The Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council held a press conference today (31st) for Ocean Citizen Scientists, highlighting the progress of domestic marine citizen science initiatives, commending actively participating groups and individuals, and introducing the six selected projects for the theme "Deciphering the Ocean, Envisioning the Future" in 2023. According to the Ocean Conservation Administration, domestic marine citizen science projects cover various aspects such as marine biology and marine waste. By promoting six new emerging projects, bringing the total to 50, they aim to offer more opportunities for public engagement in marine citizen science and conservation, thereby further advancing development in domestic citizen science.

Regarding international marine citizen science development, countries like the EU and the US have enacted special laws to promote citizen science. For instance, the US has over 500 citizen science projects. During her speech, Director-General Huang Hsiang-wen of the Ocean Conservation Administration stated that since 2019, the administration has launched the Ocean Citizen Scientist Development Program focusing on cetaceans, sea turtles, coral reefs, and fishing. They aspire to promote Taiwan's involvement in marine citizen science and subsequently proposed the "Taiwan Marine Citizen Science Action Strategy" in 2022, outlining four strategies: "Supporting the development of citizen science," "Raising public awareness of marine citizen science," "Enhancing the quality and sustainability of citizen science data," and "Promoting the openness and application of citizen science data." Over the past few years, in conjunction with local guardian projects, our country's citizen science has expanded from 10 categories to 44 projects. With the addition of six projects this year, the total number of domestically implemented projects will reach 50. Director-General Huang Hsiang-wen also mentioned that in 2021, ten units, including the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Biodiversity Research Institute, the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, the National Park Service under the Ministry of the Interior, and the National Taiwan Museum, established the Taiwan Biodiversity Information Alliance (TBIA). The TBIA database now has accumulated over ten million records, and data reported by all parties may also be incorporated in the future. Today's data can contribute to tomorrow's scientific reports and even serve as guidelines for government policy. We look forward to witnessing the thriving future of these 50 marine citizen science projects.

The Ocean Conservation Administration explained that in 2023, they organized the "Deciphering the Ocean, Envisioning the Future" submission activity, selecting six projects: "Citizen Scientists Calculate Better Than Abacus," "Land Crab Ecology Guardians," “Chasing Undersea Agricultural Waste”, "Tracing the Footprints of Rhynchobatus Australiae," and "Together We Fish", “Taiwan Bird Life - Taiwan Seabird Diet Investigation." These projects, led by scientists, will conduct investigations with the public, analyze reported data, and establish marine databases while strengthening marine monitoring capabilities.

Furthermore, the administration added that current domestic marine citizen science projects cover over ten different areas. For instance, the Taiwan Coral Reef Examination, initiated by the Taiwan Environmental Information Association, monitors coral reefs in various regions of Taiwan annually, providing insights into their health. The "Whale Finder" project launched by the Taiwan Cetacean Society records cetacean species, quantities, coordinates, etc., through an app, helping understand their lifestyles and habitats. The "Shark and Ray Sightings Report" project by Congratulafins encourages divers to report species, quantities, environments, behaviors, etc., shedding light on the most frequently sighted species and their habitats.

The Ocean Conservation Administration emphasized that marine citizen science is a method of involving citizens in scientific investigations, collecting observations related to the ocean in different regions and times. In the future, the Ocean Conservation Administration will continue to hold relevant seminars and promotional activities. More information can be found on the Ocean Citizen Scientist website (https://sites.google.com/view/ocs2021). The administration invites more people to join in safeguarding a healthy marine environment and working towards the future of our oceans!
 
Responsible Authority and Spokesperson: Wu Long-Jing, OCA Deputy Director-General
Contact Number: 07-3383203 or 0919-613467
Release Date: January 31, 2024