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...