Ocean Affairs Council Honors 5 Outstanding University Marine Research Teams; Chairperson Kuan: Cultivating Youth for Sustainable Oceans

The Ocean Affairs Council held the 114th Annual Outstanding University Marine Research Project Awards on July 31 during the '2026 Ocean and Life (Hái-iûnn kap sing-ua̍h)' National Children's Marine Painting Competition Award Ceremony. Chairperson Kuan Pi-Ling personally presented awards to five student teams and their advisors, recognizing their exceptional research achievements and encouraging more students to apply their expertise to sustainable ocean initiatives.

Kuan stated that the event invited both children and university youth to participate, aiming to help different generations connect with the ocean in their own ways. While children express their vision of the ocean through painting, university students explore and solve marine issues through scientific research, demonstrating diverse forces in ocean conservation and truly integrating the ocean into daily life.

She emphasized that the Council continues to promote marine talent development, having funded 22 university research projects in the 114th academic year, with the number increasing to 30 in the 115th academic year. This expansion aims to attract more young people to join the mission of 'knowing the ocean, loving the ocean, and protecting the ocean,' injecting new momentum into Taiwan's marine governance and sustainable development.

The five selected outstanding research projects cover critical areas including marine microplastic pollution prevention, Kuroshio current field changes, corrosion resistance of offshore wind power facility metals, acoustic characteristics of seagrass beds, and the impact of global warming on the ecological environment of the Northwest Pacific. Spanning marine science, environmental conservation, energy technology, and climate change, these studies demonstrate students' interdisciplinary integration and research capabilities through data analysis, experimental validation, and field observations.

The Council noted that cultivating marine talent requires long-term investment, relying not only on students' active participation but also on professional guidance from advisors and cross-disciplinary collaboration to continuously build research capacity. Moving forward, the Council will continue providing research grants and exchange platforms, encouraging youth to maintain their passion and curiosity for the ocean, ensuring marine research takes deep root and builds a more resilient foundation for Taiwan's sustainable ocean development.

The awardees include Hsiao Tsai-Hsuan (National Taiwan Ocean University), Huang Tzu-Chin (National Sun Yat-sen University), Shen Yun-You (National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology), Chen Wei-Chin (National Penghu University of Science and Technology), and Che Ching-En (National Taiwan Normal University). The Ocean Affairs Council extends its congratulations to all awardees and advisors, recognizing their joint contributions to advancing marine research.