The northern South China Sea hosts highly heterogeneous deep-sea habitats, dotted with numerous active cold seeps and associated chemosynthetic ecosystems, while the Qiongdongnan Basin represents one of the most important natural gas hydrate accumulation regions in this area. Benthic fauna are core components sustaining deep-sea ecosystem stability and function, yet the biodiversity and community structure of benthic assemblag...

The South China Sea, a key biodiversity hotspot in the Central Indo-Pacific, hosts a rich array of coral reef species and marine life but faces growing threats from climate change and human activities. This study systematically analyzes coral reef research in the region using a bibliometric analysis of records from the Web of Science Core Collection. The analysis highlights the diverse roles of contributing countries and their...

Radionuclides and heavy metals pose potential risks to marine ecosystems and human health. Daya Bay, the site of China’s first commercial nuclear power plant, has experienced significant anthropogenic impacts, yet the extent of radionuclide and heavy metal contamination remains unclear. Nineteen surface sediment samples were collected in January 2024 and analyzed for natural (210Pb, 228Th, 226Ra, 228Ra, and 40K) and anthropoge...

As an indispensable part of the marine ecosystem, the health status of the sea affects the stability and enhancement of the overall ecological function of the ocean. Clarifying the future land and sea utilization pattern and the impacts on the carbon stocks of island ecosystems is of great scientific value for maintaining marine ecological balance and promoting the sustainable development of the island ecosystem. Using Pingtan...

Seawater cooling is the most common way to cool down nuclear power plants. However, the thermal drainage of nuclear power plants results in sharp rises in local seawater temperatures and, therefore, affects fisheries and ecologies. Therefore, evaluating the thermal tolerance of marine organisms not only provides further insight into their biological characteristics but also holds significant importance for the site selection a...

Biofouling is one of the main factors affecting the efficiency and safety of cooling water systems in coastal nuclear power plants. Understanding the population dynamics, succession rules and cumulative effects of major fouling organisms is the basis for targeted prevention and control. A 1-year simulated concrete panel test was conducted from December 2020 to November 2021 in Xinghua Bay, China. A total of 78 species of fouli...

The invasion or aggregation of marine biota in coastal waters has become a common problem, threatening the safety of cooling water systems in the context of environmental and climate changes. However, studies on issues of coastal nuclear power plants from the view of marine ecology have mostly focused on the thermal effluent, entrainment effect on organisms, residual chlorine, radioactivity, etc. There is a lack of information...