The Blue Knights have helped restore 10 percent of Dazhou Island's reef areas. (Photo : China Daily)
As marine conditions and human activity pose more threats to coral reefs around the world, Dazhou Island in Hainan Province is seeing better days. Thanks to the collective effort of the so-called “blue knights,” Dazhou Island’s underwater paradise is thriving once again.
To restore Dazhou Island's coral reefs, "the blue knights"--composed of Qian Jun and two of his classmates from Hainan University--constantly dive into the sea, monitor coral growth, and come up with new ideas to ensure the continued survival of the island's coral reefs six months a year.
The Dazhou Island reef restoration project has helped increase Hainan's coastline, which has been greatly reduced since the 1970s, according to reports by the Hainan Marine Development Planning and Design Research Institute.
"The coral reefs distribution area in China has shrunk by about 80 percent since the 1950s, and the reefs' ecosystems are showing signs of severe degradation," said Qian Jun, who started working with the project as a senior marine biology student.
The largest offshore island in Hainan Province, Dazhou Island underwent the restoration launched by the State Oceanic Administration in 2013. Among the efforts done by the blue knights included constructing a coral reef base that is typhoon- and drifting sand-proof.
"We failed many times but never lost faith," Qian said.
The team worked for six months before coming up with a reef base design that can withstand drifting sand and typhoons. There are currently 67 man-made reef bases scattered around Dazhou Island, overcoming such challenges such as typhoons Kalmaegi and Rammasun in 2014.
Due to their work, Dazhou Island's reef coverage increased by 10 percent or around 60,000 square meters of water.
Despite the daily living problems such as lack of electricity and communication, Qian and his teammates are determined to continue their work.
"I have gained professional knowledge and know that . . . if you want to do well at a specific task, you have to solve all kinds of problems," Qian said.
