Southeast Asia
293
Taiwan and Japan
MAP 10i
T3iW3n
(China) lies relatively far to the north.
Nonetheless, it has a number of well developed
coral reef communities at the northern edge of the
South China Sea, particularly along its southern edge, and
around offshore islands. Taiwan is particularly affected
along its southern and eastern edges by the Kuroshio
Current, which carries warm water from the south,
although its influence is weakened during the winter
months by the Northeast Monsoon. An estimated 300 hard
coral species have been recorded at the island along with
1 200 fish species.
Some of the best known and best developed reefs of
the mainland are those of the Hengchun Peninsula and the
Kenting National Park. These are fringing communities,
although they form a discontinuous structure broken up
by sand channels. These reefs are further characterized by
significant variation in the fauna between localities, with
certain areas dominated by alcyonarian coral. Some 250
scleractinian corals from 58 genera have been recorded,
together with 39 species ( 1 1 genera) of alcyonarian coral.
Fringing reefs are also well developed around the offshore
islands. In the northern parts of the South China Sea there
are diverse fringing reefs around Hsiao-Liu-Chiu, while
further north there are patchy coral reefs and occasional
fringing reefs around the Pen-Hu (Pescadores) Islands.
The islands off the east coast include Lan-Yu and Lu-Tao,
both of which are volcanic. These lie in the path of the
Kuroshio Current and diverse reef communities have
developed. In 1998 there was extensive coral bleaching,
and surveys in 1999 and 2000 have suggested that about
20 percent of coral colonies died during this event.
There are thought to be considerable pressures on
the reefs in Taiwan, particularly from fishing, coastal
development and tourism. Dynamite fishing, trawling and
sedimentation are reported to have degraded the reefs
around the Pen-Hu Islands, while destructive fishing and
tourism are believed to have impacted reefs on the
southeast mainland. Aquarium fish collecting and spear
fishing are also reported to have affected numbers of reef
fish. Nuclear power plants were reported to have been
built in the vicinity of a number of reefs, while a nuclear
waste disposal site was reportedly established at Lan-Yu.
Japan
The islands of Japan stretch from the edge of the tropics to
the mid-temperate regions, and in so doing provide one of
the clearest examples of the latitudinal limits to coral
Extensive shallow coral gardens of Acropora abrolhosensis in the Ryukyu Islands Iphoto: JEN Veronl.
293
Taiwan and Japan
MAP 10i
T3iW3n
(China) lies relatively far to the north.
Nonetheless, it has a number of well developed
coral reef communities at the northern edge of the
South China Sea, particularly along its southern edge, and
around offshore islands. Taiwan is particularly affected
along its southern and eastern edges by the Kuroshio
Current, which carries warm water from the south,
although its influence is weakened during the winter
months by the Northeast Monsoon. An estimated 300 hard
coral species have been recorded at the island along with
1 200 fish species.
Some of the best known and best developed reefs of
the mainland are those of the Hengchun Peninsula and the
Kenting National Park. These are fringing communities,
although they form a discontinuous structure broken up
by sand channels. These reefs are further characterized by
significant variation in the fauna between localities, with
certain areas dominated by alcyonarian coral. Some 250
scleractinian corals from 58 genera have been recorded,
together with 39 species ( 1 1 genera) of alcyonarian coral.
Fringing reefs are also well developed around the offshore
islands. In the northern parts of the South China Sea there
are diverse fringing reefs around Hsiao-Liu-Chiu, while
further north there are patchy coral reefs and occasional
fringing reefs around the Pen-Hu (Pescadores) Islands.
The islands off the east coast include Lan-Yu and Lu-Tao,
both of which are volcanic. These lie in the path of the
Kuroshio Current and diverse reef communities have
developed. In 1998 there was extensive coral bleaching,
and surveys in 1999 and 2000 have suggested that about
20 percent of coral colonies died during this event.
There are thought to be considerable pressures on
the reefs in Taiwan, particularly from fishing, coastal
development and tourism. Dynamite fishing, trawling and
sedimentation are reported to have degraded the reefs
around the Pen-Hu Islands, while destructive fishing and
tourism are believed to have impacted reefs on the
southeast mainland. Aquarium fish collecting and spear
fishing are also reported to have affected numbers of reef
fish. Nuclear power plants were reported to have been
built in the vicinity of a number of reefs, while a nuclear
waste disposal site was reportedly established at Lan-Yu.
Japan
The islands of Japan stretch from the edge of the tropics to
the mid-temperate regions, and in so doing provide one of
the clearest examples of the latitudinal limits to coral
Extensive shallow coral gardens of Acropora abrolhosensis in the Ryukyu Islands Iphoto: JEN Veronl.