Restoring endemic fiddler crabs: Hsinchu City removes seaweed from Xiangshan Wetland
In Hsinchu's Xiangshan Wetland, invasive seaweed has been removed to protect the endemic Taiwanese fiddler crab. The Hsinchu City Government and Tsinghua University have collaborated to remove 750kg of seaweed, aiming to restore the mudflat environment.
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- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 16:41
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 17:01 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 17:38 (36 min after Collected)
Hsinchu City (Central News Agency) - In recent years, the rapid expansion and tendency towards landward growth of seaweed in Hsinchu's Xiangshan Wetland have posed a survival threat to Taiwan's endemic 'Taiwanese fiddler crab.' The Hsinchu City Government and Tsinghua University have collaborated to remove seaweed from Xiangshan Wetland, aiming to restore an open mudflat environment and hopefully revive the fiddler crab population.
Hsinchu City Government announced today that the open mudflats of Xiangshan Wetland are one of the favorite habitats for the Taiwanese fiddler crab. The semi-dry, semi-wet intertidal high-zone mudflats provide the survival environment for the sensitive endemic 'Taiwanese fiddler crab.'
Zhang Xiaoyun, a teacher from Asia University, stated that the high specificity of the Taiwanese fiddler crab's habitat requirements directly affects its population distribution, and populations easily fluctuate with habitat changes. The beach south of Haishan Fishing Port is an important distribution area for the Taiwanese fiddler crab.
She said that in recent years, the seaweed population in this area has expanded rapidly, showing a tendency towards landward growth, leading to a significant decrease in the Taiwanese fiddler crab population. In areas where seaweed grows densely, it is rarely seen. Seaweed tolerates saline-alkali soils, grows rapidly, compresses the living space of crabs, and its dense root systems also affect burrowing, foraging, and breeding behaviors, posing pressure on the survival of the fiddler crab population.
The City Government stated that this time, in cooperation with Professor Zhao Zhiliang and his students from Tsinghua University, and calling on ecological volunteers, they jointly launched an action to manually remove seaweed and restore the mudflat. A total of 750 kilograms of seaweed was removed, covering an area of about 1,400 square meters, demonstrating a concrete environmental restoration action promoted by industry-academia collaboration. (Editor: Chen Qingfang) 1150420
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Hsinchu City Government announced today that the open mudflats of Xiangshan Wetland are one of the favorite habitats for the Taiwanese fiddler crab. The semi-dry, semi-wet intertidal high-zone mudflats provide the survival environment for the sensitive endemic 'Taiwanese fiddler crab.'
Zhang Xiaoyun, a teacher from Asia University, stated that the high specificity of the Taiwanese fiddler crab's habitat requirements directly affects its population distribution, and populations easily fluctuate with habitat changes. The beach south of Haishan Fishing Port is an important distribution area for the Taiwanese fiddler crab.
She said that in recent years, the seaweed population in this area has expanded rapidly, showing a tendency towards landward growth, leading to a significant decrease in the Taiwanese fiddler crab population. In areas where seaweed grows densely, it is rarely seen. Seaweed tolerates saline-alkali soils, grows rapidly, compresses the living space of crabs, and its dense root systems also affect burrowing, foraging, and breeding behaviors, posing pressure on the survival of the fiddler crab population.
The City Government stated that this time, in cooperation with Professor Zhao Zhiliang and his students from Tsinghua University, and calling on ecological volunteers, they jointly launched an action to manually remove seaweed and restore the mudflat. A total of 750 kilograms of seaweed was removed, covering an area of about 1,400 square meters, demonstrating a concrete environmental restoration action promoted by industry-academia collaboration. (Editor: Chen Qingfang) 1150420
Stand with the facts. Every sponsorship is a force to safeguard press freedom.
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.