:::
News
2025 World Seagrass Day: Strenthening Seagrass Restoration Efforts
- PostDate：2024-11-14
The Fisheries Research Institute organized the "2025 Taiwan 2nd World Seagrass Day" event on February 26, 2025, at Huxi Township Hall (Penghu County), highlighting Taiwan’s commitment to seagrass restoration.
Since the 1930s, the global seagrass population has steadily declined, disappearing at a rate equivalent to one football field every 30 minutes, with 30% of seagrass areas lost. To emphasize the urgency of global seagrass bed protection, the United Nations incorporated seagrass ecosystems into the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2020. To support biodiversity and prevent marine environmental degradation, March 1 was designated as World Seagrass Day. This observance aims to raise awareness of the threats facing seagrass ecosystems, promote seagrass restoration and conservation efforts, and reinforce the ecological significance of seagrass protection.
In response to World Seagrass Day and in alignment with international conservation initiatives, the Fisheries Research Institute has continued its efforts in seagrass bed restoration. On the eve of World Seagrass Day, the Institute held a press conference to review Taiwan’s achievements in seagrass restoration, referencing Taiwan's first "2024 World Seaweed Day-Penghu Declaration" and to introduce "Taking Root" as the theme for the 2025 World Seagrass Day. In addition to continuing to encourage business participation, the Institute seeks to enhance community engagement, increase local involvement in seagrass restoration and conservation, and expand students; knowledge of seagrass ecology, restoration methods, industry applications, and scientific research. A series of initiatives, including seagrass restoration workshops, lectures, and summer camps, will be organized to cultivate expertise in environmental education and seagrass restoration, fostering long-term conservation efforts.
The Fisheries Research Institute stated that its Penghu Fishery Research Center was the first institution in Taiwan to conduct research on seagrass bed restoration and conservation. In 2014, the Center initiated its seagrass restoration efforts by refining the "rhizome method" for transplanting seagrass, planting 60 square meters of seagrass in the shallow waters of Tongliang, Penghu. Since then, the transplanted seagrass has expanded nearly 50 times. The Center has continued to restore seagrass beds in other areas, including Zhongguang and Hujing. In 2022, the Center assisted the Penghu County Government in establishing Taiwan’s first seagrass restoration-focused protected area in the waters of Zhongguang and Gangzi, enhancing both fishery resources and marine biodiversity. In 2024, further refinements to the "rhizome method" improved the efficiency of seagrass restoration, with these advancements set to be applied in future projects.
To further enhance the impact of seagrass restoration, the Fisheries Research Institute will collaborate with Taiwan Yokohama Hakkeijima this year. Through public-private partnerships, the collaboration will feature educational exhibits at aquariums, habitat visits, and hands-on seagrass planting activities to raise public awareness of the importance of seagrass and other critical marine habitats. Additionally, the Fisheries Research Institute will promote products related to the yellow-banded horse mussel (Modiolus metcalfei), a species commonly found in seagrass bed habitats, to support the community’s economic development in seagrass restoration.
Contact Person:
Hern-Yi Hsieh, Director, Penghu Fishery Research Center
Tel: (06) 9953146 #120
Mobile: 0937-604515
Author:
Yi-Le Shen, Technician, Penghu Fishery Research Center
Tel: (06)9953146#117
Mobile: 0921-549235
Director Chin-I Chang of the Fisheries Research Institute (center), together with community and business partners—including Kazuo Teshima, General Manager of X Park (left 1); Chen-chung Chen, Huxi Township Mayor (left 2); Chuan-Wen Chen, Deputy Director of Agriculture and Fisheries Penghu County Government (right 2); I-Hsun Hu, Inspector of the Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council (right 1)—collaborates on seagrass restoration efforts.
Developing Products Related to Yellow-banded Horse Mussel Commonly Found in Seagrass Bed Habitats
Since the 1930s, the global seagrass population has steadily declined, disappearing at a rate equivalent to one football field every 30 minutes, with 30% of seagrass areas lost. To emphasize the urgency of global seagrass bed protection, the United Nations incorporated seagrass ecosystems into the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2020. To support biodiversity and prevent marine environmental degradation, March 1 was designated as World Seagrass Day. This observance aims to raise awareness of the threats facing seagrass ecosystems, promote seagrass restoration and conservation efforts, and reinforce the ecological significance of seagrass protection.
In response to World Seagrass Day and in alignment with international conservation initiatives, the Fisheries Research Institute has continued its efforts in seagrass bed restoration. On the eve of World Seagrass Day, the Institute held a press conference to review Taiwan’s achievements in seagrass restoration, referencing Taiwan's first "2024 World Seaweed Day-Penghu Declaration" and to introduce "Taking Root" as the theme for the 2025 World Seagrass Day. In addition to continuing to encourage business participation, the Institute seeks to enhance community engagement, increase local involvement in seagrass restoration and conservation, and expand students; knowledge of seagrass ecology, restoration methods, industry applications, and scientific research. A series of initiatives, including seagrass restoration workshops, lectures, and summer camps, will be organized to cultivate expertise in environmental education and seagrass restoration, fostering long-term conservation efforts.
The Fisheries Research Institute stated that its Penghu Fishery Research Center was the first institution in Taiwan to conduct research on seagrass bed restoration and conservation. In 2014, the Center initiated its seagrass restoration efforts by refining the "rhizome method" for transplanting seagrass, planting 60 square meters of seagrass in the shallow waters of Tongliang, Penghu. Since then, the transplanted seagrass has expanded nearly 50 times. The Center has continued to restore seagrass beds in other areas, including Zhongguang and Hujing. In 2022, the Center assisted the Penghu County Government in establishing Taiwan’s first seagrass restoration-focused protected area in the waters of Zhongguang and Gangzi, enhancing both fishery resources and marine biodiversity. In 2024, further refinements to the "rhizome method" improved the efficiency of seagrass restoration, with these advancements set to be applied in future projects.
To further enhance the impact of seagrass restoration, the Fisheries Research Institute will collaborate with Taiwan Yokohama Hakkeijima this year. Through public-private partnerships, the collaboration will feature educational exhibits at aquariums, habitat visits, and hands-on seagrass planting activities to raise public awareness of the importance of seagrass and other critical marine habitats. Additionally, the Fisheries Research Institute will promote products related to the yellow-banded horse mussel (Modiolus metcalfei), a species commonly found in seagrass bed habitats, to support the community’s economic development in seagrass restoration.
Contact Person:
Hern-Yi Hsieh, Director, Penghu Fishery Research Center
Tel: (06) 9953146 #120
Mobile: 0937-604515
Author:
Yi-Le Shen, Technician, Penghu Fishery Research Center
Tel: (06)9953146#117
Mobile: 0921-549235
Director Chin-I Chang of the Fisheries Research Institute (center), together with community and business partners—including Kazuo Teshima, General Manager of X Park (left 1); Chen-chung Chen, Huxi Township Mayor (left 2); Chuan-Wen Chen, Deputy Director of Agriculture and Fisheries Penghu County Government (right 2); I-Hsun Hu, Inspector of the Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council (right 1)—collaborates on seagrass restoration efforts.
Developing Products Related to Yellow-banded Horse Mussel Commonly Found in Seagrass Bed Habitats
- Related Pictures
-
