2021 Conference of the Taiwan Ocean Union gathers ideas on ocean sustainability

The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ocean Affairs Council held a two-day conference at National Sun-Yat Sen University on October 1-2. In his speech, NSYSU President Ying-Yao Cheng emphasized that NSYSU is the only comprehensive university in Taiwan with a college dedicated to marine science. The College of Marine Sciences has an internationally outstanding research capacity in fields such as oceanic carbon cycle, natural marine products, maritime engineering, and underwater vehicles R&D. As the President said, “NSYSU is happy to shoulder the responsibility for the future sustainable development of Taiwan’s waters”.

In the opening ceremony, many of the participants included: Political Deputy Minister for Science and Technology Minn-Tsong Lin, Deputy Minister of the Ocean Affairs Council Ching-Piao Tsai, NSYSU President Ying-Yao Cheng, Dean of NSYSU College of Marine Sciences Chin-Chang Hung, Director of Taiwan Ocean Research Institute Chau-Chang Wang, convener of Taiwan Ocean Union Professor Kuo-Ping Chiang, President of National Academy of Marine Research Yung-Fang Chiu, and experts in marine sciences. Political Deputy Minister Minn-Tsong Lin and the convener of Taiwan Ocean Union Professor Kuo-Ping Chiang said that the United Nations has proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). That Taiwan as an island, needs scientists of different fields to provide large amounts of data and practical pathways to solve ocean problems through systematic research, joining together in reducing the environmental pressure on oceans and improve the resilience of Taiwan’s oceans. Therefore, Political Deputy Minister Minn-Tsong Lin has assisted the oceanographic community in establishing the Taiwan Ocean Union as a platform for academic and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

“Marine sciences have always been NSYSU’s strong point!” NSYSU President Ying-Yao Cheng said that one of the University’s goals is to develop research in marine science. Over several decades, the University has accumulated research capacity in fields such as oceanic carbon cycle, natural marine products, maritime engineering, and underwater vehicles R&D. NSYSU will participate in the field of sustainable development of Taiwan’s oceans in the future, because “this is the social responsibility that the University must shoulder.”

President Cheng added that during the two-day Conference, a group of professors of the College of Marine Sciences provided their professional expertise in climate change, ecological sustainability, marine law, policy, education, marine geology, marine industry, observation technology, marine engineering technology, and research vessel development strategies, hoping to contribute to the promotion of ocean sustainability and future marine research development. As one professor said “let the sustainable management of Taiwan’s ocean start from NSYSU!”

NSYSU professors that participated in the Conference included: Professor of the Department of Oceanography and Dean of the College of Marine Sciences Chin-Chang Hung gave a lecture on possible strategies for Taiwan to achieve carbon neutrality; former Dean of the College of Marine Sciences and researcher at the Department of Oceanography Chen-Tung Chen spoke about the current status and future research directions on global carbon cycle; Professor Chih-Chuang Liao of the Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources gave a lecture about possible challenges and opportunities for Taiwan under BBNJ (Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction); Professor Emeritus Wen-Yan Chiau spoke on marine spatial planning: marine wind power generation; Professor James T. Liu of the Department of Oceanography talked about geological hazards and coastal environmental changes in Taiwan caused by sea surface changes; Director of Southern Taiwan Industry Promotion Center Ken-Huang Lin presented marine technology industry with zero carbon emissions; Assistant Professor Wei-Jen Huang of the Department of Oceanography discussed ocean observations for zero carbon emissions (carbon neutrality); Associate Professor Yung-Sheng Chiu of the Institute of Undersea Technology gave a speech on underwater acoustics and environment: research and applications; Associate Professor of the Department of Marine Environment and Engineering Hung-Chu Hsu spoke about testing a 50 kW marine current power generation unit, and Associate Professor Yu-Shih Lin of the Department of Oceanography gave a lecture on research vessel needs for international and national trends in marine science research.

2021 Conference of the Taiwan Ocean Union invited the academia, the government, private sector, NGOs and related stakeholders to join in-depth academic and practical dialogue in group pre-meetings and topic panels. The Conference was also streamed live. Taiwan Ocean Union is committed to 9 key issues: climate change, ecological sustainability, marine law, policy and education, marine geology, marine observation technology and marine engineering technology, marine database, research vessel development strategy, and marine industry.

After the meeting, the attendees continued the discussions on various issues in three major directions: continuous improvements of basic marine survey, enhancement of key marine technology facilities, and cross-disciplinary research on marine sustainability. These were summarized into Taiwan’s Decade Initiative in Marine Science that links the industry, government, academia, and research, so that Taiwan’s marine research, innovation, technology, and initiative can cross the blue sea to the world.