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NSTC National Science and Technology Council Research South China Sea Science Research Platform National Science and Technology Council Dongsha Atoll Research Station-Marine Station in north South China Sea
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National Science and Technology Council
Intelligent Prevention of Natural Disasters and International Cooperative Research on Earth Sciences Dongsha Atoll Research Station-Marine Station in north South China Sea Volcano, Ocean, Typhoon, Earthquake Technical Working Group, VOTE TWG The integrated project: Interaction of convection over the SCS-MC with large-scale Flow Conference and workshop remark
Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Ocean Affairs Council
Ministry of Environment
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Dongsha Atoll Research Station Operation Project

Title of Project:

Dongsha Atoll Research Station Operation Project (1/3)

Duration:
2022/8/1~2023/7/31
Name of Principle Investigator:
Prof. Te-Yu Liao, Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University
Outcomes and Milestones:
This project provides Dongsha Atoll Research Station(DARS) as a research center to promote international cooperative research. Scientists from various countries in the South China Sea are invited to visit DARS in order to promote scientific developments and establishment of connections.
In addition to deploying underwater instruments (temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, salinity, nutrients) to understand the local hydrological conditions in the Dongsha waters, DARS also provide facilities for offshore research in the atoll, focusing on promoting connections between scientists from various countries in the South China Sea and assisting in the scientific investigation of Dongsha Atoll. Courses in Dongsha are also available annually, cultivating young oceanographers.

 

Project Outcomes：
1. Hydrological instrument deployment plan and current implementation results
(1) Temperature loggers
From September 2019 to the present, temperature loggers have been deployed inside and outside the Dongsha Atoll and around Dongsha Island to record water temperature every 15 minutes, with a total of 13 sampling sites (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The sampling sites of the long-term deployment of temperature loggers in the atoll and Dongsha Island. 
(2) Dissolved oxygen meter
Since September 2022, underwater dissolved oxygen temperature recorders are deployed inside and outside Dongsha Atoll in 9 sampling sites. It records dissolved oxygen and water temperature every 20 minutes.  
Figure 2. The dissolved oxygen recorder has been deployed in September 2022, and the blue marks are the sampling sites。 
(3) Nutrients
Water samples are collected from the outer atolls, lagoon and Dongsha island seasonally since March 2023. 
Figure 3. Sampling sites of nutrients. (Yellow: sampling sites in March 2023, green: expected follow-up sampling sites) 
(4) Salinity and chlorophyll
Instruments for salinity and chlorophyll with a sampling frequency of 20 minutes are expected to be deployed since May this year. The sites will be in the north of the Dongsha Island and the west side of the inner lagoon. 
   
Figure 4. The salinity and chlorophyll meters are expected to be deployed in May 2023, and the white marks are the sampling sites. 
Table 1. GPS of sampling sites

No

Sites

GPS

Depth

Temperature

DO

Nutrients

Salinity

Chlorophyll

1

NO

20°46.707’, 116°50.508’

9m

V

 

 

 

V

 

 

 

 

2

EO

20°41.887’, 116°55.418’

11m

V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

SO

20°35.174’, 116°47.722’

11m

V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

N site

20°44.753', 116°50.261'

10m

V

 

 

 

 

5

C site

20°40.714', 116°49.289’

10m

V

 

V

 

 

6

S site

20°38.088', 116°47.757’

11.7m

V

 

 

 

 

7

E site

20°41.741', 116° 53.435'

10m

V

 

 

 

 

8

PR-W-5m

20°41.736', 116° 47.224'

5m

V

V

 

 

 

9

PR-W-15m

20°41.743', 116° 47.245'

15m

V

V

 

 

 

10

PR-E-5m

20°41.499', 116° 52.016'

5.5m

V

V

 

V

V

11

PR-E-15m

20°41.525', 116° 52.035'

15.6m

V

V

 

 

 

12

West Island

20°42.343', 116° 42.085'

9m

V

 

 

 

 

13

North Island

20°42.516', 116° 43.295'

1.8m

V

V

V

V

V

14

East Island

20°42.103', 116° 43.994'

1.8m

V

 

 

 

 

15

South Island

20°41.940', 116° 43.401'

1.6m

V

V

 

 

 

 

 

16

Small lagoon

20° 42.097', 116°43.419'

1.2m

V

V

 

 

 

 

 

17

Small lagoon exit

20°42.097', 116°43.419'

1.2m

V

 

 

 

 
 
2. Number of scientists visiting DARS 

Figure 5. The number of people visiting DARS since 2013. 
 
3. Number of working days of research vessels of DARS
  2. Figure 6. Number of working days of research vessels of DARS since 2013. 
    4. Winter and Summer course in Dongsha
  3.  

     

    Winter Vacation

    Fieldwork course

    Summer Vacation

    Atoll Ecology Research course

    2015

    -

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2016

    -

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2017

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2018

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2019

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2020

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2021

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong

    2022

    -

    Instructor: Prof.Keryea Soong and Assistant Prof. Tzu-Hsuan Tu

    2023

     Instructor: Assistant Prof. Tzu-Hsuan Tu

    Scheduled to start in August by  Assistant Prof. Tzu-Hsuan Tu
     
    5. Summarize the current status of the project.
  1. ●Due to the impact of the COVID-19, the Marine National Park Headquarters has limited the number of researchers visiting the island. Only 13 researchers are allowed since March 24, 2023. 
    ●Foreign teams are back since April 2023.。
    ●Long-term hydrological observation in Dongsha seawater. Information of more factors, in addition to water temperature, will be available, including DO, salinity, chlorophyll, and so on.
Last Modified : 2023/04/24
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