刘鑫,张偲.中国特色海洋生态系统的特征与保护利用[J].中国科学院院刊,2024,39(9):1591-1601.

中国特色海洋生态系统的特征与保护利用

Characteristics, protection, and utilization of marine ecosystems with Chinese characteristics

刘鑫¹
南方海洋科学与工程广东省实验室(广州) 广州 511458
LIU Xin¹
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
张偲^1,2*
南方海洋科学与工程广东省实验室(广州) 广州 511458;中国科学院南海海洋研究所 广州 510301
ZHANG Si^1,2*
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China;South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China

         南海;海洋生态系统;珊瑚岛礁;冷泉;海洋生态保护

        the South China Sea;marine ecosystem;coral reef;cold seep;marine ecological protection

        2019年，习近平总书记提出了“海洋命运共同体”理念。海洋环流、洋中脊及其熔岩热流是“海洋命运共同体”的动力系统，海洋环流与物质能量循环构筑了全球海洋连通性的本质，洋中脊及其熔岩热流构成了全球海底连通性的基础，中国海域的环流系统与边缘海的海底系统支撑了中国海洋极其复杂的生物栖息地。珊瑚岛礁和冷泉是中国海洋最具特色的生态系统，开展远海珊瑚岛礁与深海冷泉的研究、保护和利用是经略海洋的关键。南海位于全球三大海洋生物多样性中心之一的印—太交汇区“珊瑚金三角”的西北部，分布着大量的珊瑚岛礁，其珊瑚岛礁生态系统具有全球代表性、区域代表性、科学代表性和战略意义。冷泉系统广泛分布在南海陆架、陆坡及岛礁根部的海域，主要集中在海洋可燃冰的富集区、海底甲烷收支“源—汇”的关键地带，以及海洋生物化能合成作用的活跃区域。冷泉生态系统研究装置主要由海底实验室、保真模拟系统和保障母船等构成，是研究冷泉区甲烷“源—汇”和海洋生物化能合成作用的利器。充分利用珊瑚岛礁与冷泉生态系统的特性与资源优势，发展以岛礁为基点的海洋可再生能源、海洋牧场、休闲旅游等海洋生态产业和冷泉碳汇产业，必将构建我国科学高效的海洋经济发展新格局。

        Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of “Martime Community with a Shared Future”. The ocean circulation, the mid-oceanic ridge, and the thermal lava flows constitute the dynamical systems of the maritime community, while the ocean circulation and the material and energy cycles are essential to the global ocean’s connectivity, the mid-oceanic ridge and its thermal lava flows underlie global submarine connectivity, and the marine circulation system, together with the marginal sea submarine system, supports the highly complex biological habitats in the China Sea. Coral island reefs and cold seeps constitute the most characteristic marine ecosystems in China. Conducting research, protecting, and utilizing distant-sea coral island reefs and deep-sea cold seeps are crucial for managing the ocean. Situated in the northwest region of the Indo-Pacific convergent area, the “Coral Triangle”, the South China Sea is one of the world’s three major centers of marine biodiversity, a large number of coral island reefs are distributed there, and its coral island reef ecosystem is of global, regional, scientific, and strategic significance. Cold seeps are widely distributed in the continental shelf, slope, and deep sea of the South China Sea, particularly in critical zones of combustible ice enrichment, methane gas “source-sink” areas under the seabed, and chemosynthesis processes for marine organisms. Devices for studying cold seep ecology mainly consist of undersea laboratories, fidelity-simulation systems, and mother ships, serving as valuable tools for investigating cold seep methane gas “source-sink” processes and biological chemosynthesis. Leveraging the ecological characteristics and resource advantages of coral island reefs and cold seeps, the development of ocean-based renewable energy, marine ranching, and recreational tourism centered around island reefs as well as cold seep carbon sinks will undoubtedly create a new pattern of scientifically efficient marine economic development in China.