The 'Gobi Desert on the Sea' now has natural vegetation. On a certain island and reef in Nansha, there is a shallow water by the silver sandy beach, and various plants naturally grow around it. Researchers working nearby say that this is a near natural saline swamp, and its formation conditions require good seawater quality, soil conditions, and abundant plant sources. Not long ago, reporters saw on various islands and reefs in the South China Sea: the clear blue sea and lush green trees have transformed the coral reefs and beaches that were originally like deserts into lush green oases in the South China Sea. In August 2023, officers and soldiers of a garrison in Nansha of the Navy stationed in Yongshu Reef received a good news - the Ministry applied for the "water quality and soil physical and chemical properties data of islands, reefs and wetlands" tested by the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which was determined to be near natural salt marshes, marking that Yongshu Reef, known as the "sea gobi", has been able to grow vegetation naturally. The surface water and soil submitted for inspection originate from a wetland on Yongshu Reef. During the patrol by the reef guards and botanical experts, it was discovered that plants that had never been artificially planted on the reef were growing on the wetland. Experts analyze the micro terrain, plant species, water quality, etc. on site and take samples for testing. "The emergence of this near natural salt marsh is of great significance to the ecological maintenance, hydrological regulation and coastal protection of Nansha islands and reefs." Ren Hai, a researcher at the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the ecological environment of the land area of Yongshu Reef has improved significantly, and the goal of ecological environment transformation has been initially achieved. They continue to increase their efforts in researching and protecting this near natural saline swamp, and improving the environment of the islands and reefs. The Yongshu Reef, known as the "Gobi Desert on the Sea", can naturally grow into a large area of green plants, which cannot be separated from the relay maintenance of generations of reef guarding officers and soldiers. Natural coral reefs have low survival rates for ordinary green plants, posing challenges to ecological and environmental protection work, including greening and maintenance. ”The officers and soldiers told reporters that with the help of intelligence research, they have found a new way to plant green plants. Breeding, trial planting, fertile soil, sand fixation... In order to improve the soil structure of coral sand on islands and reefs, which is conducive to the growth of green plants, assistant engineer Zou Haipeng led his comrades to creatively mix fallen leaves and kitchen waste in proportion, ferment them to form green organic fertilizer, and successfully improve the quality of reefs and sands. The survival rate of green plants planted reached over 90%, and plant seeds suitable for the survival of Nansha islands and reefs were cultivated based on this. Over the past two years, reporters have been continuously tracking and interviewing. Zhong Chaohua, a member of the ecological and environmental protection management department of islands and reefs, told reporters that from the perspective of vegetation coverage on islands and reefs, the various islands and reefs in Nansha are becoming truly blue oases. The number of island and reef plants has increased from less than 20 in the past to over 100 today, "said Zhong Chaohua. Protecting the ecological environment of islands and reefs is equivalent to protecting the ocean. ”The leader of the garrison introduced to the reporter that in recent years, the officers and soldiers guarding the reefs have actively practiced the concept of a community with a shared future for the ocean, continuously enhanced their consciousness and initiative in protecting the ecological environment of islands and reefs, and made greater contributions to the bluer sky, greener mountains, clearer waters, and better ecological environment of the motherland. Planting green plants, painting a brand new background on the islands and reefs of the South China Sea. The South China Sea surface is bathed in scorching sunlight. In a corner of the island, the ephedra stands guard like a loyal guardian over a square piece of land. The officers and soldiers divided it into two parts, planting fresh vegetables in half. Various fruits and vegetables took root here, nurturing the fruit; The other half nurtures seedlings and young plants, and under the gentle sea breeze, wind resistant plants have agile postures, playing the prelude to life. Planting trees on islands and reefs is even more difficult than climbing to the sky. ”Having been stationed in Nansha for over 20 years, Hu Dongdong, a second level sergeant of a naval garrison in Nansha, caressed the trunk of a ephedra tree and said. The officers and soldiers on the islands and reefs have been exploring for several years, using ephedra to build windproof barriers and cultivating seedlings in leeward areas, gradually exploring new technologies for island and reef greening. From the first sunflower struggling to take root, to the comprehensive greening of islands and reefs, and now to the independent cultivation of seedlings on islands and reefs, officers and soldiers have actively explored the "localization" methods of greening seedlings, forging ahead for decades. There is a tradition on the islands and reefs of Nansha that every time officers and soldiers visit and return to the reefs, they bring seeds from their hometowns. Without soil, they took advantage of the opportunity to replace it and carried it on their shoulders, like swallows carrying mud, gradually transporting it from all over the country; Without proper land, they make full use of water cups, foam boxes and other tools to fill the soil, and use it as a cradle for cultivating life. The seeds that converge from all over the world, like the officers and soldiers guarding the reef, tenaciously resist the harsh environment. After multiple trials, finally, a tenacious sunflower bloomed in the South China Sea reef. From then on, the southernmost islands and reefs of our motherland became green. The spark of hope was ignited, and everyone began to try to cultivate vegetable fields on the islands and reefs. At the beginning of site selection, difficulties arose one after another: the reef was covered with coral rocks, and excavation progress was difficult. After finally selecting a reclamation area, we encountered new challenges when building protective facilities: the steel frame structure for typhoon prevention needs to be repeatedly welded due to the humid environment; A slight carelessness in laying drainage pipes can lead to water accumulation. The officers and soldiers lay on the ground, carefully measured with a tape measure, carefully excavated with shovel, and completed the construction with difficulty. After planting the seeds, the officers and soldiers found that the soil had excessive salt content and could not be directly used for planting. The problem of salinization has become a "roadblock": the vegetable seeds planted by officers and soldiers are either submerged by the sea tide or baked by high temperatures. To this end, everyone tries to wash the soil with fresh water, mix humus soil transported from the mainland to improve the soil, build a "waterproof isolation layer", and build a line of defense with plastic film and sandbags. After countless attempts, the "four defenses" vegetable field has welcomed the joy of a bountiful harvest. Looking at the lush green vegetable seedlings in the garden, the officers and soldiers were overjoyed and planted "signs" for each row of vegetable fields. The "signs" filled with the names of different provinces in China, such as Beijing, Sichuan, Anhui, etc., carry the deep affection of officers and soldiers for their hometowns and loved ones. Planting trees is planting spirit. Trees on islands and reefs are like reef guards, with deeper roots and straighter waists. ”Planting trees in Nansha has always been a glorious tradition of the garrison. Every time a new soldier goes to the reef, the veteran will remind the new comrade in arms in this way. Sergeant Du Chuanyi has been stationed on the island for 8 years, and he still vividly remembers the scene when he first participated in island planting. The team leader told the new recruits, "Trees are soldiers, soldiers are trees. Trees can take root, and we need to root even more." As he was about to leave the island, Du Chuanyi had the opportunity to plant trees in the "Old Soldier Forest". At the tree planting ceremony organized by the military, he carefully placed the saplings into the pit. When filling the soil, he took out a cloth bag from his pocket and scattered a handful of hometown soil at the roots of the saplings. Nurture and water... Du Chuanyi hung a wooden sign with his name and service year on the trunk of the tree. He looked up and down at the seedling, imagining what it would look like to grow into a towering tree, filled with anticipation. Old Soldier Forest, Honor Forest, Defender Forest... On the islands and reefs of Nansha, trees are witnesses to the soldiers' steadfastness, and each tree tells the sincerity of the South China Sea guardians to their motherland. This loyalty has also nurtured a vast expanse of greenery in the South China Sea - in 1982, Xinhua News Agency announced to the world that the first coconut tree had been planted on Zhongjian Island. In 2002, 20 years later, Zhongjian Island harvested its first coconut. The fruit of the coconut tree grown on the island of Tianya Sentinel is still preserved in the honor room of the garrison. Decades have passed, and generations of officers and soldiers have been planting trees on the island, with over 4000 trees of 59 different species taking root on the islands and reefs. In Huayang Reef, the vegetation coverage rate exceeds 90%, and the growth pattern of forest plant communities connected and complemented by "trees, shrubs, and grasses" is accelerating; At Meiji Reef, officers and soldiers use environmental monitoring stations to monitor green data, and a number of ecological demonstration sites witness the achievements of sand fixation and greening on the islands and reefs... The ubiquitous green plants bring vitality to the islands and reefs. Green has become a new color for the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and the blue oasis has become a new picture of the South China Sea. Empowered by technology, building a new ecological governance pattern for islands and reefs. The older generation of officers and soldiers entrusted us with islands and reefs, and we must better pass them on to our later comrades! ”This is the common belief of the officers and soldiers on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. "Guarding the islands and reefs is not just about guarding them, but also about guarding them well." In recent years, guided by the concept of green development, the islands and reefs in the South China Sea have accelerated innovative technological means to promote the realization of sustainable ecological development. Sunshine baked Jiaobao. After lunch, the officers and soldiers of Meiji Reef took action to clean up the kitchen waste and transport it to the garbage transfer point. Here, Sergeant Sun Haotian has been waiting for a long time driving a kitchen waste recycling truck. Classification, weighing, boarding... Sun Haotian drove the vehicle away from the island and reef living area. More than 10 minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of a bungalow. Sun Haotian and sanitation workers worked together to unload kitchen waste and pour it into a machine. Inside the machine, kitchen waste undergoes a series of transformations such as high-temperature disinfection and microbial fermentation degradation, creating a miracle of turning waste into treasure. This is a biological treatment equipment for kitchen waste on islands and reefs. Through processes such as high-temperature disinfection and microbial fermentation degradation, it can degrade the large molecular organic matter in kitchen waste into organic fertilizers rich in humus. ”Sun Haotian caressed the machine in front of him, his pride overflowing from his words. Having already become accustomed to the fermented aroma, Sun Haotian walked straight forward, picked up a handful of organic fertilizer, and placed it under his nose to smell it carefully. They are good fertilizers for the growth of green plants on islands and reefs. Nowadays, with just observation and smell, he can accurately judge the quality of organic fertilizers. Sun Haotian told reporters that with this new device, the food residues from officers and soldiers' three meals a day can be transformed into fertilizer for maintaining green plants. With the reduction and harmlessness of kitchen waste, they have embarked on a new path of ecological development for renewable resource utilization. Officers and soldiers use organic fertilizers to open up vibrant "four defense" vegetable fields on the islands and reefs. Last year, a super typhoon hit and supply ships were delayed for several days. The vegetables in the freezer had already been eaten up, and it was our self grown vegetables that saved the emergency. "For chef She Xiangyu, the" four defenses "vegetable garden is his" trump card "for guarding the" three foot stove "and providing catering support for officers and soldiers. The land on the islands and reefs is composed of coral sand, and organic fertilizer plays an important role in improving the soil quality of the islands and reefs. In recent years, a naval garrison in Nansha has carried out soil improvement operations on islands and reefs, evenly spreading organic fertilizers and deeply cultivating them in the soil. Injecting strong vitality into the soil of islands and reefs, various plants have now taken root in the once barren reef soil where even a single inch of grass was difficult to grow. Entering the Zhubi Reef Marine Environment Monitoring Station, on the big screen, the underwater world unfolds like a painting scroll in front of the reporter's eyes: colorful corals stretch out in the water, groups of parrot fish shuttle and swim... In the lower right corner of the screen, real-time updates on seawater temperature, salinity, and other information are available. This is a real-time view of the waters surrounding the islands and reefs. We have built this marine environment monitoring system, which uses underwater cameras to monitor the surrounding marine ecological environment at all times. ”First level Sergeant Xie Jianghe pointed to the fish schools on the screen and said that the fish and corals in the South China Sea are precious treasures, carrying the significance of the South China Sea guardians' defense. This monitoring system is our 'thousand mile eye' and 'windward ear' for guarding islands and reefs! It can not only monitor ocean water quality and coral reef growth status, but also dynamically track bird migration, sea turtle reproduction, etc., laying a solid data foundation for scientific protection of the ecology of the South China Sea. ”Xie Jianghe continues to introduce. This is parrot fish, which is particularly sensitive to water quality and is known as a 'natural water quality detector'. Nowadays, parrot fish have appeared in groups on camera. ”During the conversation, a group of parrot fish swam past the camera, and a smile flickered in Xie Jianghe's eyes. That is the ecological fruit exchanged by the officers and soldiers guarding the reef with wisdom and sweat