Taiwan as a Connective Stepping-stone in the Kuroshio Traiangle and the Conservation of Coral Ecosystems under the Impacts of Climate Change

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The Kuroshio Triangle, defined as the ocean area influenced by the strongest ocean current in the northwest Pacific, covers the coral ecosystems from the tropical Philippines, subtropical Taiwan and Okinawa, and the high latitudinal coral communities of Shikoku Island, Japan. Taiwan and its adjacent islands are situated in the midway corridor of the Kuroshio Triangle. In this paper the marine environment and scleractinian species diversity around Taiwan are reviewed, and their role in connecting upstream Philippine coral with downstream coral communities is examined along with the currently available literature. Community-based and population genetic analyses of scleractinians indicate that a distinct boundary of coral community shifting and genetic subdivision occurs around the seas of Taiwan. These results highlight the important role of Taiwanese corals in supporting not only the downstream coral reefs in Okinawa, but also those further up in the high latitudinal coral communities in Shikoku within the Kuroshio Triangle. Lastly, the knowledge gaps and potential research projects regarding the impact of climate change are highlighted to underscore the need for interdisciplinary and transboundary collaboration to elucidate connectivity issues and the future conservation of coral ecosystems in the Kuroshio Triangle.
2009-03-25