Oasis of the deep: Cold-water corals of the South China Sea

Abstract

Cold-water coral (CWC) communities are biodiversity hotspots on the world's deep seafloor. Although deep-sea corals in the South China Sea (SCS) have been reported before, they are only sporadic. A comprehensive and systematic understanding of the CWC in the SCS would forge the basis for future protection. Here we conducted the first systematic survey on the CWCs in the following six broad-scale sub-regions, from the northwest and northeast slopes to the seamounts in the western and central basins of the SCS, through twenty-four dives of the human-occupied vehicle ShenhaiYongshi. Statistical analysis provided detailed information on the distribution, abundance, size, diversity, and density of CWCs and the in situ environmental conditions supporting coral habitats. We found that the SCS hosted highly diversified coral communities, including twelve genera of gorgonians, six genera of black corals, and one genus of stony corals. The differences in the spatial distribution patterns of coral communities suggested that several environmental variables (depth, temperature, salinity, substrate, and geomorphology) might influence the development of CWCs in the SCS. The intermediate water layer of the SCS appeared to provide suitable habitat for deep-sea coral communities and potentially promoted connectivity. Furthermore, differences between sub-regions within the SCS may be an important factor responsible for the biogeographic patterns of CWCs. These sub-regions of CWCs were observed to range from 0.004 to 0.622 corals m−2, with an average of 0.139 corals m−2. The mean density of CWCs in the SCS was relatively high compared to well-studied CWC hotspots. Overall, the results revealed the significance of the SCS as an important CWC hotspot in the world. These findings provide a fundamental basis for the protection of deep-sea coral assemblages in the SCS.