YANG GUANYU/XINHUA/ALAMY
Chinese-language universities excel globally in utilised sciences, boasting a strong reputation for innovation and academic excellence. In China’s unique evaluation and improvement context, even fundamental questions can be challenging to answer straightforwardly, notes Neil Loneragan, president of the Asia-based Asian Fisheries Society and a retired marine science professor at Australian Murdoch University.
The central authorities’ controlling influence on ranching events has led Loneragan to caution researchers that they must navigate a delicate balance between satisfying the demands of both their academic supervisor and the event organizer. According to him, marine biologists must grasp the basics; however, researchers need to frame their findings in a way that showcases financial benefits to industry and thereby justifies government funding.
Efforts aim to address identified challenges throughout the life cycles of captive-bred fish, including inadequate breeding parameters and high mortality rates among young fish upon release into the wild. Studies have consistently shown that juvenile fish populations are disproportionately vulnerable to intense storms and unprecedented oceanic heatwaves.
One radical option being tested by Zhongxin Wu aims to improve the animals’ health prior to their release from breeding tanks into the wild. Currently, Wu notes that fish are simply netted into oxygen-rich plastic bags and released into ocean nurseries; yet, it becomes apparent that many lack the necessary survival skills. Staff are developing a suite of innovative “wild coaching” tools. “The primary methodological approach employed by him is swimming coaching.” The juvenile fish are compelled to swim in a direction that simulates their natural migration patterns, utilizing an underwater current or aquatic “treadmill” designed to mimic the challenges they will face in the wild. The researcher suggests an innovative approach, proposing that by adjusting water temperatures and introducing a new species, one can facilitate the coexistence of seagrass and kelp forests in extraterrestrial environments where they would naturally converge.
Wu asserts that more advanced habitat enhancements hold the greatest promise for amplifying the impact of marine ranching initiatives. Currently, many ranches design underwater ecosystems by deploying prefabricated concrete structures that can be submerged at depths of up to 20 meters, often featuring a sturdy base to facilitate the growth of coral or algae. In a bid to achieve its goal of 30,000 cubic meters of synthetic reefs, the everyday Chinese language has undertaken an ambitious initiative, dropping some 1,000 concrete reef structures along the tropical island’s coastlines. Over the past decade, fish populations have experienced a remarkable surge, increasing by a factor of ten.