Sewage Blamed For Deterioration Of Coral Reefs In Areas Of Taiwan
Lin Hsing-juh, a professor in National Chung Hsing University's Department of Life Sciences, came to the conclusion after monitoring and studying coral reef ecosystems off Taiwan's southernmost tip for over a decade.
His findings were published recently in the prestigious journal Limnology and Oceanography.
According to Lin, for coral reefs to thrive, they must grow in clean shallow water, with a low density of anthropogenic nutrients, a stable density of salt, moderate temperatures and bright sunshine.
Human encroachment in the form of excessive development and the arrival of 4 million tourists a year in the Kenting area has led to an influx of sewage into Kenting's coastal regions, Lin said.
Lin found that Kenting's Nanwan and Wanlitung, which boast the largest concentration of tourists, have suffered the most serious entrophication.
To facilitate his study, Lin established a mesocosm -- a controlled ecosystem approximating natural conditions -- to conduct extensive observations and experiments and verify his findings.
"Outdoor field surveys can only observe the results of coral reef deterioration while providing no clues to the processes and causes of the degeneration," Lin explained.
