A LETTER entitled “Protect oyster reefs in China’s coastal zone” was published in the international journal Science recently (Figure 1). This LETTER summarizes the coastal restoration measures of oyster reef in China and calls for further protection. PhD student Wei Xu is the first author, Professor Aifeng Tao is the corresponding author, and Professor Jinhai Zheng, the leader of the team, is the co-author.
Oyster reefs are an important coastal ecosystem, mainly distributed in temperate and subtropical estuaries and gulfs. Oyster reefs contribute to water filtration, shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity enhancement. Over the past 200 years, more than 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been degraded by overfishing, water pollution, exploitation, disease and habitat degradation.
As of 2020, known oyster reefs cover about 1906 ha in China’s water. China has established several special protected areas to protect oysters, and four marine protected areas include oyster reefs within their borders. Oyster reef restoration projects have been implemented in estuaries in Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hong Kong. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs listed oyster reefs as important to national marine ranching, a strategy that combines sustainable use of marine fishery resources with the protection of the ecological environment. The goal of this recognition is to conserve and restore marine biological resources in areas such as the waters off the shore of Caofeidian, Laizhou Bay, and the Dashentang sea area. China should conduct a national survey and monitor any reefs that are found, restrict disorderly fishing and excessive harvesting activities and strengthen the protection of oyster reefs as typical coastal habitats.