In response to the spirit of the United Nations' World Oceans Day, Taiwan passed the Ocean Basic Act on November 20, 2019, and declared June 8 as the National Oceans Day. During the recent COVID-19 outbreak, people have had to stay at home to prevent spread of the virus. The National Parks would like to let everyone realize how precious the oceans are, therefore, the Kenting National Park Headquarters and the Marine National Park Headquarters have organized a series of online activities to transmit correct conservation knowledge and lead audiences to appreciate the beauty of underwater coral reefs at a close range.
The Kenting National Park Headquarters, Underwater Photography Association Taiwan, and the Taiwanese Coral Reef Society have been organizing coral reef week marine conservation activities during the coral spawning season over the years. Each year, the theme is adjusted in accordance with overall environmental changes. The activities aim to educate through fun and are very popular with the public, having become one of the most anticipated conservation events.
In response to its mission of marine conservation, the Kenting National Park Headquarters carefully planned three major activities—livestreaming of coral spawning, ocean cleanup - removing underwater litter, and the Beautiful Sea of Coral Reefs photo exhibition.
This year, the Kenting National Park Headquarters collaborated for the first time with the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium and United Daily News (UDN) to livestream the spawning of corals, which received favorable reviews from the public. For more information, please visit thevideo section of the Kenting National Park Facebook fanpage..
This time, the divers went into the water themselves to provide the live transmission of underwater images, so that the public on the other side of the screen could observe the coral spawning process in real time. In addition to the coral spawning broadcast, the Kenting National Park Headquarters also organized an experience sharing session by marine conservation volunteers and online seminars with coral reef experts, in order to popularize scientific knowledge and educate the public, thoroughly realizing the spirit of non-stop learning during the pandemic period!
Equally concerned about marine ecology, the Marine National Park Headquarters invited experts and scholars to talk about marine ecology issues online as part of a series of activities on the 2021 World Oceans Day and National Oceans Day, where they shared a wealth of new scientific knowledge with the public in an in-depth yet easy-to-understand manner. Active communication and interaction with the public was promoted through interactive quizzes with prizes. Although the activities have ended, those interested are still welcome to watch the videos online. Please visit the Marine National Park Facebook fanpagefor more information.
The islands of southern Penghu have been lauded as forgotten spots of paradise. Through online promotion, more people got to know the charm of southern Penghu and, during the event period, some netizens even left comments talking about their wish to visit the islands after the pandemic is over.
The Marine National Park Headquarters recently produced an e-book of carefully selected publications from the past years, which saw a timely release during the pandemic, allowing the public to admire and read about the beauty of nature. Please visit theMarine National Park official website for more information.
The National Park used a range of methods, including online seminars, live broadcast, and e-books, to meet the needs of people who care about ecological conservation. It is hoped that the series of activities on World Oceans Day can awaken the public's interest on precious marine ecology, prompting people to speak out for the blue oceans by taking actions together!
