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World Oceans Day 丨 Protect the marine ecosystem and protect the “lungs of the earth” |
The vast ocean is the original cradle of life, and is home to more than half of all life on earth. The ocean is also the largest biosphere and climate regulator on Earth, producing half the oxygen that humans need to breathe, often referred to as the “lungs of the planet.”
However, with the rise of global temperature, environmental changes and the disturbance of human activities, the marine ecological environment has been damaged to varying degrees. The United Nations, the World Meteorological Organization and other agencies call on everyone to work together to protect the three major marine ecosystems of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass, and take active actions to jointly protect the ocean and achieve sustainable development.
Explore the sea!Hypertherm team: I plant corals on the seabed
On land, tropical rain forests are the most concentrated areas of biodiversity; in the ocean, colorful coral reefs are called “tropical rainforests in the ocean” and are the home for many marine life. Coral reefs add vitality and vitality to the ocean, and add endless possibilities to the deep ocean.
Under normal circumstances, corals show various colors such as green, blue, yellow, red, and purple. These colors actually come from the symbiotic algae in the coral. If the symbiotic algae leaves or dies, the coral will turn white, and eventually due to Lost nutrient supply and die. In recent years, due to global warming and other reasons, large-scale coral bleaching has begun to occur worldwide. How can we better protect coral reefs? Let’s meet a group of people who grow corals on the seabed.
Preparing materials, changing clothes, going to the sea, diving, the coral conservation team of Shenzhen Research Institute of Guangdong Ocean University – Haibao team and divers volunteers came to the diving site by boat. On this dive, they need to prune the overgrown corals in the coral nursery, bring them back to the boat, and drag them firmly on the bottom of the coral. On another dive, they returned to the nursery to plant coral seedlings on their beds, carrying small backpacks full of coral seedlings.
When the Haibao team was first formed, the leader was Professor Xiao Baohua. Xiaobao Liao Baolin was born in the 1980s and was also a proud disciple of Professor Baohua. With the continuous expansion of the team, this group of members who deal with the sea every day has formed the “Haibao” team. When it comes to planting corals on the seabed, it looks cool and interesting, but as a profession, it is not an easy job to go to the sea often.
Coral is known as the tropical rain forest in the ocean. Coral builds reefs. Like the architect of the seabed, it provides a living home for nearly 30% of marine life with less than two thousandths of the seabed. But in the past two or three decades, coral bleaching and death have become a global problem, so rescue protection and artificial restoration are imminent.
Dapeng Bay and Daya Bay in the east of Shenzhen are connected. The water temperature, salinity, substrate, nutrients and other water quality meet the requirements of coral growth, and the seabed within 10 meters is suitable for coral growth.
Liao Baolin, a member of the Haibao team: built the first coral conservation center in Shenzhen, and cultivated more than 20 kinds of reef-building corals. These corals are suitable for rapid growth in Shenzhen waters and have a good role in promoting ecological restoration.
After more than ten years of perseverance, the coral conservation team of Shenzhen Research Institute of Guangdong Ocean University has glued more than 60,000 well-growing coral seedlings to the reefs in the sea for natural growth and promotes the restoration of coral reefs. There are more than 60,000 coral seedlings, which sounds like a lot at first glance, but the real area is only a few thousand square meters. Compared with the vast ocean, it is like a drop in the ocean. In addition, whether these corals can survive the major environmental impacts of waves and typhoons, and eventually grow into underwater forests, is something that everyone is thinking about and always concerned about.
Liao Baolin, member of the Haibao team: In fact, these corals on the seabed are the treasures in our hearts. We are coral gardeners, and caring for corals is our life’s mission.
“Coral mother” Huang Hui guards “undersea forest”
In fact, more than 20 years ago, my country had the first female scientist to restore corals on the seabed. Her name is Huang Hui. For more than 20 years, she led the team to dive all over the coral reef waters in Sanya, and handed over scientifically and rigorously. One after another ecological restoration results. Therefore, Huang Hui is also affectionately called “coral mother” in the industry.
ChinaAcademy of SciencesHuang Hui, Director of Hainan Tropical Marine Biological Experiment Station: Coral reefs are “tropical rainforests” in the ocean. They are very precious and irreplaceable. They are the home of many marine life. Coral reefs around the world are actually under the influence of human activities and human activities. Under the background of global warming, the protection of coral reefs is a matter of urgency.
ChinaAcademy of SciencesHuang Hui, director of Hainan Tropical Marine Biological Experiment Station: I study coral biology and coral reef ecology. Been doing this for over 20 years.
Coral is a kind of animal, it belongs to the phylum of low-level cnidarians, you don’t need to look at this small tank, in fact, there are many technologies, in this small ecosystem, we can Many conditions can be touched more clearly, and it is a good source library.
In the restoration of coral reef ecosystems, we generally mean that an ecosystem is degraded, and it is difficult to restore itself, then we restore it through manual intervention.
Restoration is not all done, we hope to do some small interventions to restore the entire coral reef with the greatest effect. In the future, our children can see very beautiful scenery when diving in the coral reef. This is my dream , I also hope that one day it will be possible.
Protect the sea! “Coast Guard” mangroves: building coastal defenses
There is a plant community in the world, which is mainly distributed in the tropical and subtropical coastal intertidal zones, that is, the tidal flats and shoals in the junction area of land and sea.
This plant community is the mangrove forest known as the “first coastal line of defense”. Mangroves are composed of evergreen trees or shrubs with mangroves as the main body. In Dongzhaigang, Hainan, my country, there is the first nature reserve established in my country with the main goal of protecting mangroves.
On the 136-kilometer coastline, mangroves are connected in series. 36 species of mangroves form a green forest on the sea, attracting many rare species to settle down. Fish are probing, crabs are moving, and birds are converging. 160 kinds of fish, more than 70 kinds of crabs, more than 40 kinds of shrimps and 219 kinds of birds gather in this mangrove, making it a comfortable place. In the eyes of Feng Erhui, an expert who explored the sea with reporters, the steady growth of mangroves has built a three-dimensional and diverse ecological space.
Feng Erhui, engineer of Hainan Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve Administration: This is the litter of mangroves, and there are traces of crabs eating on this edge. The fertile soil nourishes the mangroves, and the mangroves feed back to these animals, which is a very ideal ecosystem.
Not only do mangroves provide shelter from wind and rain for a variety of creatures, mangroves also protect the entire coastline from erosion. Over the years, mangroves have developed many “growth secrets”: For example, in order to prevent the impact of waves, the trunk of mangroves generally does not grow indefinitely, but grows multiple supporting roots from the branches and digs into the mudflat. Deep down, like a big hand pulling a small hand, a huge underground root network system is formed, supporting each other to maintain the stability of itself and the group.
Feng Erhui, a forestry engineer from the Hainan Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve Administration: Mangroves are called “Coast Guards” and “Sea Great Wall”. In fact, it is directly related to its role in preventing wind and waves. Just now we saw that the mangrove forest is a large area of green, much like the Great Wall. Whenever the typhoon comes and the waves hit, it can play a very good reducing effect.
But mangroves are also vulnerable and need protection. Once damaged by humans, it will take more than ten years, or even longer, to gradually repair. After experiencing typhoons and other disasters, many local people did not understand the protection of mangroves from the beginning, and now they actively participate in the construction of protected areas, and their concepts have undergone a fundamental change.
Feng Erhui, a forestry engineer of Hainan Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve Administration: After the typhoon comes, it will play a very good role in protecting their homes. Therefore, mangroves have a very close relationship with our local residents. If there are mangroves, there will be their homes.
At present, the special action plan for the protection and restoration of mangroves, led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, clearly implements comprehensive protection of existing mangroves and restores the ecological functions of mangrove natural reserves. By 2025, Haikou will also build 183 mu of new mangroves on the tidal flat in Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve, restore about 4,817 mu of existing mangroves, and continue to build 1,230 mu of new mangroves in Sanjiang Bay, and continue to build a green coastal ecology. barrier.
Protect the marine ecology, let us protect this blue sky together
Here is colorful, here is bizarre, here is the miracle of life. For the earth, the ocean is the cradle of life, the ocean occupies 71% of the earth’s area, and more than half of the creatures on the earth live in the ocean.
However, 40% of the world‘s oceans are currently affected by human activities, and more than half of coastal habitats are degrading; one-third of marine fish stocks are overfished; the release of greenhouse gases caused by human activities is causing sea levels to rise , ocean temperature changes; a large amount of plastic waste flows into the ocean…
In fact, as long as we start small, such as using less plastic products, refusing masks to enter the sea, or even using sunscreen less once when diving, we are protecting the ocean, our planet, and our future. As long as human beings are committed to interacting with the ocean in a scientific and friendly way, they can gather great forces to protect the marine environment and jointly protect the blue planet.
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