Current Dependent Dispersal Characteristics of Japanese Glass Eel around Taiwan

Japanese eel larvae are passively transported to the East Asian Continental Shelf by the North Equatorial Current, Kuroshio and Kuroshio intrusion currents, and coastal currents. Previous studies have investigated the dispersal characteristics and pathways of Japanese glass eels. However, there are still limitations in these studies. According to long-term (2010–2020) catch data from the Fisheries Agency in Taiwan, the distribution and time series of glass eels recruitment to Taiwan are closely related to the surrounding ocean currents. Recruitment begins in eastern Taiwan via the mainstream Kuroshio and in southern Taiwan via the Taiwan Strait Warm Current. In central Taiwan, recruitment occurs from southern Taiwan, as well as from mainland China via the southern branch of the China Coast Current (CCC). The latest recruitment occurred in northern Taiwan and mainly comprised glass eels from mainland China via the northern branch of the CCC. A stronger monsoon during the La Niña phase could affect the recruitment time series in northern and eastern Taiwan. This study suggests that the recruitment directionality of glass eels is an indicator of the flow field of ocean/coastal currents and elucidates the dispersal characteristics of glass eels in the waters around Taiwan.

Contrasting responses of phytoplankton productivity between coastal and offshore surface waters in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to future CO₂-induced acidification

Future CO2-induced ocean acidification (OA) has been documented to either inhibit or enhance or result in no effect on marine primary productivity (PP). In order to examine effects of OA under multiple drivers, we investigated the influences of OA (a decrease of 0.4 pHtotal units with corresponding CO2 concentrations ranged 22.0–39.7 µM) on PP through deck-incubation experiments at 101 stations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea (SCS), including the coastal zone, the continental shelf and slope, as well as deep-water basin. The daily net primary productivities in surface seawater under incident solar radiation ranged from 17–306 µg C (µg Chl a)−1 d−1, with the responses of PP to OA being region-dependent and the OA-induced changes varying from −88.03 % (inhibition) to 56.87 % (enhancement). The OA-treatment stimulated PP in surface waters of coastal, estuarine and shelf waters, but suppressed it in the South China Sea basin. Such OA-induced changes in PP were significantly related to NOX (the sum of NO3− and NO2−) availability, in situ pH and solar radiation in surface seawater, but negatively related to salinity changes. Our results indicate that phytoplankton cells are more vulnerable to pH drop in oligotrophic waters. Considering high nutrient and low salinity in coastal waters and reduced nutrient availability in pelagic zones with the progressive stratification associated with ocean warming, our results imply that future OA will enhance PP in coastal waters but decrease it in pelagic oligotrophic zones.

Redescription and new record of the spongobiotic shrimp Periclimenaeus rastrifer Bruce, 1980 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Taiwan

The palaemonid shrimp Periclimenaeus rastrifer is here reported from Taiwan based on three specimens. It bears a feeble but distinct anterodorsal lobe on the first pleonite (not reported before). The mouthparts, not previously described, are also remarkable by a multidentate apex of the mandibular incisor, asymmetric distal endite of the second maxilla, and expanded dorsal lobe on the second maxilliped merus. The species is thus redescribed here. One of the examined specimens possesses an unusual rostrum, and malformed telson and uropodal spinulation; the latter specimen is described and illustrated in detail, including the mouthparts. Previously, the only species in the genus published in faunistic repors from Taiwan were P. wolffi Bruce 1993 and P. gorgonidarum (Balss, 1913) recorded from the Taiwan Strait, and the Green Island, respectively; P. rastrifer is reported here as the first of the genus from Taiwan mainland

A POLICY-MAKING FRAMEWORK FOR ENHANCING THE KAOHSIUNG PORT’S ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled ‘Influential indicators for measuring Kaohsiung port resilience’ presented at the International Forum on Shipping, Port, and Airports (IFSPA 2013), Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 3–5 June 2013. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method commonly used in the issue of decision making was performed in this study to propose a policy-making framework for enhancing the Kaohsiung port’s economic resilience. A three-level hierarchical structure with 19 attributes is proposed and tested. Results indicate that adjusting the shipping policy is perceived as the most critical strategic dimension to enhance container port resilience. This is followed by increasing incentives, adjusting port operational strategy and exploiting market opportunities. Overall, results show that the five most important strategies for enhancing international container ports’ resilience are training of international marketing personnel, economic deregulation of shipping market across the Taiwan-Strait; subsidising the throughput of containers transhipment, subsidising coastal shipping operations and the alteration of dedicated terminals for rent. This study contributes in proposing a policy-making framework to enhance the container port’s economic resilience, and this framework could also be generalised to other ports.

Hydrogeochemistry and Precursory Anomalies in Thermal Springs of Fujian (Southeastern China) Associated with Earthquakes in the Taiwan Strait

Analyzing the hydrochemical composition in thermal springs is an advantageous method for studying the coupling mechanism of the deep and shallow fluids in active fault zones. Here we conducted sampling in 30 thermal springs near fault zones in Fujian Province, and the major elements, trace elements, silica, stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) and strontium isotopes were tested in the laboratory. The results show that (1) the thermal springs in the study area can be divided into six types according to the content of the major elements: HCO3-Na, HCO3·SO4-Na, Cl·HCO3-Na, Cl-Na, Cl-Na·Ca and HCO3·SO4-Ca; (2) hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that precipitation is the main source of recharge for thermal springs in the study area, and the recharge height is between 258 m and 1859 m; (3) the content of SiO2 in the thermal spring varies from 18.1 mg/L to 59.3 mg/L. The geothermal reservoir temperature calculated is 90~226 °C, and the circulation depth is 2.9~5.4 km, except for the W10 thermal spring, whose circulation depth is 8.4 km; and (4) the 87Sr/86Sr of the thermal springs in southwestern Fujian and eastern Fujian has obviously different characteristics, indicating the influence of different rock formations on the groundwater cycle process. Additionally, a continuous measurement of the main anions and cations was performed in five thermal springs every three days since January 2020. There were obvious abnormal changes in the hydrochemical compositions, chlorine in four of the five springs, sodium at three springs, and four ions at one spring, which all showed abnormal high-value changes by 15% to 80%, and which occurred 85~168 days prior to the M6.1 earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan. An inspiration could be provided for obtaining effective earthquake precursor anomalies by monitoring the change in ion concentration in thermal springs.

US policy on Taiwan 2002–2018

The Taiwan issue has always been the most sensitive and difficult in China – US relations. This article examines the US policy on Taiwan from 2002 to 2018 in the context of the Sino – US relations related to China’s territorial unification and sovereignty integrity. The article also concerns the global strategic interests of the United States. In particular, after the Trump administration came to power it fre- quently touched China’s bottom line of maintaining adherence to the One China poli- cy, which led to a rise of the Taiwan issue and aggravated the turmoil in the Taiwan Strait. The US policy toward Taiwan has changed not only on the issue of peace and stability across Taiwan Strait but also related to the increased risk of Sino – US mili- tary conflict. Therefore, it is very important to consider the US policy toward Taiwan during outlined period. The author adopts historical analysis and literature research methods, and based on a significant number of the scientific research results of Chinese and American scholars. The research content covers the Taiwan policy of the administra- tion Bush, Obama, and Trump. The author attempts to expose the strategic essence behind the US policy toward Taiwan, focusing on analyzing the relationship between US policymaking and the China and Taiwan’ relationship factors. The article finds that the US Taiwan policy can be generally regarded as subordination to the China strategy, but there are some cases different from it. On this basis, this article discov- ers variables of China – US relations, US – Taiwan relations, the United States Con- gress and Taiwan politics to prove the hypothesis that US Taiwan policy follows the China’s policy in the majority of cases.