TY - JOUR
T1 - Cold-water coral diversity along the continental shelf margin of northwestern South China Sea
AU - Zhao, Mei Xia
AU - Zhong, Yu
AU - Zhang, Shu Qi
AU - Guo, Pu
AU - Jiang, Da Peng
AU - Yan, Hong Qiang
AU - Qiu, Jian Wen
AU - Shi, Qi
AU - Chen, Duan Xin
N1 - This research was financially supported by the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (Grant Nos. GML2019ZD0206 , SMSEGL20SC01), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB42020105), National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFC3100600 ), National Natural Science Foundation of China project (Grant Nos. 41876132 and 42176071 ), Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund (Grant No. ZDYF2022SHFZ072), Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (Grant Nos. PM-zx703-202105-176 , PM-zx703-202004-143), and the Open Research Fund Program of Guangxi Key Lab of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization (Grant No. GKLMC-201904 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Scleractinian cold-water corals (CWCs) are one of the most important habitat engineers of the deep sea. Although the South China Sea (SCS) abuts the biodiversity center of scleractinian CWCs in the western Pacific, only a few sporadic records are available. We discovered new CWC sites by means of trawl sampling and video observation along the continental shelf of the northwestern SCS. All trawled scleractinian CWC specimens were identified to species level according to skeleton morphology and structure. The living CWCs and associated fauna recorded in the video were -identified to a higher level of classification. Scleractinian corals were identified to genus level, while non-scleractinian CWCs were identified to family level and given general names such as gorgonian corals, bamboo corals and black corals. Associated benthic dwellers were divided into major categories. A total of 28 scleractinian CWC species were identified to 7 families, 15 genera, and 1 additional subgenus. Among them, 13 species were colonial, including important habitat-forming species in the genera Eguchipsammia, Dendrophyllia and Cladopsammia. Non-scleractinian CWCs were identified to 7 families, including 4 families gorgonian corals, 1 family bamboo corals, and 2 families black corals. Gorgonian corals were the most abundant non-scleractinian CWCs in this region. Meanwhile, starfish, sea anemones, fish, gastropods, echinoderms, and other associated benthic fauna were recorded in the CWC habitats, with starfish belonging to the order Brisingida being most common. New scleractinian CWC assemblages were discovered along the continental seabed mounds in the northwestern SCS. This study highlights the remarkable diversity of cold-water scleractinian corals in the whole SCS, and shows the potential widespread distribution and conservation prospect of CWC habitats in this region.
AB - Scleractinian cold-water corals (CWCs) are one of the most important habitat engineers of the deep sea. Although the South China Sea (SCS) abuts the biodiversity center of scleractinian CWCs in the western Pacific, only a few sporadic records are available. We discovered new CWC sites by means of trawl sampling and video observation along the continental shelf of the northwestern SCS. All trawled scleractinian CWC specimens were identified to species level according to skeleton morphology and structure. The living CWCs and associated fauna recorded in the video were -identified to a higher level of classification. Scleractinian corals were identified to genus level, while non-scleractinian CWCs were identified to family level and given general names such as gorgonian corals, bamboo corals and black corals. Associated benthic dwellers were divided into major categories. A total of 28 scleractinian CWC species were identified to 7 families, 15 genera, and 1 additional subgenus. Among them, 13 species were colonial, including important habitat-forming species in the genera Eguchipsammia, Dendrophyllia and Cladopsammia. Non-scleractinian CWCs were identified to 7 families, including 4 families gorgonian corals, 1 family bamboo corals, and 2 families black corals. Gorgonian corals were the most abundant non-scleractinian CWCs in this region. Meanwhile, starfish, sea anemones, fish, gastropods, echinoderms, and other associated benthic fauna were recorded in the CWC habitats, with starfish belonging to the order Brisingida being most common. New scleractinian CWC assemblages were discovered along the continental seabed mounds in the northwestern SCS. This study highlights the remarkable diversity of cold-water scleractinian corals in the whole SCS, and shows the potential widespread distribution and conservation prospect of CWC habitats in this region.
KW - Biodiversity
KW - Cold-water corals
KW - Conservation perspectives
KW - Habitat-forming species
KW - Scleractinia
KW - South China sea
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85167816887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106110
DO - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106110
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37537017
AN - SCOPUS:85167816887
SN - 0141-1136
VL - 190
JO - Marine Environmental Research
JF - Marine Environmental Research
M1 - 106110
ER -