日本往海里倾倒核污染水的时候，中国正在海南......

今年夏天，美国佛罗里达州南部海域出现了大片的珊瑚白化现象，受到全球的广泛关注。这里是美国大陆附近唯一的珊瑚礁系统，对维护海洋生态起着重要的作用。

According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme, coral reefs cover less than 2 percent of the ocean floor. However, they serve as the habitat for nearly a quarter of marine species.

很多人都见过五彩斑斓的珊瑚。但其实，珊瑚礁本身是白色的。珊瑚虫喜欢群居，通过捕食浮游生物为生，它们吸收海水中的二氧化碳和钙，分泌碳酸钙，形成体外的骨骼，也就是珊瑚礁。

Many people have seen colorful corals, but coral reefs themselves are white. Coral polyps, which live in colonies, feed on plankton and absorb carbon dioxide and calcium from the seawater. They secrete calcium carbonate, which forms the external skeleton that is known as a coral reef.

珊瑚的颜色来自于体内的共生藻类。如果共生藻离开珊瑚或死亡，珊瑚就会变白，最终因失去营养供应而死亡。这就是珊瑚白化。

The colors of corals come from the symbiotic algae within their bodies. If the algae leave the coral or die, the coral turns white and eventually dies due to the loss of its nutrient supply. This is known as coral bleaching.

In recent years, coral reefs in locations such as the Philippines, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Florida in the United States have been experiencing varying degrees of destruction. An article published in the British journal "Nature" states that if global warming continues, it is predicted that all coral reefs worldwide will disappear by the year 2070.

After 13 years of construction, the marine ranch has invested a total of about 80,000 cubic meters of artificial fish reefs. Over 50,000 transplanted corals are now home to more than 100 species of marine fish, forming a complete ecosystem of corals, fish, shrimp, and other marine organisms.

现在，当游客下潜到6-12米的潜水区域，豆娘鱼、石斑鱼（grouper）、隆头鱼（Wrasse） 、小丑鱼（clownfish）、砗磲（giant clam）等等随处可见，它们都与珊瑚礁有密切的共生关系。

游客也可以参与种植珊瑚的体验，在工作人员引导下，从天然珊瑚上剪下5-8厘米的珊瑚枝丫，然后种植在大约位于水下5-6米深的人工鱼礁上。

王教授说，从2019年底疫情开始，大概有三年的时间科研团队没有频繁到访海洋牧场，没想到三年后，当年种下的几厘米长的小珊瑚已经长到了一米多的直径。一般而言，珊瑚礁的珊瑚生长速度大概是每年1-2厘米。

Recent surveys indicate that fishing resources in the marine ranch area around Wuzhizhou Island have more than doubled in the past decade, and fishing resources in the artificial fish reef area are more than five times higher than in the surrounding areas. The live coral coverage in coral reefs has increased from 18 percent to 25 percent.