Chapter 17 - The Bohai Sea

Abstract

The Bohai Sea is a semi-enclosed continental shelf sea in northern China, off the NW Pacific Ocean. It is composed of Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, Central Bohai Sea, and Bohai Strait. The Liaohe River, Haihe River, and Huanghe River basins flow into it, and the sea also connects to the Yellow Sea, giving it a strategic position that is central to maintaining the ecological security of China. The Haihe, Liaohe, and Huanghe Rivers bring abundant nutrients into the Bohai Sea, making this region a natural fish spawning and feeding ground and migration channel. It has become an important fishery area whose total catch accounts for 28%–40% of the total fishing amount of the Bohai and Yellow Seas together. In this chapter, details are given of its topography, physical and chemical conditions, biological resources and status, the main pollutant sources, and the related laws and regulations. Its hinterland is one of the most developed zones of China, with several large cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, and Dalian. However, rapid economic growth in recent decades has resulted in severe pollution, making this one of the most polluted marine areas in China. Marine-based pollution has contributed about 20%, while the effect of land activities accounts for 80%. This, with climate changes, has affected the Bohai Sea’s sustainable development.