Seas in the island city of Sansha in south China's Hainan Province have seen improved biodiversity in recent years, from breathtaking coral reef coverage to a resurgence of endangered marine species, thanks to local efforts to protect the ecosystem.
Green sea turtles are a first-class protected species in China, with their breeding peak occurring annually from May to September. This year, 20 turtle nests have been found on the islands and reefs of the Xisha Islands in Sansha City.
As the breeding season commences, local fishermen in Sansha have stepped up monitoring of the turtles' nesting activities to enhance the survival rate of newborn hatchlings.
"The monitoring system captures real-time information about turtles coming ashore to lay eggs and sends alert messages to our mobile phones. We usually visit the site with the fishermen the next morning to verify if the turtles have actually laid eggs," said Yu Yangfei, a staff member from the city's Marine Reserve Administration.
Over the past five years, the number of natural nestings by sea turtles on the islands and reefs of Sansha has exceeded 1,300 nests. Patrol staff said the work brings them great satisfaction and pride when they encounter little turtles entering the sea.
"Every time we go on patrol and find little turtles coming out, we are very excited to see their crawling tracks. We feel a sense of achievement by protecting a nest of turtles if they make their way to the sea," said Huang Cheng, a member of the local turtle patrol team.
Due to challenges such as the scarcity of freshwater, afforestation on the islands and reefs has been a daunting task over the years.
However, after years of dedicated work, Sansha City has nurtured over 85,000 saplings and successfully planted more than 53,000 of them. On some of the islands and reefs, the greenery coverage has reached over 90 percent, and these figures are still on the rise.
Meanwhile, a total of 78 species of sea birds have been recorded over China's vast seas, with more than 40 of of them Sansha's islands and reefs.
Coral reef restoration demonstration areas have been established on Yongxing and Qilianyu Islands, where more 260,000 coral seedlings will soon be transplanted to step up conservation efforts.
"We will continue to gather efforts from various departments and relevant scientific research institutions to jointly protect the marine environment in our city," said Zhang Chenglong, deputy director of the Sansha Marine and Fishery Bureau.
China's southernmost Sansha City champions marine conservation
