Survey and evaluation of the Qianliyan national aquatic germplasm reserve

Abstract:

Parameters related to the seawater, sediment, marine biological, and protected biological resources of Qianliyan national aquatic germplasm reserve were surveyed and evaluated from 2015 to 2018, and the genetic diversity of Apostichopus japonicas (the main protected object) was also studied in 2018. Our results showed that all of the measured parameters met the seawater evaluation standards, but the nitrogen to phosphorus ratios were far higher than the Redfield ratio of 16, indicating that phosphate was relatively deficient compared to nitrogen. Based on the eutrophication evaluation model, the surveyed area was classified as first-grade nutritionally poor. The observed sediment parameters met the Class 1 national sediment quality standards. The marine biodiversity indices were mostly at a high level (H′≥2); however, the diversity of small zooplankton was low in August 2015 (H′=0.93) and the diversity of macrozooplankton was low in May 2016 and May 2018 (H′=0.82, H′=0.22). Comprehensive evaluation showed that the marine ecological environment of the reserve was good and met the functional requirements. The haplotype diversity index of A. japonicas as the main protected object was 0.976, and the nucleotide polymorphisms index was 0.033, indicating that the genetic diversity of A. japonicus was high. The biological resource of A. japonicas was less than the amount when the reserve was built, and the biological resource of Haliotis discus hannai, another main protected object, has been extremely low in the last few years. It is therefore necessary to take strong measures to carry out reserve management and resource restoration work as soon as possible in Qianliyan national aquatic germplasm reserve.