Recently, the comprehensive scientific expedition team for Huangyan Island’s development, evolution and ecological resilience under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) spotted a large population of Green sea turtles, a national first-class protected wild animal, in the seagrass beds of the Huangyan Island lagoon, with over 50 individuals recorded in preliminary observations.

Vast seagrass beds have developed across the soft sandy-muddy substrate zones of the Huangyan Island lagoon. Thanks to well-executed management and conservation measures in recent years, the seagrass beds have maintained a sound growth trajectory, with dominant species including cymodocea rotundata and halophila ovalis, both critical food sources for Green sea turtles. This finding demonstrates that the lagoon’s seagrass beds have evolved into a mature coral reef-seagrass composite ecosystem, providing premium habitats for high-value species such as sea turtles and humpback conchs. The positive role played by China's establishment of the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve in protecting the marine ecosystem and rare wild animal resources of Huangyan Island has rapidly come to the fore.

Meanwhile, the expedition team also discovered a potential sandbar near the seagrass beds that emerges above the sea surface at low tide. Surveys indicate it is on track to develop into a fully exposed sandbar, which will provide ideal breeding and nesting grounds for Green sea turtles, hawksbills and other species in the future, upgrading Huangyan Island from a mere feeding ground into a genuine permanent habitat for these marine turtles.

Since 2012, the China Coast Guard has continuously strengthened oversight of illegal fishing activities in Huangyan Island waters, and provided a crucial safeguard for the survival of rare marine wild animal populations represented by Green sea turtles. In recent years, under the joint stewardship of China’s military, law enforcement agencies and the public, populations of rare marine wildlife including Green sea turtles, hawksbills and dugongs have flourished across all islands and reefs of the South China Sea, bearing out the steadily growing effectiveness of China’s long-term ecological conservation and restoration efforts in the region.

This discovery was made during a Green sea turtles population identification and tracking survey conducted by the CAS Huangyan Island scientific expedition team using drone patrol technology. This innovative low-disturbance survey method allowed the team to capture rare, vivid footage of groups of Green sea turtles swimming alongside one another in the waters.