Area of important and sensitive marine ecosystems

Themes

Marine protected areas

PSBR model type

State(S)

Corresponding targets

SDGs

14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Target 11 By 2020, at least 17 percent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative, and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.

Background

Sensitive marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, algae reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, lagoons, hot springs, cold springs are of important ecological functions and values. They are indicators that can reflect the changes in the ocean and coast, and their areas should be clearly divided and monitored on a long-term basis.

Definition and Calculation

The sum of the area and quantity of important and sensitive marine ecosystems (including coral reefs, algal reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, lagoons, hot springs, cold springs, etc.)

Updates

In 2019, a research of seagrass distribution in the intertidal zone on the west coast of Taiwan's main island, Penghu, and Kinmen had found 36.8 hectares of seagrass beds. The area of mangrove forests in 2019 was 660.7 hectares, after adding the area of mangrove in regions of outlying islands, the area reaches 680.7 hectares.

Data Management Authorities

Marine National Park Headquarters, Ocean Conservation Administration, Taiwan Environmental Information Association

Data Source / URL

1. Chaolun Chen, 2019. The 2019 coral reef ecosystem survey project, Academia Sinica, commissioned by the Ocean Conservation Administration (in Chinese).
2. Hsin-Jun Lin, 2019. The 2019 seagrass bed ecosystem survey project, National Chung-Hsing University, commissioned by the Ocean Conservation Administration (in Chinese).
3. Hsin-Jun Lin, 2019. The 2019 mangrove ecosystem survey project, National Chung-Hsing University, commissioned by the Ocean Conservation Administration.
4. Kenting seagrass coverage rate (%). Provided by Distinguished Professor Hsin-Jun Lin, Department of Life Sciences, National Chung-Hsing University.