Can the "mermaid" in "Classic of Mountains and Seas" return to China?

The dugong, known as the "mermaid", is one of the oldest marine animals in the world. Dugong is a widely distributed marine creature in the world, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical waters.

The dugong is a marine herbivorous mammal with a gentle temperament and a similar appearance to a manatee. It is shaped like a giant spindle, more than 3 meters long and weighing more than 400 kilograms. It has a large body and a small tail that looks like a crescent. It can live up to 70 years old and mainly feeds on aquatic plants such as two-herb algae and salt-loving grass. Dugong activities have been recorded along the coast of Guangxi, my country, from Yingluo Port in Hepu County, Beihai City to Zhushan Port in Dongxing City. The most common dugongs are found in the waters around Shatian Town in Hepu County.

In 1988, dugongs were listed as a national first-class protected animal by China. The last record of dugongs near the coast of China was in the coconut groves in the eastern suburbs of Wenchang, Hainan Island. The only reserve named after dugongs in my country is the Guangxi Hepu Dugong National Nature Reserve. There are a lot of seaweeds in its waters, the offshore is relatively shallow, the sunshine is relatively sufficient, and the seawater is relatively clean. It is a densely distributed area and habitat for dugongs in my country in history.

Effective protection is comprehensive protection, which means not only the protection of a single endangered species, but also the health of the entire ecosystem. The Guangxi Hepu Dugong Reserve covers an area of ​​350 square kilometers and a wetland area of ​​136 square kilometers. In addition to dugongs, it also protects Chinese white dolphins, Indo-Pacific porpoises, green turtles, Chinese horseshoe crabs, round-tailed horseshoe crabs, lancelets, as well as coastal birds, seagrass beds, mangroves and other rich coastal ecosystems.

As the reserve continues to increase its efforts to protect coastal wetlands, through a series of remediation and restoration actions, the ecosystem function of the reserve has been continuously improved and the biodiversity has been continuously enriched. There are about 150 Chinese white dolphins in the reserve, and 96 individuals have been identified so far; there are about 200 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises in the reserve, with a discovery rate of more than 30%; there are three types of seagrasses in the reserve, namely, ovalileaf halophyte, Japanese eelgrass and Baker halophyte, with a total area of ​​81.7 hectares of wild seagrass fields; the survey recorded 93 species of shrimps and crabs in 2 orders, 19 families, 46 genera, and 178 species of fish in 14 orders, 61 families, 114 genera, and 59 species of waterfowl belonging to 6 orders and 14 families; 215 species of mollusks in 3 classes, 13 orders, 65 families, 130 genera, and 3 classes; the population density of juvenile Chinese horseshoe crabs in the reserve reached 15.6 per 100 square meters, the highest density in the coastal areas of Guangxi.

Protecting the ecosystem is an important task for protecting the natural environment and human well-being. The coastal wetlands of the dugong reserve are rich in biodiversity, and protecting the marine ecosystem in this area is of great significance. Dugongs are an important part of the offshore ecosystem. Dugongs also exist in other seas in the world. Although they have not yet reached the standard of endangered species, they are already vulnerable species. Only by fully protecting the ecosystem can we truly achieve sustainable development and create a beautiful home on Earth.

Review expert: Chen Rui, PhD, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Xinhuanet

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