Recently, the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province announced the list of newly approved Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Stations for 2025. Among the five institutions approved across the province, the "Hubei Field Observation and Research Station of Xiangxi River Basin Ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area" (Xiangxi River Station), proposed by the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was successfully included. With this approval, IHB now operates a total of three Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Stations in Hubei. 

Since 1999, Xiangxi River Station has conducted long-term observational research focusing on the Xiangxi River Basin, a representative watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. The station is dedicated to studying the structure, function, and evolution of river basin ecosystems under the influence of large-scale hydraulic engineering. It has established long-term fixed-point observations, real-time online monitoring, and multi-source data sharing networks. Its monitoring indicators span multiple dimensions, including hydrology, water quality, habitats, and aquatic organisms, forming a systematic research framework of "long-term observation – process analysis – simulation and prediction – management demonstration." 

This approval will strongly support the implementation of IHB's 15th Five-Year Plan, contribute to the overarching goal of building "One River, Multiple Stations," and serve the national strategic needs for green development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the broader conservation of the Yangtze River. 

Moving forward, Xiangxi River Station will closely align with national strategic plans and Hubei Province's development requirements. It will continue to advance foundational data observation and research, enhance its capabilities in monitoring, experimentation, scientific research, and data sharing services, and further strengthen the resource and infrastructural foundation for innovation-driven development.