Author: June Tsai
Source: Taiwan Today [1]
September 11, 2012

"The composition of coral reefs off southern Taiwan’s Kenting has changed, resulting in declining biodiversity and causing concern over ecological sustainability of the area, according to Academia Sinica Sept. 11.

A long-term study showed that between 1985 and 2010, the coral communities off Kenting’s Wanlitung area were affected by six typhoons and two coral bleaching events. The disturbances resulted in changes in coral species, with branching corals, which are more susceptible to natural or artificial perturbations, disappearing on a large scale and being replaced by massive coral species, according to Chaolun Allen Chen, a research fellow with Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center.

Moreover, the total living coral coverage rate in the area dropped from 47.5 percent in 1985 to 17.7 percent in 2010. These alterations mean the coral reef has become less ecologically diverse, Chen said."

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