Research Field

• Coral taxonomy and ecology
• Dynamics of coral reefs under environmental impacts
• Mesophotic coral ecosystems
• Coral reef conservation

Research Directions

1. Dynamics of coral reefs under climate change
   Coral reefs, the tropical rainforests in the oceans, suffered dramatic declines throughout the world due to the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbances. Under these threats, there is an urgent need to increase our knowledge of the responses of coral reef communities to the natural disturbances under climate change and anthropogenic stresses to the environment. Studies on long-term dynamics of coral reefs can help us to understand the decline of these ecosystems and provide appropriate strategies for conservation and management of coral reefs under the impacts of climate change.
2. Biodiversity of mesophotic coral reef ecosystems
   Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) are coral communities occurring in the lower part of the photic zone at depths comprised between 30 and 150 meters. In Taiwan, their diversity, and ecological importance to shallow water reefs remains unexplored. However, their role as a refuge against disturbances such as extreme climatic events or other anthropogenic disturbances has been demonstrated in some locations around the world. Therefore, the assessment of MCEs in Taiwan to reveal their diversity and the role they could play in the resilience of shallow coral reefs are important. This will provide critical information on MCEs, as well as their importance for the management and the conservation of the coral reefs.

期刊論文

1. Kuo Chao-Yang, Ho Ming-Jay, Heng Wei Khang, Huang Ya-Yi, Ko Chia-Ying, Jiang Guo-Chen, Jeng Ming-Shiou, Chen Chaolun Allen, 2021, “What is for dessert? Crown-of-thorns starfish feeds on non-scleractinian anthozoans at Taiping Island (Itu Aba), Spratlys, South China Sea”, Marine Biodiversity, 52(1), 1. (SCIE) (IF: 1.533; SCI ranking: 66.7%,62.2%)
2. Soto Derek, Palmas Stéphane, Ho Ming-Jay, Denis Vianney, Allen Chen Chaolun, 2021, “A molecular census of early‐life stage scleractinian corals in shallow and mesophotic zones”, Ecology and Evolution, 11(21), 14573-14584. (SCIE) (IF: 2.881; SCI ranking: 43.4%,52%)
3. De Palmas S, Soto D, Ho MJ, Denis V, Chen CA*, 2021, “Strong horizontal and vertical connectivity in the coral Pocillopora verrucosa from Ludao, Taiwan, a small oceanic island”, PLoS ONE, 16(10), e0258181-e0258181. (SCIE) (IF: 3.24; SCI ranking: 35.6%)
4. De Palmas Stéphane, Denis Vianney, Soto Derek, Lin Yuting Vicky, Ho Ming-Jay, Chen Chaolun Allen, 2021, “Scleractinian diversity in the upper mesophotic zone of Ludao (Taiwan): a museum collection with new records from Taiwanese waters”, Marine Biodiversity, 51(5), 1. (SCIE) (IF: 1.533; SCI ranking: 66.7%,62.2%)
5. Heng Wei Khang, Ho Ming-Jay, Kuo Chao-Yang, Huang Ya-Yi, Ko Chia-Ying, Jeng Ming-Shiou, Chen Chaolun Allen, 2021, “Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak at Taiping Island (Itu Aba), Spratlys, South China Sea”, Bulletin of Marine Science, 98(1), 101-102. (SCIE) (IF: 1.632; SCI ranking: 58.6%,67.7%)
6. Bang Ashley H. Y., Kuo Chao-Yang, Wen Colin Kuo-Chang, Cherh Kah-Leng, Ho Ming-Jay, Cheng Nien-Yun, Chen Yen-Chia, Chen Chaolun Allen, 2021, “Quantifying Coral Reef Resilience to Climate Change and Human Development: An Evaluation of Multiple Empirical Frameworks”, Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 610306. (SCIE) (IF: 4.912; SCI ranking: 5.4%)
7. Ming-Jay Ho, Chao-Yang Kuo, Hung-Yi Wu, Ming-Shiou Jeng, Shiahn-Wern Shyue*, and Chaolun Allen Chen*, 2020, “Fishing pressure occurs down to the lower mesophotic coral ecosystem in Lyudao, Taiwan”, Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies, 22(1), 29-30. (Others)
8. Gregory A. Kolbasov, Alexandra S. Petrunina, Jørgen Olesen, Ming-Jay Ho, Benny K. K. Chan & Mark J. Grygier*, 2020, “A new species of Sessilogoga Grygier, 1990 parasitic in an antipatharian from Green Island, Taiwan, with notes on its nauplius larvae and the synapomorphies and apparent gonochorism of the genus (Crustacea: Thecostraca: Ascothoracida)”, Marine Biodiversity, 50(3), 43. (SCIE) (IF: 1.533; SCI ranking: 66.7%,62.2%)
9. Kolbasov Gregory A., Petrunina Alexandra S., Ho Ming-Jay, Chan Benny K. K., 2019, “A new species of Synagoga (Crustacea, Thecostraca, Ascothoracida) parasitic in an antipatharian from Green Island, Taiwan, with notes on its morphology”, ZooKeys, 876,55-85. (SCIE) (IF: 1.546; SCI ranking: 46.3%)
10. De Palmas Stéphane, Soto Derek, Denis Vianney, Ho Ming-Jay, Chen Chaolun Allen, 2018, “Molecular assessment of Pocillopora verrucosa (Scleractinia; Pocilloporidae) distribution along a depth gradient in Ludao, Taiwan”, PeerJ, 6, e5797. (SCIE) (IF: 2.984; SCI ranking: 37%)
11. Sung-Yin Yang, Hsing-Ju Chen, Ming-Jay Ho, Yen-Jia Chen, Ya-Yi Huang, Wenhua Savanna Chow, Sen-Lin Tang, Ming-Shiou Jeng, Chaolun Allen Chen*, 2018, “Outbreak of coral-killing cyanobacteriasponge, Terpios hoshinota, in Taiping Island (Itu Aba), Spratlys, South China Sea”, BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 94(4), 1543-1544. (SCIE) (IF: 1.632; SCI ranking: 58.6%,67.7%)
12. Derek Soto, Stephane De Palmas, Ming Jay Ho, Vianney Denis*, Chaolun Allen Chen*, 2018, “Spatial variation in the morphological traits of Pocillopora verrucosa along a depth gradient in Taiwan”, PLoS One, 13(8), e0202586. (SCIE) (IF: 3.24; SCI ranking: 35.6%)

專書(論文集)之一章

1. Denis V, Soto D, De Palmas S, Lin YTV, Benayahu Y, Huang YM, Liu SL, Chen JW, Chen Q, Sturaro N, Ho MJ, Su Y, Dai CF, Chen CA, accepted, “Taiwan”, editor(s): Loya Y, Puglise KA, Bridge T, Mesophotic coral ecosystems, pp. 249-264, Springer International Publishing.