NCUE has at least four programmes to promote conservation and sustainable utilisation of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and marine resources. They include the Environmental Education Centre’s ‘Fangyuan Reengineering USR Seed Programme’ and ‘Engaging Fangyuan and Dacheng: Industrial and Environmental Sustainability for Changhua’s Twin Towns’ in 2020–2022; the General Education Centre’s “General Introduction to Ocean Culture,” “Reading about the Ocean - What the Ocean has Taught Me”; the Department of Biology’s ‘Programme for Kenting National Park/Investigation on Invasion and Control Strategy of Yellow Termites in Kenting National Park’. They will be discussed in detail below:

1. Fangyuan Reengineering USR Seed Programme and Sprouting Programme for Engaging Fangyuan and Dacheng: Industrial and Environmental Sustainability for Changhua’s Twin Towns in 2020–2022: 

Teachers and students of NCUE inspect water quality in fish farms, to ensure that both the supplied and drainage water are clean and without any harmful pollutants, and that fishery operations do not pollute or degrade the local water quality.

In addition to participating in the Changhua Beach Cleanup on June 8 every year, NCUE also organizes activities and various other multi-disciplinary courses to clean up the ocean to reduce the volume of plastic waste that reaches these marine resources. The results relating to the coastal areas’ eutrophication index and the amount of plastic debris in the ocean are recorded in the Taiwan International Coastal Cleanup Action Record.

• https://www.facebook.com/NCUEUSR/photos/?tab=album&ref=page_internal

2. The General Education Center offered the course “General Introduction to Ocean Culture” during the academic year 2020 
Link to the syllabus: http://webapt.ncue.edu.tw/DEANV2/UploadDEAN/SUBJECT/1091/00201_0CCGE0170020.pdf

3. About 150 people participated in the General Education Center’s lecture, “Reading about the Ocean – What the Ocean has Taught Me” on April 21, 2021
 

4. Programme for Kenting National Park/Investigation on Invasion and Control Strategy of Yellow Termites in Kenting National Park
The programme involved assisting Kenting National Park to investigate the invasion status of Anoplolepis gracilipes (known as yellow crazy ant), one of the most harmful invasive species in the world, in the land crab distribution concentration areas (spring ports in Back Bay, Banana Bay, and Sand Island). This study is the first time that Anoplolepis gracilipes has been found to threaten the land crab population in East Asia. In addition to ant damage, land crabs also face threats from road killing, habitat destruction, and human harvesting. In recent years, the number of land crabs has continued to decline, despite efforts to close roads, protect crabs, and set up ecological reserves. This study not only highlights the importance of prevention and control of Anoplolepis gracilipes but also provides some suggestions on prevention and control. In addition to traditional chemical control, habitat restoration and removing potential nesting sites for Anoplolepis gracilipes may play a role in the control efforts by potentially increasing the habitat suitable for land crabs and hinder the establishment of Anoplolepis gracilipes. Considering the impact of Anoplolepis gracilipes on the ecological environment, ant control must be implemented continuously to reduce the probability of land crabs being ‘killed’ and maintain the biodiversity of Kenting National Park.

Roads in Kenting are closed during the crab breeding season to prevent land crab killings.

Crab volunteers help release land crabs to the sea during the breeding period.

Project Video Link: https://www.facebook.com/NCUEEEC/videos/a.1053897732014001/402422844606560