By Staff Reporters

Mariculture can not only provide abundant high-quality protein resources, but also alleviate the pressure on natural resources from fishing. However, conventional aquaculture methods have led to excessive ecological loads and environmental pressures, resulting in eutrophication, hypoxia and acidification. Therefore, it is urgent to explore new paths for rational development, utilization and protection of the ocean.

Chinese scientists have proposed artificial upwelling initiatives based on the concept of internal ecosystem regulation. This involves using clean energy to drive artificial upwelling to bring nutrient-rich saline water from the bottom of mariculture areas to the surface, providing the nutrients required for photosynthesis of cultivated algae. It not only resolves the mismatch between the supply and demand of nutrients, inorganic carbon and dissolved oxygen, but also transforms pollution fields into carbon sequestration sites.

This method is applicable to the marine ranching developed in recent years. By utilizing technologies such as artificial upwelling, marine ranching can achieve effective negative carbon dioxide emissions.

Marine ranching refers to the planned release of marine resources such as fish, shrimp, shellfish and algae within a certain sea area, utilizing natural marine ecological environment, similar to grazing cattle and sheep on land.

In addition, marine ranching can further develop ecotourism and establish carbon neutrality science popularization bases, integrating economic production, sightseeing tourism, and science popularization education.