1st Place Compact Behavior

Chia Chi Chang

"Coral Spawning"

The Story: Coral spawning is a grand occasion for Taiwan. Especially the coral in Kenting. It always spawns on time just around the birthday of goddess ‘Mazu’. In fact, the earliest record of coral spawning took place in Taiwan. However, this photo was taken at Longdong Bay in the North East Coast. The coral in Northern Taiwan spawns randomly, and the spawning amount is far less than it is in Kenting. I was very blessed to witness the coral spawning in Northern Taiwan, and it took me three consecutive days of diving to get this shot. The underwater environment in Northern Taiwan has been impacted severely due to tourism and pollution. The Coral bleaching situation was the worst this year for Taiwan and it is estimated that 31% to 40% of the coral are not going to survive. I am delighted to witness the coral spawning in my beloved ocean and seeing the next generation live on.

Location: Longdong Bay, Taiwan

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