We live in the bosom of the sea. Whether or not we love the sea, know the sea, or feel close to the sea, whenever we mention Taiwan and the ocean, we have to admit that the tie is like that of blood and water. Taiwan, surrounded by the sea, is very rich in marine resources. The vast sea deeply affects the people of the island, providing them with a valuable catch and a warm climate. However, no matter how strong the sea is, it cannot resist the rapid and huge impact of the human world: overfishing, environmental pollution, recreation depletion and other various factors makes the sea moribund.  

Luo Li, since 2004, has been recording the world below see level with a camera in his hands and gas cylinders on his back. A former career military and a photojournalist, Luo Li was deeply attracted by the ocean during a diving experience. He had never been able to leave the arms of the sea since then. He is fascinated by the beauty of the ocean and at the same time distressed by the fate of it.  “The ocean gives me tranquility and respect. Seeing it being damaged, I feel I should do something,” said Luo Li.  To respond to the call of the ocean, he decided to quit his stable job and began recording for documentaries.

New Horizons on Green Island, calling on the government to salvage the wreck

In 1992, the Greek freighter “Picasso” ran aground at Cape Fanbi cape on Green Island and sank not far from Jhaorih Hot Springs, covering the coral reefs with fourteen thousand tons of metal. Six years later in January 1998, a Honduras ship “Xiang Yun Lun” in the southwest waters of the Green Island encountered mechanical failure and a typhoon and was stranded on the shores of Turtle Bay. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) cleared the half of the ship body that damaged the roads and sank the rest of the ship body into the ocean. The two ships that landed on the reefs were then disintegrated by seawater erosion. The scrap and rust from the ships pressing on the coral making breathing difficult for them. The original lively scene became stagnant as a result. Because of diving, Luo Li witnessed the consequences of wreck pollution. “Everyone thought that when the ships went down they became artificial reefs. This is a very wrong idea.”Luo Li decided to make documentaries to let more people know about the sufferings and predicament of the reefs; and perhaps there will be a chance to change the status quo and restore the health of the oceans.

He came to Green Island in 2004 and met Captain Cai Ju-fu, who was originally a fisherman. Under the pressure of decreasing fish catches, he changed to engage in tourism. When he has free time, he is on the sea salvaging debris from sunken ships. “I was shocked with the amount of debris. It was like moving a mountain and seemed improbable.”Luo Li learned that although Captain Cai’s spirit is absolutely admirable, to restore the vitality of the seabed requires the combined effort of many people. Therefore, he clipped videos, created slideshows and presentations, sought help from the Society of Wilderness, Dr. Zheng Ming-xiu of the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, and other powers. They jointly held a press conference to petition the MOTC to salvage the wrecked ships as soon as possible. After six months of effort they obtained support from Guo Yao-qi, then Director of the MOTC, who sent delegates to Green Island for assessment and later decided to first clean up part of the debris. Therefore, the “Xiang Yun Lun” that had been buried in sea for many years was brought up to the shores in December 2006. The coral reefs were then able to rid themselves of the burden of many years and reclaim fresh seawater and warm sunlight.   

When Luo Li described the entire process of salvaging, he often mentioned the beauty of the sea and even emphasized on the relation between people and sea creatures. He said, “Ecological restoration is a very important part of the education of environment and life. In the past, government agencies placed more emphasis on economic development but neglected the importance of environmental education. Therefore, promotion of education of environment and life depends on the general public to achieve results.” For him, the “sea” is an entirety, incorporating all the results of interaction between nature and the human world. To understand the ocean, get close to the ocean, and to further protect the ocean, we must start with education so that children of the next generation will understand their relationship with the ocean.

Personal Efforts in Publishing Digital Teaching Materials – Slow Travel through Coral Reefs

In 2008, Luo Li wrote a publishing plan for digital textbooks. His intention of fighting for the oceans was acknowledged and awarded a Gold medal by Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants. He was given 500,000 dollars of funding for compile books and CD-ROM and organized over 300 sessions of lectures to teach students and their parents and teachers of primary and middle schools a lesson on the oceans.  

“I feel that only when people are changed the environment will improve.” To let more people get to know the oceans, Luo Li cooperated with Dr. Chen Lishu of the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology to co-author a book titled “Slow Travel Through Coral Reefs” to guide readers through Taiwan’s coral reef ecology and to help them understand the condition and crisis faced by coral and further reflect on their relationship with the ocean. The book is rich in ecological photos as well as illustrations that help reader quickly grasp the concepts. To better meet the cognitive needs of students, Luo Li specially recruited a number of primary school teachers to review the content. Just as salvaging wrecked ships, preparation of this textbook also has a taste of teamwork. In the CD at the end of the book, besides the video of New Horizons on Green Island, there are also clips of close-ups of fish for the readers to refer to.

“There was one time a parent shed tears when video was played during a lecture. He said, ‘It turns out we had treated our environment in this way and we can still act.” A small CD exudes great power. A computer and a Projector had indeed brought many people to come to the ocean and enter the marine world. Listening to Luo Li share about the bits and pieces from lectures, one can feel the influence of an educator’s sincerity from his conversations; once he feels he needs “to do something”, there is “no return”, howbeit time- and money-consuming.

After several years of it being promoted, there aren’t many of [Li’s] teaching materials [for children] left. However, Luo Li did not stop. He is till recording Taiwan’s oceans with his camera, passion, and mission. As to whether he has considered turning the textbook into an electronic book, his answer is yes, but he is not in a hurry. For him, unification of textbook and education is the only ideal method of education.