在海南三亚，人们梦想中的“海洋牧场”被搬进了现实。当地通过投放人工鱼礁、移植珊瑚、修复海洋环境等，在蜈支洲岛海域建成了我国首个热带海洋牧场。目前，三亚蜈支洲岛海洋牧场里生活着数百个海洋生物物种，这座保护海洋生物多样性的“诺亚方舟”已悄悄启航。
When Wang Aimin, then a professor of oceanic science at Hainan University, started helping with marine ranching by dropping artificial reefs into seawater in 2011, he was ridiculed by local divers.
2011年，时任海南大学海洋科学教授的王爱民开始海洋牧场工作，将人工鱼礁投入海水中，遭到当地潜水员的嘲笑。
Recalling their jibes, Wang said the divers near Sanya Wuzhizhou Island, a tourist destination in Sanya City, south China"s Hainan Province, would ask him: "are you trying to blow up some seawater for a show, Mr. professor?
回忆起他们的嘲笑，王说，中国南部海南省三亚市旅游胜地三亚蜈支洲岛附近的潜水员会问他：“教授先生，你是想炸水花吗？”
Now, more than a decade later, Wang"s efforts have paid off. By placing artificial reefs and transplanting corals underwater, he and his team helped restore the marine ecology in the waters of Wuzhizhou Island.
现在，十多年过去了，王的努力得到了回报。通过在水下放置人工鱼礁和移植珊瑚，他和他的团队帮助恢复了蜈支洲岛海域的海洋生态。
Currently, hundreds of marine species thrive in the marine ranch near the island, according to the latest government data. It is China"s first tropical marine ranch.
根据最新的政府数据，目前，数百种海洋物种在该岛附近的海洋牧场繁衍生息。这是中国第一个热带海洋牧场。
Marine ranching involves placing artificial reefs, including cement frames and old iron boats, at fixed sites under seawater, which can attract fish, shrimps, crabs, shellfish and other marine life to forage, rest and reproduce.
海洋牧场包括在海水下的固定地点放置人工鱼礁、水泥框架和旧铁船，可以吸引鱼、虾、蟹、贝类和其他海洋生物觅食、休息和繁殖。
The butterfly-shaped Wuzhizhou Island is located in Sanya"s Haitang Bay and is surrounded by clean waters and stunning scenery. A national-level tourist attraction, the island has always been known as a "golden bowl" for the local tourism industry.
蝴蝶形状的蜈支洲岛位于三亚海棠湾，四面环水，景色迷人。该岛是国家级旅游胜地，素来被誉为当地旅游业的“金碗”。
"There were many different varieties of fish here in the early days," said Ding Feng, who works with the tourist site. "Since the spot opened to the public in 2000, we have had countless visitors."
“早期这里有很多不同种类的鱼，”在旅游景点工作的丁峰说。“自2000年对公众开放以来，我们已经接待了无数游客。”
However, long-term overfishing degraded the eco-environment there, and the fish population decreased considerably in the subsequent years.
然而，长期的过度捕捞使那里的生态环境退化，随后几年鱼类数量大幅减少。
"We were looking for ways to help restore the marine environment, and around 2010, the agricultural authorities suggested the idea of marine ranching," Ding said, adding that the tourist attraction started to invite experts and gather investment to launch the marine ranching project thereafter.
“我们一直在寻找帮助恢复海洋环境的方法，2010年前后，农业部门提出了海洋牧场的想法，”丁补充说，旅游景点开始邀请专家，收集投资，启动海洋牧场项目。
But building a ranch beneath the water surface appeared to be a difficult nut to crack for many experts, including Wang. "I had limited knowledge about marine ranching at the very beginning," he said.
但是，对于包括王在内的许多专家来说，在水面下建造一个牧场似乎是一个难以破解的难题。“一开始我对海洋牧场的了解有限，”他说。
After preparations, Wang led his team and started the project in 2011. The team designed 200 round and triangular-shaped concrete reefs. The reefs were then loaded onto ships at dock and unloaded at several fixed sites in the sea.
经过准备，王先生带领团队于2011年启动该项目。团队设计了200个圆形和三角形的混凝土礁石。然后将珊瑚礁在码头装载到船上，并放置在海上的几个固定地点。
"The divers nearby who saw us throwing the concrete objects into the water would laugh at us," Wang said. "Even I was not sure if the project could work according to the plan."
王说：“附近的潜水员看到我们把混凝土物体扔进水里会笑我们。” “即使我也不确定这个项目是否能按计划进行。”
To support the initiative, provincial and city authorities allocated up to 10 million yuan (1.5 million U.S. dollars) to help place artificial reefs and old boats beneath the sea, upon which seaweed and corals began to grow.
为支持这一方案，省和市政府拨款高达 1000 万元人民币（150 万美元）帮助在海底铺设人工鱼礁和旧船，海藻和珊瑚开始在其上生长。
In addition to regular reefs, under the guidance of Wang, students from Hainan University also designed "sightseeing reefs" and other sculptures to be placed under seawater. Such efforts not only helped improve the environment but also beautified the seafloor, creating images of "underwater villages" and "underwater museums" and attracting many diving enthusiasts.
除了常规的礁石外，海南大学的学生在王老师的指导下，还设计了“观光礁石”等雕塑，放置在海水下。这些努力不仅改善了环境，还美化了海底，创造了“水下村庄”和“水下博物馆”的形象，吸引了众多潜水爱好者。
In 2019, the marine ranch near Wuzhizhou received approval for inclusion on the fifth batch of national-level demonstration marine ranches.
2019年，蜈支洲附近海洋牧场获批列入第五批国家级示范海洋牧场。
Thanks to years of relentless efforts, the fish population in the waters near Wuzhizhou Island has increased by up to 10 times compared with 2011, and more than 120 corals are thriving in the area.
经过多年的不懈努力，蜈支洲岛附近海域的鱼类数量比2011年增加了10倍之多，120多种珊瑚在该海域繁衍生息。
In recent years, the number of divers totaled 380,000 and diving activities are regulated under strict rules. Visitors are not allowed to step on the corals or the reefs, but they are encouraged to plant corals while diving.
近年来，潜水人次总数达38万，潜水活动受到严格监管。游客不得踩珊瑚或珊瑚礁，但鼓励他们在潜水时种植珊瑚。
"Marine ranching certainly helped restore the biodiversity," said Chen Jingyuan, a local official.
“海洋牧场肯定有助于恢复生物多样性，”当地官员陈精渊说。
Earlier this month, Wang Aimin retired, but he plans to continue his marine ranching efforts.
本月早些时候，王爱民退休了，但他计划继续他的海洋牧场工作。
"I hope that the experience we have gained here in Wuzhizhou Island will set a good example for similar projects in the rest of the country," Wang said.
“我希望我们在蜈支洲岛获得的经验能为全国其他地区的类似项目树立一个好榜样，”王说。