Corals artificially bred by Huzhou Enmei Ecological Agriculture Co Ltd in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

A Huzhou-based company has made technical breakthroughs in coral artificial breeding.

Based in Southern Taihu Lake New District, Huzhou Enmei Ecological Agriculture Co Ltd is capable of artificially reproducing corals in a large-scale and controlled water environment.

In 2020, the company's live coral seedlings increased from more than 8,000 to more than 30,000, and boasted a survival rate of more than 90 percent. 

Feng Qiwei, head of the coral breeding program at Enmei, started to do coral breeding 10 years ago after seeing the huge market potential in the conservation of the small sea animal.

Over the years, the research team led by Feng has developed a set of water treatment technologies that can create the most suitable growth environment for corals.

The team has since made breakthroughs in artificial breeding techniques for more than 300 coral species. Among them, six key technologies, including modular coral breeding devices, have obtained national patents. 

The 35-year-old said that the company’s goal is to improve the resistance of artificially bred coral to heat, acid and pests so as to pave the way for the restoration of corals in the wild in the future.

In recent years, more than one-third of the world's coral reef ecosystems have been seriously degraded due to climate warming, ocean acidification, sea water pollution and over-logging. In some of China's offshore waters, corals are even facing the threat of extinction. 

Feng Qiwei observes artificially bred corals. [Photo/hz66.com]