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Aloha！2018臺灣珊瑚礁大使出訪夏威夷
雙語部林燕靖老師與珊瑚礁大使
國立海洋生物博物館樊同雲研究員執行「珊瑚礁大使」計畫，於1月28日至2月12日帶領來自新竹實驗高中、高雄中山高中、屏東陸興高中、東港高中、琉球國中、車城國中等6校的學生共16人，至美國夏威夷的歐胡島進行交流訪問。活動包括參加在夏威夷州長家舉行的國際學生吸引力晚會，和在檀香山文化中心舉行的春節慶祝活動，並進行表演；參訪夏威夷海洋生物研究所、先進視覺化與應用實驗室、服裝產品設計和商品化實驗室、西太平洋區域漁業管理委員會、Kapiolani社區大學、Maryknoll
學校等；以及參觀威基基水族館、Bishop博物館、鑽石山、Koko山、與珍珠港亞利桑納紀念館；到恐龍灣與威基基海灘浮潛等。心得包括把握機會，接受挑戰，創造新成果；發揮學生不同專長使團隊快速學習成長；以及結合團隊與分組的共同學習以及個人自我探索，使效應多元化與優化。建議國內相關單位持續加深和加大與夏威夷的交流合作，融合彼此優勢，建立海洋研究與教育合作，以提升彼此的國際競爭力；以及在海洋科學與科技創新方面提升與夏威夷的產學合作，以促進國際交流和研究發展。
Dr. Tung-Yung Fan, a oceanic marine professor and dean at the
National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, has been leading
the Coral Reef Ambassador Programs since 2013, visiting various
places strongly associated with marine biology such as San
Diego, Singapore, and, in winter 2016, Hawaii. Integrating
middle and high school students from varying schools across
Taiwan such as Liu-Qiu Middle School and Kaohsiung’s Zhongshan
High School, the project this year is focused on creating
stronger bonds with the Hawaiian government and institutions,
developing the skill sets of a global citizen, and understanding
the status of corals, vanguard technology to analyze reefs, and
governmental policies and people’s attitudes toward them. This
report comprises background information and goals, detailed
descriptions of the trip, reflection, and recommendations for
future international programs. With numerous visits to the
Hawaii University at Manoa, performances at the Hawaii State
Governor’s house and the Taiwan-Hawaii Cultural Plaza Center,
interview with a Hawaiian governmental official, and trips
across the beautiful island of Oahu, the 15-day trip was
undoubtedly successful with interactions and learnings from
people of all walks of life.
We’re in Hawaii!
Washington Place 夏威夷州長官邸
Washington Place
Elijah Chou 周錫定
Before arriving at Honolulu International Airport, we had no
idea that we were going to be tasked with preparing for a
performance, even more so for a performance at Hawaii’s
governor’s house in Washington Place. At first, on the day of
our arrival, we were only told that it was a possibility, and we
were betting on the likelihood of it not becoming an official
task. However, the odds were “not” in our favor, and for the
next few days we spent hours upon hours preparing for this
surprise, even to the point where one entire day in our 15-day
stay was dedicated completely to preparing for the performance.
Each day, we were burdened with more and more anxiety, and
before we knew it, it was finally time for us to perform.
Despite sacrificing countless hours, we all had a blast
performing, and we even had the chance to tour the historic
site, which we normally would not have been able to do. Although
we resented the performance at first, we now look back on it as
one of the highlights of our visit to Hawaii.
 
Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council
Karen Tseng 曾韻融
Prior to the trip, we had emailed a great deal of organizations
and governmental branches in an attempt to acquire the
opportunity to interview a few of them to compare the
environment-protection efforts made by Taiwan and Hawaii. In the
end, not only did we snag an interview with the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council based in Honolulu, but we also
managed to understand governmental action taken to preserve
aquatic biodiversity from a local standpoint. By questioning
various residents across the island, we garnered that the locals
seemed slightly pessimistic about the condition of their coral
reefs. However, our talk with the WP Council truly warmed our
hearts, seeing a branch of the government so eager to hear out
both the concerns of fishermen trying to preserve the culture of
the island as well as the cried of environmentalists worried
about the declining state of the marine ecosystem and trying to
strike a balance between the two.
 
Hawaii Marine Institute of
Biology (HIMB) & Advanced Visualization and Application (LAVA)
Sunni Lin 林晴若
Among our most memorable experiences from the 2018 Winter Hawaii
trip were the visits to the Hawaii Marine Institute of Biology (HIMB)
and Laboratory for Advanced Visualization and Application (LAVA)
that introduced us to the developing technologies and research
on coral reefs and big data. At Coconut Island, HIMB researchers
demonstrated their submersible 3D-scanning robots that probe the
ocean floor and take 3D-images for digital reconstruction with
accuracy. At University of Hawaii’s LAVA, one of the premier
labs in the world for data visualization, we experienced
hands-on virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and
programming through Unity. The tour culminated in several of the
ambassadors returning a few days later to manually scan an
object and inserting it into the lab’s renowned paneled walls
into a virtual reality landscape we created.
Throughout the 15-day trip, while we battled sleep deprivation,
stress, and countless debates, I am so grateful to have been
part of the Coral Ambassador Team that performed at the
governor’s house, visited labs, interviewed a government
official, and backpacked across the island day and night, trying
out delicacies and experiencing the rich culture of Polynesia. I
hope our team can bring about a change in mindset towards the
environment in Taiwan as we share memories and lessons learned
from the breathtaking trip.
Wesley 楊景富
When people think of Hawaii, they usually think of an idyllic
and relaxing vacation on the sandy beaches. However, that was
not the case for us. Living there for two weeks was tough,
because we had to manage our own money and lifestyles. We stayed
in a cramped dorm room. We didn’t have much time to complain,
since we were always too busy planning out where to go and what
to do the next day. We went to many places, such as Waikiki
Aquarium and Coconut Island. Our main mission was to learn and
experience the coral reef ecosystem in Hawaii. In addition, we
were tasked with preparing a performance at the governor’s
house, and that required a significant amount of planning and
practice. Although two weeks may seem like a long time, every
day was jam packed with orders of business. We were exhausted
but satisfied by the time it was all over.
Cassie Yang
As I walked out of the airport in Hawaii and into the dazzling
sunlight, I instantly knew that this trip was worth it. Even
though I didn’t expect anything as I walked into the airport in
Tau Yuran, I walked out of it with the incentive of coming back
again next year.
Overall, despite experiencing a lot of ups and downs, I believe
that the ups overweigh the downs. During this trip, I was
overjoyed to have a chance to be able to have access to these
illustrious facilities that you would not normally get a chance
go in. Moreover, I was honored to meet the professors and listen
to their well based comments/opinions on coral reef protection.
Furthermore, I fell in love with the camaraderie between our
teammates and the way we all matured together as a group.
Last but not least, I sincerely hope that I can bring some
change to our tank using the knowledge that I gained from this
trip to Hawaii.
As I walked out of the airport at Tao Yuan, I felt as if I have
being reborn. I have matured. I have grown. I wanted to bring
some changes to our tank using the knowledge that I gained from
this trip to Hawaii. And luckily, I did.
On March 7th, we were honored to be able to restock our tank
with the help of 2 professionals from the Marine Research
Facility(Aquarium) at Puin Dong. Even though they were very late
because their car broke down, we still managed to finish
everything by around 6: 30. During this experience, we had a
chance to apply the concepts that we learned into our tank. Even
though we already knew how to set up a tank, we had fun doing
things such as making artificial seawater, setting up the
foundation for the corals, and the actual arrangement of these
corals. Furthermore, I was astonished by the camaraderie between
our teammates and the way we all worked together properly as a
group.
Once again, I sincerely thank the 2 professionals who took their
time to come all the way to Hsinchu to aid us in our tank
building.
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