Chinese scientists working to protect coral reefs have begun using new technical guidelines issued by the South China Sea Ecological Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The guidelines, which outline standards for the use of environmental DNA (eDNA), are seen as a major step forward in China's ability to monitor coral reef biodiversity and provide early warnings about harmful organisms.
Coral reefs are under severe threat from global warming, periodic outbreaks of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish, and human activities, resulting in large-scale coral mortality, bleaching, and habitat degradation. This underscores the urgent need for more efficient and precise monitoring and early warning methods.
The new technical guidelines are the first to systematically apply environmental DNA, or eDNA, technology to coral reef ecological monitoring in the South China Sea. By collecting biological DNA fragments from seawater, researchers can quickly identify coral species and the distribution of invasive crown-of-thorns starfish, significantly improving monitoring efficiency and coverage.
"The implementation of these standards provides a new, highly efficient technological option for coral reef monitoring, which is of great significance for assessing coral reef biodiversity and ecological health. Moving forward, we will continue to conduct research on coral reef biodiversity trends in the South China Sea using eDNA technology, further improve the genetic database, optimize the early warning for crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and promote a standardized application of the technology to strengthen the ecological security of the South China Sea," said Zheng Chengzhi, an engineer at the South China Sea Ecological Center under China's Ministry of Natural Resources.
Since pilot testing began in 2022, the South China Sea Ecological Center has established a preliminary genetic database and developed a risk assessment method for crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, enabling the precise identification of high-risk areas. The new guidelines offer unified and reliable technical standards for eDNA-based early warning and monitoring efforts across the country.
China enhances coral reef monitoring with new technology
