TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s first indigenous ocean research ship has returned from Palau, reports said Friday (April 19).
The New Ocean Researcher 1 arrived in Kaohsiung City after a voyage of 2,500 nautical miles (4,445 km) from Taiwan’s Pacific island ally of Palau, per CNA. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) described the completion of its first international trip as a new milestone.
The 24-day journey was of the utmost significance for the scientific study of the oceans in Taiwan, the NSTC said. The ship was launched in July 2020 and has been managed by a team from National Taiwan University (NTU).
On the Palau trip, researchers and students from six universities used balloons and other equipment to study the weather, rainfall, air quality, and ocean currents. They also performed ocean depth tests and recovered exploration equipment on the way back, per the NSTC.
The team also looked for the impact of earthquakes and tsunamis on the bottom of the West Philippine Sea. The general results of the research will help with a more precise evaluation of the influence of climate change, the NSTC said.