SANYA, June 20. /TASS/. The Institute of Marine Ecology of the Hainan Academy of Oceanological and Fisheries Research is cultivating underwater seaweed plantations in the Qinglan port of Wenchang in the northeast of the island. According to en.people.cn, the measures are aimed at restoring the marine ecology of the region.
The challenge of breeding seaweed in Qinglan was set for the institute in 2018: pollution of the coastline and coastal waters due to economic activity led to a reduction in natural wetlands and the disappearance of seaweed. Thus, the the news outlet writes, the seabed started to resemble a desert.
"The disappearance of seaweed has had a huge impact on the ecology of the region," the publication quotes the director of the institute, Wu Zhongjie. "First of all, due to the fact that the seaweed create an environment for marine life, purify water and absorb bottom sediments," he explained. The portal emphasizes that the degradation of seaweed strata has led to the loss of shelter for many fish species, the loss of biodiversity, and negatively affected fishing.
In the process of restoring the region’s ecology, the scientists used two methods: planting algae seeds in the seabed and fertilizing them, as well as the transplantation method, when the seeds are first planted in special containers with artificial soil from a mixture of coconut shells, bamboo and clay, and only after that placed on the seabed.
According to the news outlet, special structures from fishing nets and metal plates were also installed under water, similar to the straw net, used to combat desertification. That helped overcome the sea current and contributed to a better breeding of seaweed. “When the seabed [in the region] is fully restored, the devices will be dismantled,” said Chen Shiquan, a research team member.
Two types of seaweed were planted: Enhalus acoroides and Thalassia hemprichii. The first results showed that the survival rate of the first species accounted for 89%, and of the second — 56%. According to Chen Shiquan, "big areas of seaweed are radually forming in the Qinglan port area," which "serve as a natural environmental barrier to coastal districts." "The vast thickets of seaweed will weaken the waves off the coast and will also play an important role in strengthening the seabed and maintaining the coastline," the scientist went on to say. "Moreover, the seaweed provide shelter for marine fauna, thus, their recultivation is very important for the ecology of the region," he noted.