Crucial environmental role of mangroves stressed in Xiamen

Xiamen introduced a new science popularization base in the city's Xiatanwei Mangrove Park on Wednesday, as part of efforts to enhance public awareness of marine ecology during the ongoing 2025 World Ocean Week in Xiamen.

The base, unveiled under the framework of Weihai Action, aims to highlight Xiatanwei's pioneering role in biodiversity recovery and demonstrate Xiamen's efforts in maritime ecological restoration.

Mangrove forests are mainly distributed along tropical and subtropical coastlines, boasting a variety of ecological functions including acting as a windbreak, wave attenuation, and water purification.

With the aim of restoring the wetland ecosystem, in 2005, the Xiamen city government entrusted academician Lin Peng from Xiamen University — known as the father of Chinese mangroves — and his research team to plant an experimental mangrove forest in Xiatanwei.

In 2010, the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ocean Development formulated a plan and launched the first phase of a mangrove planting project covering 440,000 square meters.

Currently in Xiamen, there are about 200 hectares of mangrove, with about 85 hectares in Xiatanwei Mangrove Park. The layout of diverse mangrove species, which resembles the shapes of a heart and stars, has become a landmark of the city.

"As one of the supplementary events of this year's World Ocean Week in Xiamen, we chose to hold this activity in Xiatanwei, a model of ecological restoration in China, to further highlight the profound significance of mangroves for achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature," said Yang Biao, secretary-general of the SEE Foundation. SEE is a public fundraising foundation which has been cooperating with multiple projects to promote mangrove forests, islands, and coral reef conservation over the years.

"This year, we are honored to cooperate with Xiatanwei Mangrove Park to jointly optimize the park's ecological signs, update the popular science system, and monitor the biology of Xiatanwei mangroves," Yang said.

Public events

Co-hosted by the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ocean Development, Pacific Society of China and SEE Foundation, the "For the Blue Sea, For Harmonious Nature" Maritime Themed Day was also launched at the park.

During the event, the participants learned about the ecological recovery story of Xiatanwei mangroves and checked the upgraded signs for popular science interpretation, which have become bilingual.

The Xiatanwei Mangrove Park Ocean Public Welfare Fair was also launched on Wednesday, to popularize the marine protection projects and stories in some other cities of China.

At the booth of SEE Foundation, Fan Min, a project manager from SEE Foundation, said there will be a badge collection activity during the fair. Visitors should pick up an activity guide on-site first, and then visit multiple check-in points to receive badges. After finishing all check-ins, they can go to the registration desk to get a marine-themed creative cultural product as a souvenir.

A QR code for fundraising was also placed at the booth. The raised funds will be deposited to an account with public-fundraising qualifications. With the review of the foundation, the donations will be used for the conservation of endangered species such as Chinese white dolphins and sea turtles, as well as ecosystem protection projects.

The fair launched two public activities on Saturday and Sunday. Led by senior ecological interpreters, participants were able to walk into the mangrove park to learn about the mangrove ecosystem, which was suitable for parents and children, Fan said.

Latest discovery

At the fair, Yang Shengchang, an associate professor from the Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems of Xiamen University, noted the mangroves' role in maintaining biodiversity. Located at a junction of land and sea, though the number of plant species is not large, mangroves are home to a wide variety of organisms such as benthic (sea or riverbed) animals and birds, making them important habitats for rare genetic and biological resources.

The laboratory has conducted continuous monitoring in Xiatanwei for more than five years and found a significant increase in the number and species of birds and frogs, as well as the total number of benthic animals. Previously, fewer than 30 bird species were recorded, but now more than 60 bird species can be monitored each year. This data confirms that the mangrove ecological restoration has achieved positive results, Yang said.

Mangroves' carbon sequestration capacity is also distinct. On the one hand, they can absorb carbon dioxide during their own growth process. On the other hand, they assist the deposition of organic detritus from seawater in the region, a process that was previously neglected. Experiments indicate that the destruction of mangroves leads to the loss of deposited detritus, thereby increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

According to Yang, China has accumulated a great deal of experience in mangrove ecological restoration that can be shared with other countries. This is evidenced by the high survival rate of mangroves, which is backed by extensive scientific research coupled with strong policy and financial support.

Statistics show that the annual number of visitors has exceeded 2 million. Over the past three years, it has received more than 100,000 participants for popular science and study tours.

Regarding the economic value of mangroves, Yang mentioned that popular science and study tours are manifestations of the values in mangrove restoration. The visits of various study tour teams can not only directly drive consumption but also tap the ecological and social values of mangroves.

The 2025 World Ocean Week in Xiamen is taking place in the coastal city of Fujian province. Since its inception in 2005, WOW has evolved into a marine-themed event with wide public participation, as well as an international platform for in-depth exchanges on hot topics such as policies, science and technology, conservation, and popular science.