Pingtung County-based National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium and the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University are collaborating on an environment study in the South China Sea, according to NMMBA June 25.
The undertaking, which involves collecting core samples from coral reefs in the region, is expected to help expand scientific knowledge of regional climate change, said Fan Tung-yung, director of the NMMBA Planning and Research Department.
Some coral species such as porites lutea and porites lobata can live for thousands of years, Fan said, adding that this makes them reliable recorders of changes in the chemical composition of seawater.
“Annual growth rings of the coral exoskeleton provide information on conditions during the period, while chemical elements contained within such as barium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, strontium and uranium reflect pollution, rainfall, salinity, sea temperature and upwelling intensity.”
The corals off Pingtung County’s Hengchun Peninsula are of significant research value as they are situated at the northeast of the South China Sea and encounter upwelling as well as warm and black currents, providing invaluable information, according to Fan.
An eight-member Singapore team, led by EOS researcher Nathalie Goodkin, visited the museum at the end of May to take core samples with their Taiwan counterparts from reefs in the region.
“The team collected five cores, with the longest measuring 3 meters,” Fan said, adding that the samples will undergo further scientific analysis.
“Given the length, we expect to receive information on environmental change dating back to 1710.” (KML-JSM)
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