Laomei Green Reef of Taiwan
August 01, 2023
Photographer: Meiying Lee
Summary Author: Meiying Lee
Shown above is the very rare "Green Reef Coast" along the coast of Laomei in northern Taiwan. From March to May every year, the nearby reefs "turn" green. Looking around, the view is full of greenery, hence the name Laomei Green Reef Coast. The reef was formed by the building up of successive layers of alga on volcanic rock. When the alga dies, its limestone skeletons form layers that serve as foundations for the growth of new generations of alga. This constant accumulation has given rise to the thin-grained algal reef we see today.
The bottom photo shows a comparison of the green reefs taken four days apart (April 28th and May 2nd). It can be seen that some of the alga on the reefs had already bleached by May 2nd. In recent years, it’s been observed that the alga sometimes grows prematurely and then rapidly whitens and dies. Photos taken on May 2, 2003, and April 28, 2003.
Green Reef, Taiwan Coordinates: 25.2924, 121.5447
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