Marine research center launched on Dongsha

2014-11-07

A marine research center was inaugurated Nov. 6 on Dongsha Island as part of the government’s commitment to ecological protection and sustainable development in the South China Sea.

Built by the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Science and Technology at a cost of NT$158 million (US$5.16 million), the facility features cutting-edge equipment such as wave and water quality monitoring devices, laboratories and research vessels.

MOI Minister Chen Wei-zen said at the launch ceremony that the center boasts outstanding resources for researchers to investigate the region’s rich marine life and conduct international studies.

“The government will work with related experts through the facility to expand biological preservation and play an even more prominent role in global environmental protection going forward.”

Also attending the event was MOST Minister Chang San-cheng, as well as representatives from the Coast Guard Administration and Kaohsiung City Government’s Marine Bureau.

According to Chen, Dongsha is a pristine coral atoll and the government will leave no stone unturned in preserving its beauty and biodiversity. “As an island country, Taiwan has a responsibility to protect surrounding marine resources.”

The island, located 450 kilometers south of Kaohsiung City, is part of the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands and center of Dongsha Atoll National Park, the country’s first ocean-based national park.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223796&CtNode=413)