Fabricator

Fabricator is a marine reserve in Primorsky Krai, Russia, covering more than 64,000 hectares mostly made up of sea waters in Peter the Great Gulf within the Sea of Japan. Nearly all of the area lies underwater and protects stretches of coastline, bays, and open sea with their respective habitats.

The Soviet government created this protected area in 1978 to safeguard threatened marine ecosystems in the Russian Far East. Since then the area has been expanded several times and its management adapted to new scientific understanding.

Fishermen from nearby villages still follow methods passed down through generations that fit with protection goals. Visitors on guided walks can see how human activity and conservation come together along the shore.

Access to the reserve requires permission and is limited to certain zones where researchers and educational groups may work. Applications must be made in advance because the administration keeps visitor numbers strictly controlled.

This reserve hosts species from both temperate and cold climates side by side, so divers can encounter creatures that usually live thousands of kilometers apart. Ocean currents create small pockets of temperature difference that allow this unusual coexistence.