A non-invasive coral seed amplification device

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of coral seedling amplification devices without damaging parent body, including positioning structure, fixed structure and at least two support structures;Each The support structure is connected with the positioning structure together to form the support frame of the whole device standing;The fixed structure is arranged on the support structure, and the fixed structure is detachably fixed on the coral nursery or fixed on the coral reef;Coral tissue spreads along the surface of coral seedling amplification device.The advantages of the present application are that: the device allows the new coral tissue to spread and grow to the surface of the device through contact, and the new coral tissue can be obtained for cultivation without damaging the parent body;The device can be broken from the connected ring shape, and three new coral tissues can be obtained for cultivation at a time;The rectangular groove design of the device facilitates fixing on the coral nursery or transplanting to the coral reef, improving the flexibility and stability of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coral seedling amplification equipment, and in particular to a coral seedling amplification device that does not harm the parent organism. Background Technology

[0002] Coral reefs are an important component of marine ecosystems, often referred to as "rainforests of the sea." They not only provide rich habitats for marine life but also play a vital role in protecting coastlines, preventing coastal erosion, and promoting fisheries and tourism. However, in recent years, factors such as global climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, and pollution have led to serious threats to coral reef ecosystems. In particular, stony corals, a Class II protected wild animal in my country, are experiencing a continuous decline in their resource status.

[0003] Stony corals are the main organisms that build coral reefs. They grow slowly and are sensitive to environmental changes. Currently, the main threats to stony coral resources include: Climate change: Rising global temperatures lead to increased seawater temperatures, causing frequent coral bleaching and severely impacting coral survival and reproduction. Ocean acidification: Increased carbon dioxide emissions lead to ocean acidification, reducing the saturation of calcium carbonate in seawater and affecting coral skeleton formation. Human activities: Overfishing, marine pollution, and coastal development are among the human activities that directly damage coral reef ecosystems.

[0004] To protect and restore coral reef ecosystems, humans have increased research and investment in coral reef ecological restoration. Obtaining and cultivating coral seedlings is fundamental to coral ecological restoration, providing the necessary seedlings for the large quantities of corals required for reef restoration. Common methods for obtaining coral seedlings include: utilizing the characteristic that coral fragments or pieces can grow into new coral individuals through asexual reproduction, establishing coral nurseries to cultivate coral fragments or pieces into seedlings; and utilizing the gametes produced by sexual reproduction to form coral zygotes, which are then cultivated into individual corals. Because the latter method requires higher technical support, is more expensive, and requires a longer cultivation time, its application is less widespread and limited compared to the first method.

[0005] Currently used methods for asexual coral propagation primarily rely on obtaining coral seedlings from wild coral fragments or sections broken off from native coral individuals. This method has several limitations. First, it damages wild coral resources: directly breaking off branches or chiseling fragments from native corals causes physical damage to the mother coral, affecting its growth and reproductive capacity, and may even lead to its death. Second, wild coral resources are limited: due to the slow growth rate of corals, their numbers in the wild are already scarce, and frequent harvesting activities further exacerbate resource scarcity. Third, it causes ecological impacts: destructive harvesting activities not only affect individual corals but also damage their habitat, leading to the degradation of the entire coral reef system.

[0006] To achieve the sustainable use of coral resources and reduce reliance on native corals during coral cultivation, a key technology for coral conservation is essential. Ideal coral cultivation techniques should possess the following characteristics: non-destructive: avoiding serious damage to native coral individuals during seed acquisition, thus protecting their growth and reproductive capabilities; high efficiency: obtaining a large number of healthy coral seedlings in a short period, improving cultivation efficiency; and operability: simple and easy-to-operate techniques applicable to coral cultivation projects of varying scales. Achieving these objectives remains a bottleneck in current coral seedling cultivation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the parent organism.

[0008] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a coral seedling amplification device that does not harm the parent coral, comprising a positioning structure, a fixing structure, and at least two supporting structures; each of the supporting structures is connected to the positioning structure to form a support frame for standing the entire device upright; the fixing structure is disposed on the supporting structure and is detachably fixed to the coral nursery or to the coral reef; coral tissue spreads along the surface of the coral seedling amplification device.

[0009] The positioning structure connects the various support structures together to form a support frame for the entire device to stand upright. The fixing structure can be used to fix the device to a coral nursery or coral reef. Coral tissue can spread along the surface of the device. New coral tissue can spread and grow to the surface of the device through contact, and new coral tissue can be obtained for cultivation without damaging the parent body.

[0010] The support structure is a tetrahedron, with the center of the positioning structure as the inner side, and the inner sides of each tetrahedron are uniformly fixed to the positioning structure.

[0011] The positioning structure is a ring-shaped structure, and multiple supporting structures are fixed to the ring-shaped structure. The ring-shaped positioning structure allows coral branches to pass through, facilitating coral cultivation.

[0012] The fixing structure is a groove, which is located on the outer surface of each tetrahedron and fixed to the coral nursery or coral reef. Through the groove, the fixing structure connects the groove to the structure of the coral nursery or coral reef to form a stable support.

[0013] The groove is a rectangular groove.

[0014] The device comprises three tetrahedrons, with the central axes of adjacent tetrahedrons forming a 120-degree angle with the center of the positioning structure as the reference point. The three tetrahedrons are evenly arranged on the positioning structure, forming a stable triangular support structure that allows the device to stand upright.

[0015] The bases of each tetrahedron lie on the same horizontal plane.

[0016] The tetrahedron is a regular tetrahedron with a solid interior. The solid structure of the regular tetrahedron results in a large weight, which stabilizes the center of gravity of the supporting structure, providing a stable support.

[0017] The positioning structure is made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement; the supporting structure is made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement.

[0018] The inner edge of the tetrahedron is fixed to the positioning structure, and an L-shaped structure is formed on the inner edge of the tetrahedron. The three L-shaped structures of the tetrahedron together form a platform for coral to be placed.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: the device allows new coral tissue to spread and grow to the surface of the device through contact, and new coral tissue can be obtained for cultivation without damaging the parent body; the device can be broken off from the connected ring, and three new coral tissues can be obtained at one time for cultivation; the rectangular groove design of the device makes it easy to fix to the coral nursery or transplant to the coral reef, improving the flexibility and stability of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the structure with coral branches inserted according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for arranging coral branches according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for placing block corals according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure placed on top of the coral according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure fixed on the coral nursery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are as follows: 1. Positioning structure; 2. Fixing structure; 3. Supporting structure; 4. L-shaped structure. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] Example

[0031] See Figures 1 to 8 A coral seedling amplification device that does not harm the parent coral includes a positioning structure 1, a fixing structure 2, and at least two support structures 3; each support structure 3 is connected to the positioning structure 1 to form a support frame that holds the entire device upright; the fixing structure 2 is disposed on the support structure 3 and can be detachably fixed to the coral nursery or to the coral reef; coral tissue spreads along the surface of the coral seedling amplification device.

[0032] The positioning structure 1 can connect the various support structures 3 together to form a support frame for the entire device to stand upright. The fixing structure 2 can be used to fix the device to a coral nursery or coral reef. Coral tissue can spread along the surface of the device. New coral tissue can spread and grow to the surface of the device through contact. New coral tissue can be obtained for cultivation without damaging the parent body.

[0033] The support structure 3 is a tetrahedron with the center of the positioning structure 1 as the inner side, and the inner sides of each tetrahedron are uniformly fixed to the positioning structure 1.

[0034] Positioning structure 1 is a circular ring structure, with multiple supporting structures 3 fixed to it. The circular positioning structure 1 allows coral branches to pass through, facilitating coral cultivation.

[0035] The fixing structure 2 is a groove, which is set on the outer surface of each tetrahedron and fixed to the coral nursery or coral reef. Through the setting of the groove, the fixing structure 2 can connect the groove with the structure of the coral nursery or coral reef to form a stable support.

[0036] The groove is a rectangular groove.

[0037] Three tetrahedrons are provided, with the central axes of adjacent tetrahedrons forming a 120-degree angle with the center of positioning structure 1 as the reference point. The three tetrahedrons are evenly arranged on positioning structure 1, forming a stable triangular support structure that can stand the device upright.

[0038] The bases of each tetrahedron lie on the same horizontal plane.

[0039] A tetrahedron has a regular tetrahedral structure with a solid interior. The solid structure of a regular tetrahedron results in a large weight, which stabilizes the center of gravity of the supporting structure, creating a stable support.

[0040] Positioning structure 1 is a structure made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement; support structure 3 is a structure made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement.

[0041] The inner edge of the tetrahedron is fixed to the positioning structure 1. An L-shaped structure 4 is opened on the inner edge of the tetrahedron. The three L-shaped structures 4 of the tetrahedron together form a platform for coral to be placed.

[0042] See Figures 1 to 3 The device consists of three tetrahedrons connected by a ring-shaped structure. Each tetrahedron has a rectangular groove on its outer side, which can be used to fix it to a coral nursery or transplant it to a coral reef, making it easier to secure and improving the device's flexibility and stability. A protruding clip can be provided on the nursery to break off the ring-shaped structure, obtaining three new coral tissues at once. The individual tetrahedrons are then inserted into the rectangular grooves on the nursery clips, thus securing them stably. The rectangular grooves of the tetrahedrons can be directly inserted into the coral reef, which typically has protruding structures that can cooperate with the rectangular grooves for fixation.

[0043] See Figure 4 The branched coral is inserted through the ring-shaped structure of positioning structure 1 (i.e., the central circle of the ring-shaped structure) and fixed to the branched coral. After a period of growth, the coral tissue can spread to the surface of the three tetrahedrons.

[0044] See Figure 5 The branched coral fragments were placed in the middle of three tetrahedrons and allowed to spread and grow to the surface of the tetrahedrons.

[0045] See Figure 6Small, blocky corals are placed in the center of a tetrahedron, allowing them to spread and grow to the surrounding area.

[0046] See Figure 7 The device is placed upside down on the surface of a large piece of coral. After a period of growth, the coral tissue can spread to the surface of the device.

[0047] See Figure 8 The support structure 3 of this device is broken off from the connected circular structure and separated into a separate tetrahedral structure. Through the cooperation of the rectangular groove and the nursery protrusion clip, a stable support can be formed for the separate tetrahedral structure.

[0048] This device can obtain new coral tissue for cultivation without damaging the parent coral, and it allows for convenient and rapid seedling cultivation. By contacting the parent coral, the new tissue from the parent coral grows onto the surface of the device, resulting in new coral tissue. Multiple coral seedlings can be obtained at once by disassembling the device.

[0049] The above detailed description is a specific description of feasible embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent implementations or modifications that do not depart from the present invention should be included in the patent scope of this case.

Claims

1. A device for expanding coral seedlings without harming the parent organism, characterized in that: The device includes a positioning structure, a fixing structure, and at least two supporting structures. Each of the supporting structures is connected to the positioning structure to form a support frame that holds the entire device upright. The fixing structure is disposed on the supporting structure and is detachably fixed to a coral nursery or a coral reef. Coral tissue spreads along the surface of the coral seedling expansion device. The supporting structure is a tetrahedron with the center of the positioning structure as its inner side, and the inner sides of each tetrahedron are uniformly fixed to the positioning structure. The inner edges of each tetrahedron are fixed to the positioning structure, and each inner edge of each tetrahedron has an L-shaped structure. The three L-shaped structures of the tetrahedrons together form a platform for placing the coral.

2. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning structure is a circular ring structure, and multiple supporting structures are fixed on the circular ring structure.

3. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing structure is a groove, which is set on the outer surface of each tetrahedron and is fixed to the coral nursery or the coral reef.

4. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The groove is a rectangular groove.

5. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tetrahedron is provided in three parts, and the central axes of adjacent tetrahedrons form a 120-degree angle with the center of the positioning structure as the reference point.

6. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bases of each tetrahedron lie on the same horizontal plane.

7. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tetrahedron is a regular tetrahedral structure.

8. The coral seedling propagation device that does not harm the mother coral according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning structure is made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement; the supporting structure is made of ceramic, clay, clay or cement.

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