U-Pb zircon geochronology of basaltic pyroclastic rocks from the basement beneath the Xisha Islands in the northwestern South China Sea and its geological significance

As one of the micro-blocks dispersed in the South China Sea(SCS), the basement of the Xisha Islands has rarely been drilled because of the thick overlying Cenozoic sediments, which has led to a confused understanding of the pre-Cenozoic basement of the Xisha Islands. Well CK-1, a kilometer-scale major scientific drill in the Xisha Islands in the northwestern SCS, penetrated thick reefal limestone(0–888.4 m) and the underlying basement rocks(888.4–901.4 m). In this study, we present the zircon U-Pb ages of basement basaltic pyroclastic rocks from Well CK-1 in the Xisha Islands of the northwestern SCS to investigate the basement nature of the Xisha microblock. The basement of Well CK-1 consists of basaltic pyroclastic rocks on the seamount. The zircon grains yielded apparent ages ranging from ca. 2 138.9 Ma to ca. 36 Ma. The old group of zircon grains from Well CK-1 was considered to be inherited zircons. Two Cenozoic zircons gave a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of(36.3 ± 1.1) Ma,Mean Squared Weighted Deviations(MSWD) = 1.2, which may represent the maximum age of the volcano eruption. The Yanshanian inherited zircons(116.9–105.7 Ma and 146.1–130.2 Ma) from Well CK-1 are consistent with the zircons from Well XK-1, indicating that the basement of Chenhang Island may be similar to that of Well XK-1. We propose that the Xisha micro-block may have developed on a uniform Late Jurassic metamorphic crystalline basement, intruded by Cretaceous granitic magma.

Local Climate Change Induced by Urbanization on a South China Sea Island

The South China Sea is a hotspot for regional climate research.Over the past 40 years,considerable improvement has been made in the development and utilization of the islands in the South China Sea,leading to a substantial change in the land-use of the islands.However,research on the impact of human development on the local climate of these islands is lacking.This study analyzed the characteristics of local climate changes on the islands in the South China Sea based on data from the Yongxing Island Observation Station and ERA5 re-analysis.Furthermore,the influence of urbanization on the local climate of the South China Sea islands was explored in this study.The findings revealed that the 10-year average temperature in Yongxing Island increased by approximately 1.11℃from 1961 to 2020,and the contribution of island development and urbanization to the local warming rate over 60 years was approximately 36.2%.The linear increasing trend of the annual hot days from 1961–2020 was approximately 14.84 days per decade.The diurnal temperature range exhibited an increasing trend of 0.05℃per decade,whereas the number of cold days decreased by 1.06days per decade.The rapid increase in construction on Yongxing Island from 2005 to 2021 led to a decrease in observed surface wind speed by 0.32 m s^(-1)per decade.Consequently,the number of days with strong winds decreased,whereas the number of days with weak winds increased.Additionally,relative humidity exhibited a rapid decline from 2001 to 2016 and then rebounded.The study also found substantial differences between the ERA5 re-analysis and observation data,particularly in wind speed and relative humidity,indicating that the use of re-analysis data for climate resource assessment and climate change evaluation on island areas may not be feasible.

Characteristics of Clay Minerals in the Northern South China Sea and Its Implications for Evolution of East Asian Monsoon since Miocene

Clay mineral assemblages, crystallinity, chemistry, and micromorphology of clay particles in sediments from ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea （SCS） were analyzed, and used to trace sediment sources and obtain proxy records of the past changes in the East Asian monsoon climate since the Miocene, based on a multi-approach, including X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry （SEM-EDS）. Clay minerals consist mainly of illite and smectite, with associated chlorite and kaolinite. The illite at ODP Site 1146 has very well-to-well crystallinity, and smectite has moderate-to-poor crystallinity. In SEM the smectite particles at ODP Site 1146 often appear cauliflower-like, a typical micromorphology of volcanic smecites. The smectite at ODP Site 1146 is relatively rich in Si element, but poor in Fe, very similar to the smectite from the West Philippine Sea. In contrast, the chemical composition of illite at ODP Site 1146 has no obvious differences from those of the Loess plateau, Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Pearl River. A further study on sediment source indicates that smectite originates mainly from Luzon, kaolinite from the Pearl River, and illite and chlorite from the Pearl River, Taiwan and/or the Yangtze River. The clay mineral assemblages at ODP Site 1146 were not only controlled by continental eathering regimes surrounding the SCS, but also by the changing strength of the transport processes. The ratios of （illite＋chlorite）/smectite at ODP Site 1146 were adopted as proxies for the East Asian monsoon evolution. Relatively higher ratios reflect strongly intensified winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, in contrast, lower ratios indicate a strengthened summer monsoon relative to winter monsoon. The consistent variation of this clay proxy from those of Loess plateau, eolian deposition in the North Pacific, planktonic, benthic foraminifera, and black carbon in the SCS since 20 Ma shows that three profound shifts of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity, and aridity in the Asian inland and the intensity of winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, occurred at about 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and the younger at about 3 Ma. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 15 Ma, 8 Ma, and 3 Ma.

Dynamics of picoplankton in the Nansha Islands area of the South China Sea

Dynamics of major picoplankton groups, Synechococcus (Syn), Prochlorococcus (Pro), picoeukaryotes (Euk) and heterotrophic bacteria (Bact) was investigated by flow cytometry for the first time in the Nansha Islands area in the South China Sea. Averaged over the whole investigation area, depth-weighted integrated cell abundance (DWA) of Syn, Pro, Euk and Bact was 1.6 (0.4-5.7)×103, 5.4 (0.1-7.3)×104, 0.7 (0.2-2.2)×103, and 2.3 (1.4-3.2)×105 cells/mL respectively. Picoautotrophic cell abundance was low in the northwest part of the Nansha Islands where surface water temperature was low and the upper mixed layer was shallow. Concurrently, a surface maximum vertical distribution pattern was observed in this area. While in the southeast and east zones where temperatures were relatively higher and nitraclines were deeper, picoplankton is abundant and a subsurface maximum around 50-75 m is observed. Coupling of horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of picoplankton abundance and hydrological status was found, suggesting a strong influence of currents and water column structure on picoplankton distribution in the investigation area. Contrary to that in the shelf water in the East China Sea, the relationship between Pro and Bact in the Nansha Islands area in the South China Sea was not significantly negative but weakly positive. Moreover, a similar distribution pattern of Syn and Pro was observed. Possible reasons for these differences in the two marine regimes were discussed.

Circulations east of Taiwan and in East China Sea and east of Ryukyu Islands during early summer 1985

A modified inverse method is used to compute the circulations east of Taiwan and in the East China Sec and east of the Ryukyu Islands with hydrographic data obtained during early summer of 1985. The computational region covers an area west of 129°E and from 21°45'N to 35°N. The computed results show that: (1 ) The net volume transport (VT ) of the Kuroshio through 21°45'N Section east of Ta Taiwan and west of 123°E is about 45 × 10￣6 m￣3/sduring early summer of 1985. The Kuroshio has. two current cores. One is located near Taiwan, and its velocity isvery large and its maximum velocity is 226 cm/s at the 100 m level, which is close to the maximum velocity of the beginning of the Kuroshio east of the Philippines. The other is located further to the east, and its maximum velocity is159 cm/s at the 100m level; (2) through a transect northwest Of Miyakojima Island and a transect southwest of Okinawa laaed the volume transports of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea both are about 25 × 10￣6 m￣3/s. The maximumvelocity of the Kuroshio at these two sections is 194 and 128 cm/s, respectively, and both are located on the shelfbreak; (3) beneath and east of the Kurohio there are the countercurrent (4) southeast of Okinawa Island there is anortheastward current, and its VT at Section HI is about 12. 6 × 10￣6 m￣3/s, and it comes from a westward flow at 129° This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 49476278.(Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hongzhou310012, China) (Institute of Oceanography, Taiwan University, Taipei, China)E Section and the recirculating gyre, and does not originate from the Kuroshio east of Taiwan during early summer of 1985. There is a southwestward abyssal current east of Okinawa Islands (5) there are several different scale eddies in this computational region. For example, there is a meso-scale strong cyclonic eddy east of Miyakojima Island.

Mineral provinces and material provenance of the surficial sediments near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea

Characteristics and distribution patterns of clastic minerals （0. 063 -0. 125 mm） in bottom sediments represent a significant indi- cator for the identification of the origin of sediment. One hundred and fourteen surface sediment samples, which were collected from the area near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea, were analysed to identify the mineral suites and their distributions in the study area. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces ： （Ⅰ） a province of biogenic minerals, which mainly originate from the Zhongsha Atoll ; （ Ⅱ） a province of volcanogenic minerals, which are mainly derived from local basaltic seamounts and small-scale volcanoes that are probably erupting, with some influences from the island-arc volcanic region around the South China Sea; and （ Ⅲ） a mixed mineral province whose material source includes biogenic minerals, volcanogenic minerals and terrigenous minerals; the last province can be subdivided into a mixed mineral sub-province of the northeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are mainly derived from China＇ s Mainland and do not exceed 17°N, and a mixed mineral subprovince of the southeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are derived from Kalimantan and Indochina Peninsula and might be further transported into the deep sea basin through submarine canyons.

STUDY OF WATER-TRANSPORT THROUGH SOME MAIN STRAITS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA AND SOUTH CHINA SEA

OCCAM global ocean model results were applied to calculate the monthly water transport through 7 straits around the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS). Analysis of the features of velocity profiles and their variations in the Togara Strait, Luzon Strait and Eastern Taiwan Strait showed that: 1) the velocity profiles had striped pattern in the Eastern Taiwan Strait, where monthly flux varied from 22.4 to 28.1 Sv and annual mean was about 25.8 Sv; 2) the profiles of velocity in the Togara Strait were characterized by core structure, and monthly flux varied from 23.3 to 31.4 Sv, with annual mean of about 27.9 Sv; 3) water flowed from the SCS to the ECS in the Taiwan Strait, with maximum flux of 3.1 Sv in July and minimum of 0.9 Sv in November; 4) the flux in the Tsushima Strait varied by only about 0.4 Sv by season and its annual mean was about 2.3 Sv; 5) Kuroshio water flowed into the SCS in the Luzon Strait throughout the year and the velocity profiles were characterized by multi core structure. The flux in the Luzon Strait was minimum in June (about 2.4 Sv) and maximum in February (about 9.0 Sv), and its annual mean was 4.8 Sv; 6) the monthly flux in the Mindoro Strait was maximum in December (3.0 Sv) and minimum in June (only 0.1 Sv), and its annual mean was 1.3 Sv; 7) Karimata Strait water flowed into the SCS from May to August, with maximum inflow flux of about 0.75 Sv in June and flowed out from September to April at maximum outflow flux of 3.9 Sv in January. The annual mean flux was about 1.35 Sv.

Diversity of symbiotic algae of the genus Symbiodinium in scleractinian corals of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea

Symbiotic algae （Symbiodinium sp.） in scleractinian corals are important in understanding how coral reefs will respond to global climate change. The present paper reports on the diversity of Symbiodinium sp. in 48 scleractinian coral species from 25 genera and 10 families sampled from the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, which were identified with the use of restriction fragment length polymorphism （RFLP） of the nuclear ribosomal DNA large subunit gene （rDNA）. The results showed that： （i） Symbiodinium Clade C was the dominant zooxanthellae in scleractinian corals in the Xisha Islands; （ii） Symbiodinium Clade D was found in the corals Montipora aequituberculata, Galaxea fascicularis, and Plerogyra sinuosa; and （iii） both Symbiodinium Clades C and D were found simultaneously in Montipora digitata, Psammocora contigua, and Galaxeafascicularis. A poor capacity for symbiosis polymorphism, as uncovered by RFLP, in the Xisha Islands indicates that the scleractinian corals have low adaptability to environmental changes. Further studies are needed to investigate zooxanthellae diversity using other molecular markers.

Regional hard coral distribution within geomorphic and reef flat ecological zones determined by satellite imagery of the Xisha Islands,South China Sea

Coral reefs in the Xisha Islands （also known as the Paracel Islands in English）, South China Sea, have experienced dramatic declines in coral cover. However, the current regional scale hard coral distribution of geomorphic and ecological zones, essential for reefs management in the context of global warming and ocean acidification, is not well documented. We analyzed data from field surveys, Landsat-8 and GF-1 images to map the distribution of hard coral within geomorphic zones and reef fiat ecological zones. In situ surveys conducted in June 2014 on nine reefs provided a complete picture of reef status with regard to live coral diversity, evenness of coral cover and reef health （live versus dead cover） for the Xisha Islands. Mean coral cover was 12.5% in 2014 and damaged reefs seemed to show signs of recovery. Coral cover in sheltered habitats such as lagoon patch reefs and biotic dense zones of reef flats was higher, but there were large regional differences and low diversity. In contrast, the more exposed reef slopes had high coral diversity, along with high and more equal distributions of coral cover. Mean hard coral cover of other zones was 〈10%. The total Xisha reef system was estimated to cover 1 060 km2, and the emergent reefs covered -787 km2. Hard corals of emergent reefs were considered to cover 97 km2. The biotic dense zone of the reef flat was a very common zone on all simple atolls, especially the broader northern reef flats. The total cover of live and dead coral can reach above 70% in this zone, showing an equilibrium between live and dead coral as opposed to coral and algae. This information regarding the spatial distribution of hard coral can support and inform the management of Xisha reef ecosystems.

Rates and fluxes of centennial-scale carbon storage in the fine-grained sediments from the central South Yellow Sea and Min-Zhe belt, East China Sea

The global carbon cycle has played a key role in mitigating global warming and climate change.Long-term natural and anthropogenic processes influence the composition,sources,burial rates,and fluxes of carbon in sediments on the continental shelf of China.In this study,the rates,fluxes,and amounts of carbon storage at the centennial scale were estimated and demonstrated using the case study of three fine-grained sediment cores from the central South Yellow Sea area(SYSA) and Min-Zhe belt(MZB),East China Sea.Based on the high-resolution temporal sequences of total carbon(TC)and total organic carbon(TOC)contents,we reconstructed the annual variations of historical marine carbon storage,and explored the influence of terrestrial and marine sources on carbon burial at the centennial scale.The estimated TC storage over 100 years was 1.18×10~8 t in the SYSA and 1.45×10~9 t in the MZB.The corrected TOC storage fluxes at the centennial scale ranged from 17 to 28 t/(km^2·a)in the SYSA and from 56 to 148 t/(km^2·a)in the MZB.The decrease of terrestrial materials and the increase of marine primary production suggest that the TOC buried in the sediments in the SYSA and MZB was mainly derived from the marine autogenetic source.In the MZB,two depletion events occurred in TC and TOC storage from 1985 to 1987 and 2003 to 2006,which were coeval with the water impoundment in the Gezhouba and Three Gorges dams,respectively.The high-resolution records of the carbon storage rates and fluxes in the SYSA and MZB reflect the synchronous responses to human activities and provide an important reference for assessing the carbon sequestration capacity of the marginal seas of China.

The study of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands

In this study, the inverse method is used to compute the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and southeast of Kyushu and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of hydrographic data obtained during September-October, 1987 by R/V Chofu Maru. The results show that: (1)A part of the Taiwan Warm Current has a tendency to converge to the shelf break; (2) the Kuroshio flows across the section C3 (PN) with a reduced current width, and the velocity of the Kuroshio at the section C3 increases and its maximum current speed is about 158 cm/s, and its volume transport here is about 26×106m3/s; (3) the Kuroshio has two current cores at the sections C3 (PN) and B2 (at the Tokara Strait); (4) the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands are found to flow northward over the Ryukyu Trench during September-October, 1987. The velocities of the currents are not strong throughout the depths. At the section C2 east of the Ryukyu Islands, the maximum current speed is at the 699 m levei and its magnitude is 25 cm/s, and its volume transport is about 21×06 m3/s; (5) the volume transports of the Kuroshio through the sections B2 (at the Tokara Strait) and C6 (southeast of Kyushu) are 23. 33, 67. 31×106 m3/s, respectively; (6) there are two meso-scale anticyclonic warm eddies between 135° E and the area east of the Ryukyu Islands, and their characters and hydrographic structure are discussed.

Dinophysis caudata generated lipophilic shellfish toxins in bivalves from the Nanji Islands, East China Sea

A 12-month program of monitoring potentially toxic microalgae(that produce lipophilic shellfi sh toxins; LSTs) and their toxins in bivalves was conducted from April 2006 to March 2007 in the Nanji Islands, East China Sea. Two Dinophysis species, D. caudata and D. acuminata, were identifi ed, and D. caudat a was found to be the dominant species. D. caudata was detected in water samples between April and June 2006, and between February and March 2007. It reached its highest abundances in May, with a mean abundance of 1.38×10 2 cells/L in surface water and 1.25×10 2 cells/L in bottom water(<10 m deep). The temporal distribution of D. caudata was associated with the occurrence of LSTs in bivalve samples, which mostly occurred at the same time as D. caudata blooms, between April and July 2006. All of the cultured bivalves sampled between April and June were contaminated with LSTs, with an average toxicity of 85 μg okadaic acid(OA) eq./100 g meat, which was four times higher than the Chinese regulatory limit(20 μg OA eq./100 g meat). Ten out of fi fteen wild samples(66.7%) collected during the same period were positive for LSTs, and contained an average LST toxicity of 45 μg OA eq./100 g meat(more than twice the regulatory value). Cultured Patinopecten yessoensis collected on 15 May 2006 had the highest toxicity, 320 μg OA eq./100 g meat, and relatively high toxicities(80 to 160 μg OA eq./100 g meat) were found in bivalves until the end of July.

MARINE FOULING IN OFFSHORE AREAS EAST OF HAINAN ISLAND, NORTHERN SOUTH CHINA SEA

This paper reports on results of the investigation of marine biofouling on offshore structures east of Hainan Island in the northern South China Sea. Two buoy investigation stations were deployed in Qiongdong (W1, 68 n miles offshore) and southern Qiongdong (J2, 23 n miles offshore) waters, respectively. At both sites, water depths were more than 100 meters. Test panels on iron frames were placed at 1, 10, 25, 50 and 100 m below the seawater surface, and exposed for 8 months from October 1989 to June 1990. The results indicated that hydroids, gooseneck barnacles and oysters were the most important fouling species in these offshore areas. Acorn barnacles were mainly found at Station J2. The maximum fouling accumulations were observed in near surface waters. Substantial reduction of biomass and species diversity occurred with increasing depth and distance from shore. Sources of fouling organisms and influences of environmental factors on the species distributions are discussed in this paper.

DETERMINATION OF SOUTH CHINA SEA MONSOON ONSET AND EAST ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON INDEX

Results of the definition of South China Sea summer monsoon onset date and East Asian summermonsoon index in recent years are summarized in this paper. And more questions to be resolved are introducedlater.

The Combined Effect of Tibetan Plateau Uplift and Glacial-Interglacial Cycles on the Quaternary Evolution of the East Asian Monsoon: Evidence from South China Sea Sediments

The siliciclastic sediments of the uppermost section of 185 mcd （meters composite depth） from ODP Site 1146 on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea （SCS） were partitioned according to their sources using end-member modeling on grain-size data.The goal was to evaluate the evolution of the East Asian monsoon over the past 2 million years.The siliciclastic sediments were described as hybrids of four end-members,EM1,EM2,EM3,and EM4,with modal grain sizes of 8-22 μm,2-8 μm,31-125 μm,and 4-11 μm,respectively.EM1 and EM3 are interpreted as eolian dust and EM2 and EM4 as fluvial mud.The ratio of eolian dust to fluvial mud （（EM1＋EM3）/（EM2＋EM4）） is regarded as an indicator of the East Asian monsoon.The variation in this ratio not only shows periodical oscillations consistent with oxygen isotope stages,but also exhibits a phased increasing trend corresponding with the phased uplifts of the Tibetan Plateau,indicating that the evolution of the East Asian Monsoon was controlled not only by glacial-interglacial cycles,but also by the phased uplifts of the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary.

Comparison of air-sea CO2 flux and biological productivity in the South China Sea,East China Sea,and Yellow Sea:a three-dimensional physical-biogeochemical modeling study

Marginal seas play important roles in regulating the global carbon budget, but there are great uncertainties in estimating carbon sources and sinks in the continental margins. A Pacific basin-wide physical-biogeochemical model is used to estimate primary productivity and air-sea CO_2 flux in the South China Sea（SCS）, the East China Sea（ECS）, and the Yellow Sea（YS）. The model is forced with daily air-sea fluxes which are derived from the NCEP2 reanalysis from 1982 to 2005. During the period of time, the modeled monthly-mean air-sea CO_2 fluxes in these three marginal seas altered from an atmospheric carbon sink in winter to a source in summer. On annualmean basis, the SCS acts as a source of carbon to the atmosphere（16 Tg/a, calculated by carbon, released to the atmosphere）, and the ECS and the YS are sinks for atmospheric carbon（–6.73 Tg/a and –5.23 Tg/a, respectively,absorbed by the ocean）. The model results suggest that the sea surface temperature（SST） controls the spatial and temporal variations of the oceanic pCO_2 in the SCS and ECS, and biological removal of carbon plays a compensating role in modulating the variability of the oceanic pCO_2 and determining its strength in each sea,especially in the ECS and the SCS. However, the biological activity is the dominating factor for controlling the oceanic pCO_2 in the YS. The modeled depth-integrated primary production（IPP） over the euphotic zone shows seasonal variation features with annual-mean values of 293, 297, and 315 mg/（m^2·d） in the SCS, the ECS, and the YS, respectively. The model-integrated annual-mean new production（uptake of nitrate） values, as in carbon units, are 103, 109, and 139 mg/（m^2·d）, which yield the f-ratios of 0.35, 0.37, and 0.45 for the SCS, the ECS, and the YS, respectively. Compared to the productivity in the ECS and the YS, the seasonal variation of biological productivity in the SCS is rather weak. The atmospheric pCO_2 increases from 1982 to 2005, which is consistent with the anthropogenic CO_2 input to the atmosphere. The oceanic pCO_2 increases in responses to the atmospheric pCO_2 that drives air-sea CO_2 flux in the model. The modeled increase rate of oceanic pCO_2 is0.91 μatm/a in the YS, 1.04 μatm/a in the ECS, and 1.66 μatm/a in the SCS, respectively.

Biodiversity and distribution of benthic dinoflagellates in tropical Zhongsha Islands,South China Sea

Benthic dinoflagellates have attracted increasing attention in recent years because of their toxicity and ability to form extensive harmful algal blooms.Ostreopsis producing palytoxin and its analogs,Gambierdiscus producing ciguatera toxins,and Prorocentrum producing okadaic acid and dinophysis toxins,have been concerned as serious human poisonings.We explored the benthic dinoflagellate biodiversity and distribution characteristics of a series of tropical reefs in 20-40-m water depth in wet season in the Zhongsha Islands in South China Sea using morphological,phylogenetic,and cell counting methods.Results show that benthic dinoflagellates in the islands are rich in biodiversity and 15 species from genera Amphidinium,Coolia,Ostreopsis,and Prorocentrum were identifi ed:Amphidinium carterae,A.magnum,A.massartii,A.operculatum,Coolia canariensis,C.malayensis,C.palmyrensis,C.tropicalis,Ostreopsis cf.ovata,Prorocentrum concavum,P.cf.sculptile,P.emarginatum,P.hof fmannianum,P.lima,and P.rhathymum.Among them,A.magnum is reported for the first time in Chinese waters.The abundance of benthic dinoflagellates was relatively low at 88-4345 cells/100 cm^(2) on sediment and 10-91 cells/g on macroalgae.Prorocentrum and Amphidinium were the dominant and subdominant genera,respectively.It is speculated that the low abundance of benthic dinoflagellates is closely related to the scarcity of macroalgae and stronger water motion at the depth>15 m in Zhongsha Islands.This study expanded the study in biodiversity of benthic dinoflagellates in Chinese waters,and revealed the distribution characteristics of harmful benthic microalgae in reef habitats.

The influence of earthquakes on Zhubi Reef in the Nansha Islands of the South China Sea

It is exceedingly important to estimate the stability of coral reefs. In recent years, growing construction projects have been carried out on the reef flat in the South China Sea. As a special marine geotechnical medium, it is made of the reef debris underwent overwhelmingly long geological age. Reefs grow thickly on the carbonate platform after the Late Oligocene and have five to six main sedimentary facies. It can be used as a recorder to measure the occurrence time of recent earthquake. A model of reef body is presented to study the influence of earthquakes according to the geological structure characteristic of reefs in the Nansha Islands. Furthermore, Geo Studio is used to simulate stress and deformation situations within it under various earthquake intensities. A safety factor is calculated by the limit equilibrium method, and the possible scenarios of earthquake-induced landslides and sliding scale are defined with a Newmark sliding block method, as well as stress distribution and deformation behaviors. Therefore, the numerical results suggest that the connections between the coral reef and the earthquake are as follows：（1） the reef body has a good stability under self-gravity state;（2） after the earthquake, it may cause slope＇s instability and bring out slumping when the safety factor is smaller than 1（FS〈1）;（3） the safety factor decreases with the increasing earthquake intensity, and fluctuates around a particular value after a while;and（4） as a new developed part of the reef, the smaller shallow landslide will be easily subject to collapse caused by the earthquake. It is concluded that it is feasible to provide a reference for evaluating the stability of coral reef using a geotechnical engineering simulation method. This can help the engineering constructions in the South China Sea.

＂Institutionalization＂ as Weapons of the Weak： ASEAN Countries and the South China Sea Disputes

＂Institutionalization＂ can be understood as a process of norm and law setting to regulate and control individual attitudes. An institutionalized area could be more stable and ordered, then the relationships between the factors can be identified by the predicted signals. Institutions can help to provide a key form of such frameworks, through which all states, but especially the stronger states, can use rules and other normative expectations of conduct in the international relation. Weaker states, in return, gain limits on the action of the leading states and access to the political process, in which they can press their interests. This article analyzes the disputes in the South China Sea~, particularly between China and ASEAN countries to prove the argument. It is argued that ASEAN, in the situation of power asymmetry between dominant （power-holders） and dominated groups, has used ＂institution＂ and ＂institutionalization＂ as a countermeasure to constrain the powerful China in the two ways： （1） trying to lock-in China in a rule-based order, in order to restrict its power, and （2） by institutionalizing the way in which the disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved, ASEAN countries want to create a frameworks for setting rules of games, which are shaped by principles and norms instead of balance-of-power.

Effects of igneous bodies on modification of modern slope morphology: Insights from the continental slope offshore Dongsha Islands, South China Sea

A statistical analysis for the morphological parameters extracted from numerous seismic profiles, and a highresolution seismic study of the southeastern slope of the Dongsha Islands(South China Sea) with water depth between approximately 500 and 3 100 m, has revealed the variation of morphological features due to the intrusion of igneous bodies and associated sedimentary processes. Three types of the continental slope are distinguished:(1) a rough and steep slope with multiple igneous bodies(Type 1),(2) a relatively smooth and gentle slope with the single igneous body(Type 2), and(3) a smooth and gentle slope without igneous bodies(Type 3). These igneous bodies, formed in the post-seafloor spreading of the South China Sea, are often characterized by high positive seismic amplitudes, and chaotic reflections with complex shapes. The igneous bodies in Type 1 separated the slope into two or more upper sub-sags and a lower main-sag, in which the sub-sags and main-sag could be filled with sediments transported by alongslope bottom currents at the same time. Whereas, the igneous body in Type 2 just separated the slope into an upper sub-sag and a lower main-sag, in which the sediments could be transported into the lower main-sag only after the upper sub-sag has been filled up. Type 3 represents a normal slope with common clinoform progradation. The modern slope morphologies in the study area are the results of adjustments of the continental slope due to the intrusion of igneous bodies and associated sedimentary processes. The distinctions among three types of modern slope morphologies indicate different depositional conditions and adjustments of slope morphologies.