developed socially responsible projects overseen by 114 schools around Taiwan since 2018, according to the MOE.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)