This is the second time in 16 years that a small Brinell whale has come to Dapeng Bay. In the past month, "whales appearing off the coast of Shenzhen" and "dry rice whales" have become hot topics on the Internet. Since coming to Dapeng Bay on June 29, this red little Bushi whale has swam in the sea, likes to chase fish, sometimes exposing the sea to hunt, gulping down "dry rice", surrounded by seabirds, and the scene of "whale" has become a unique landscape of the city. Many citizens and tourists come to Dapeng Beach to look forward to "chance encounters" in order to see its beauty.
At the same time, from the first day of the discovery of the baby's whale, Dapeng New District has issued an initiative, calling on the general public and crew not to approach, not to watch, not to feed, and to avoid detours as much as possible by ships.
The arrival of the little Bushi whale has also attracted a lot of attention for the improvement of the ecological environment in Dapeng New Area, and more people have witnessed and recognized Shenzhen's efforts for ecological protection.
Dapeng New District Cetacean. Courtesy of the Protection Linkage Working Group
"A scoop of seawater" reveals the life of "XiaoBu"
The little Bruce whale is not a small Brinze whale
What species of cetacean "Xiaobu" is haunted by Dapeng Bay in Shenzhen? Recently, a scientific research team led by Dr. You Xinxin, Secretary of the Party Branch of BGI Oceanography and Executive Vice President of BGI Ocean Research Institute, used environmental DNA (eDNA) technology and high-throughput sequencing technology to preliminarily identify the "little cloth" in the water samples in the dapeng Bay area of Shenzhen as a small bushi whale (Balaenoptera edeni).
Through the collection of eDNA water samples and high-throughput sequencing of the waters where Xiaobu lives, BGI marine researchers took the mitochondrial whole genome sequences of four Brinell whales as the reference sequence, captured from 5.2 billion sequencing sequences to 6 sequences that can be compared to the reference sequence, and then assembled 4 small mitochondrial gene sequences ranging in length from about 150 to 240 bp. The sequence similarities between these four sequences and the reported samples of The Little Brucey whales preserved at the National Museum of Science and Science in Tokyo, Japan, were 99%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, while the sequence similarities with the other three species were only 95% to 97%.
The little Bruce whale is not a small Bruce whale, but a different species from the Bruce's whale. This is the first time in the world that environmental DNA (eDNA) technology and high-throughput sequencing technology have been used to identify this species from water samples and distinguish it from a class of near-source species that are difficult to distinguish by morphology or acoustics.
The relevant person in charge of the Huada Ocean Research Institute said, "This can initially determine that Xiaobu is a small Bruce whale, especially with the cute name of Xiaobu. The person in charge said that BGI Ocean will further analyze the obtained eDNA data, interpret the DNA information of the fish in the data, assess the fish species and their abundance in the active area of Dapeng Bay, and speculate on the diet structure of the small cloth, so as to provide reference for better "entertaining" this "big friend" and provide a scientific basis for the protection of large cetaceans.
Xiao Bu recently appeared in XiaoMeisha
Experts say the risk of stranding is low
On July 29, a video of "Xiaobu" appearing near The Sea in Xiaomeisha, Yantian District, caused concern among citizens. In the video, the little Bu's whale "Xiao Bu" is active in the sea close to the shore, according to the volunteer who filmed the video, "Xiao Bu is less than 30 meters away from the seaside boardwalk. ”
"Whether the whale is lost" and "Will it be stranded" and other issues have aroused a lot of netizens' attention. The reporter with the netizens' questions found the experts of the Dapeng New Area Whale and Dolphin Conservation Linkage Working Group, and some experts said after watching the video, "Xiaobu may be so close to the shore because of chasing food, and the risk of stranding is low." ”
Wang Xiaoyong, secretary general of Qianai Dapeng, said that according to the recent near-shore observations of volunteers, the "Xiaobu" whale "Xiaobu" is relatively healthy and eats well. "In the past month of observation, XiaoBu has previously come to hunt near the mouth of the Sand Fish Bay River because he is chasing food." Wang Xiaoyong said. Affected by typhoons, Shenzhen has recently been mostly showers or thunderstorms. When the reporter came to the "Xiaobu" observation point in Dapeng Bay, it suddenly rained a heavy rain, and the volunteers who loved Dapeng had to suspend observation and find a place to shelter from the rain. "Recently, the typhoon is going to make landfall in Guangdong, the waves on the seashore are very large, and the frequency of eating is not as much as before, sometimes it can only be seen two or three times a day." Volunteers are very concerned about the situation of "Xiaobu".
In order to further do a good job in the protection and rescue of cetacean marine organisms, a few days ago, the Shenzhen Dapeng New Area Cetacean Protection Linkage Working Group held a meeting of the Cetacean Protection Headquarters to explore the construction of a mobile "aquarium" near the cetacean stranding, and strive to create a "quiet sea" and "clean sea" for the "small cloth".
It is understood that after the emergence of "Xiaobu", Dapeng New Area set up a cetacean and dolphin protection linkage work headquarters for the first time, and gradually established a normal protection mechanism for cetaceans and dolphins, promoted decision-making and deployment at a high level, continued to strengthen control over the sea areas infested by Brinell's whales, established marine conservation expert think tanks, and carried out land and sea garbage cleaning.
On July 16, Dapeng New District conducted a multi-departmental linkage cetacean rescue emergency plan drill on the Rose Coast beach, taking the form of combining sea and land, mainly relying on marine comprehensive law enforcement, coast guard, maritime and other forces to do a good job in peripheral patrols and rescue at sea; if cetaceans run aground, the land will mainly rely on public security peripheral support, mainly firefighters, volunteers and other forces, in the shortest possible time to work together to rescue.
Chen Bingyao, professor of Nanjing Normal University and deputy director of the Beibu Gulf Cetacean Research and Protection Center, believes that the possibility of "Xiaobu" staying in Dapeng Bay for a long time is unlikely, and it is also worried that the risk of "Xiaobu" staying for a long time will increase, according to the experience of domestic cetacean stranding rescue, once stranded, the possibility of successful rescue is low, and it is recommended that the new area actively establish a cross-regional linkage protection mechanism with Hong Kong and other surrounding areas.
Wu Huagen, commander-in-chief of the Whale and Dolphin Protection Linkage Working Group of Dapeng New Area and leader in charge of the new district, said that on the basis of summarizing experience, it is necessary to further improve the normalized protection mechanism, including scientific research and observation mechanism, maritime patrol law enforcement mechanism, source vessel control mechanism, water quality and sea drift garbage monitoring and treatment mechanism, etc., and continue to improve the emergency disposal plan; at the same time, further expand the social significance of Brinell whales, study and set up shore whale watching points, integrate existing observation and scientific research results, tell the story of "small cloth", and do a good job in science popularization and education.
Keep the "whale" hi
In the long run, the ban on fishing can be promoted
According to the observations of the scientific research team and environmental protection organizations, Xiaobu has been healthy and active in the past month since it appeared in Dapeng Bay, and its predation has been normal. But Ma Haipeng, secretary general of the Blue Marine Environmental Protection Association, was a little worried, saying: "After all, this is not the place where it usually lives, and for Xiaobu, Dapeng Bay is not a very safe harbor." ”
Some experts believe that the dominant fish population in Dapeng Bay in summer happens to be the food resources of the Bushi whale, and after the summer, the dominant fish population of Dapeng Bay has changed, and with the reduction of food resources, the Buxan whale "Xiaobu" may leave on its own. Experts judge that the "small cloth" entering the Dapeng sea may be due to natural attraction, or it may be lost. Because the ecological environment of Dapeng Bay is getting better and better, and the fish population is becoming more and more abundant, The Bruce whale may be attracted to food as the warm current changes.
Because of this, the dominant population in Dapeng Bay in summer happens to be the food resource of The Bruce whale, and after the summer, the dominant population changes, and the "small cloth" may leave on its own. Experts also remind that at present, Dapeng Bay has sufficient food, and the frequency of whale predation is also normal, and it is necessary to be prepared for its long stay.
The visit of "Xiaobu" reflects the remarkable results of ecological environmental protection in Shenzhen's waters. It is understood that Dapeng New Area has about a quarter of the sea area of Shenzhen, 100% of the nearshore seawater quality meets the national class I standard, 100% of the 64 rivers reach class IV, the average coral coverage rate is more than 30%, and the biodiversity status is good.
The Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources is taking the lead in carrying out preliminary research on the new offshore fishing ban area, expanding the scope of protection of marine fishery resources and sea areas, and will determine the scope of the fishing ban in combination with the actual situation of Shenzhen. At present, Shenzhen has a Shenzhen Bay fishing ban area, which covers an area of about 23 square kilometers on the east side of the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, and implements a year-round fishing ban and prohibits all fishing and breeding behaviors. Through the implementation of fishing bans and strict supervision, the water quality of Shenzhen Bay has been significantly improved, and there are often beautiful scenery of fish flying shallow bottom and migratory birds stopping.
"A restored, species-rich marine world will lead to sightseeing diving, ecotourism, nature study, and generate lasting and rich local income." The whale-watching fever driven by Britts's whales is further evidence of this. Nan Zhaoxu, a local natural and historical researcher in Shenzhen, said that the economic benefits brought by this marine tourism industry and ecological education may far exceed traditional fishery production.
Written by: Nandu reporter Liu Shihao