[Concurrent] Zhang Peidong, Professor of Ocean University of China
In recent decades, due to the influence of human activities and changes in the public security environment, seagrass beds have been in a serious degradation trend worldwide. The existing seagrass beds in the world cover an area of about 170,000 square kilometers, and the annual carbon storage capacity can reach 100 million tons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 35 million cars.
[Explanation] In the context of the global energy transition and countries in the world striving for "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality", every little-known carbon reduction pathway has attracted much attention, including seagrass that can "eat" carbon.
As three typical offshore marine ecosystems, seagrass beds are an important global carbon pool, with strong "carbon capture" and "carbon sequestration" capabilities.
[Explanation] Recently, Zhang Peidong, a member of the Seagrass Species Expert Group of the IUCN Species Survival Committee and a professor at Ocean University of China, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East-West Question" to explore the governance and restoration of seagrass beds in China and global "carbon neutrality" understand the interpretation.
[Concurrent] Zhang Peidong, Professor of Ocean University of China
After calculation, repairing and maintaining seagrass beds with an area of 10,000 mu can be equivalent to neutralizing the carbon emissions of more than 200,000 cars in one year.
Protecting and restoring seagrass beds can not only improve the primary productivity of coastal areas, conserve biodiversity, protect the coast from erosion, and buffer the impact of extreme climates, but also play an important role in stabilizing and enhancing the carbon sink capacity of typical marine ecosystems.
[Explanation] Zhang Peidong said that there are 22 species of seagrass in China's coastal waters, accounting for about 30% of the world's seagrass species.
China is one of the countries with severe global seagrass bed degradation trend.
With the continuous improvement of the country's awareness of the ecological functions of seagrass beds, government management departments have paid more and more attention to the protection and restoration of seagrass beds.
[Concurrent] Zhang Peidong, Professor of Ocean University of China
At present, China has achieved a series of achievements in the field of seagrass bed restoration, and the overall level has reached the world's advanced level. equipment, formed a relatively complete seagrass bed ecological restoration technology chain, increased the seed retention rate by more than 10 times, the seedling establishment rate by more than 5 times, and established a complete seagrass bed restoration project plan. The trend of seagrass bed degradation has been improved initial containment.
[Explanation] Seagrass is a higher plant that has evolved from terrestrial plants to adapt to the marine environment. It is the only type of angiosperm on earth that can completely live in seawater. The seagrass beds constructed by it also include "undersea grassland" and "undersea forest" called.
In the future, how can China effectively use seagrass beds to "eat" and reduce carbon?
[Concurrent] Zhang Peidong, Professor of Ocean University of China
Through more than ten years of scientific research and practice, my scientific research team alone has repaired and maintained an area of more than 20,000 mu of seagrass beds, which is equivalent to neutralizing the carbon emissions of more than 400,000 cars in one year.
In the future, the restoration and protection of seagrass beds will definitely become an important ecological solution to my country's "carbon neutrality".
At the same time, the seagrass bed is a powerful ecosystem, and the restoration and protection of the seagrass bed cannot be regarded as an ecological project.
Unlike the West, which only focuses on the excavation of the ecological functions of seagrass beds and resource protection, China’s “alternative approach” is mainly reflected in not only the restoration and protection of seagrass beds, but also the concept of integrated development of seagrass beds, especially the need to open up the ecological environment. Fixed "last mile".
[Explanation] Zhang Peidong said that by simultaneously improving the ecological benefits, economic benefits and social benefits of seagrass bed restoration, the harmonious development between man and nature can be achieved, and opening up the "last mile" of seagrass bed restoration can also effectively help China's rural revitalization .
In the future, the protection and restoration of seagrass beds will not only be for "lucid waters and lush mountains", but also "gold and silver mountains".
(Reported by Hu Yaojie and Wang Feng from Qingdao, Shandong)
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]