南海珊瑚礁固碳评估方法研究进展*

doi:10.11978/2025088

Abstract

Abstract:

Coral reefs, often termed the “tropical rainforests of the ocean”, play a critical role in global carbon cycles and climate change mitigation through both organic and inorganic carbon sequestration. Coral reefs in the South China Sea account for approximately 11% of the global coral reef area, holding significant ecological and economic value. This review examines the latest advancements in carbon sequestration assessment methods, focusing on the principles, applications, and strengths and weaknesses of key methods, including the ReefBudget Indo-Pacific approach, geochemical techniques, remote sensing, three-dimensional modeling, and ecosystem modeling. Specifically, ReefBudget quantifies carbonate budgets through standardized surveys, geochemical methods precisely measure calcification rates, remote sensing and 3D modeling expand spatial and structural analyses, and ecosystem models predict impacts of acidification and bleaching. Research in the South China Sea is currently constrained by complex terrain and limited regional data. Future efforts should integrate multiple methods, enable real-time monitoring, establish a South China Sea carbon sequestration database, and optimize heat-tolerant coral transplantation and restoration projects to enhance carbon sequestration capacity. This paper proposes a comprehensive assessment framework centered on multi-method integration, providing scientific support for the conservation of South China Sea coral reefs, their inclusion in blue carbon inventories, and global carbon emission reduction.

Key words: coral reef, carbon sequestration, ReefBudget, geochemistry, remote sensing, blue carbon

CLC Number:

X145

YUAN Xiangcheng, TANG Shuo, ZHOU Weihua, LONG Aimin. Research progress in carbon sequestration assessment methods for coral reefs in the South China Sea ^*[J].Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2026, 45(3): 1-9.

Figures/Tables 3

Tab. 1

Fig. 1

Tab. 2

References 47

[1]	蔡榕硕, 郭海峡, ABD-ELGAWAD AMRO, 等, 2021. 全球变化背景下暖水珊瑚礁生态系统的适应性与修复研究[J]. 应用海洋学学报, 40(1): 12-25.
	CAI RONGSHUO, GUO HAIXIA, AMRO A E, et al, 2021. A study on the adaptation and restoration of warm water coral reef ecosystem in the context of global change[J]. Journal of Applied Oceanography, 40(1): 12-25 (in Chinese with English abstract).
[2]	焦念志, 戴民汉, 翦知湣, 等, 2022. 海洋储碳机制及相关生物地球化学过程研究策略[J]. 科学通报, 67(15): 1600-1606.
	JIAO NIANZHI, DAI MINHAN, JIAN ZHIMIN, et al, 2022. Research strategies for ocean carbon storage mechanisms and effects[J]. Chinese Science Bulletin, 67(15): 1600-1606 (in Chinese with English abstract).
[3]	李银强, 2022. 西沙群岛珊瑚藻记录之近2000万年以来的海平面变化和珊瑚礁演化过程[D]. 南宁: 广西大学.
	LI YINQIANG, 2022. Sea level changes and coral reef evolutionary processes over the past 20 million years as recorded by coralline algae in the Xisha Islands[D]. Nanning: Guangxi University (in Chinese with English abstract).
[4]	施祺, 赵美霞, 张乔民, 等, 2009. 海南三亚鹿回头造礁石珊瑚碳酸盐生产力的估算[J]. 科学通报, 54(10): 1471-1479.
	SHI QI, ZHAO MEIXIA, ZHANG QIAOMIN, et al, 2009. Estimate of carbonate production by scleractinian corals at Luhuitou fringing reef, Sanya, China[J]. Chinese Science Bulletin, 54(10): 1471-1479 (in Chinese).
[5]	唐剑武, 叶属峰, 陈雪初, 等, 2018. 海岸带蓝碳的科学概念、研究方法以及在生态恢复中的应用[J]. 中国科学: 地球科学, 48(6): 661-670.
	TANG JIANWU, YE SHUFENG, CHEN XUECHU, et al, 2018. Coastal blue carbon: Concept, study method, and the application to ecological restoration[J]. Science China: Earth Sciences, 61: 637-646 (in Chinese with English abstract). doi: 10.1007/s11430-017-9181-x
[6]	ALBRIGHT R, TAKESHITA Y, KOWEEK D A, et al, 2018. Carbon dioxide addition to coral reef waters suppresses net community calcification[J]. Nature, 555(7697): 516-519. doi: 10.1038/nature25968
[7]	BEHRENFELD M J, FALKOWSKI P G, 1997. A consumer’s guide to phytoplankton primary productivity models[J]. Limnology and Oceanography, 42(7): 1479-1491. doi: 10.4319/lo.1997.42.7.1479
[8]	BEIJBOM O, EDMUNDS P J, ROELFSEMA C, et al, 2015. Towards automated annotation of benthic survey images: variability of human experts and operational modes of automation[J]. PLoS One, 10(7): e0130312. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130312
[9]	CORNWALL C E, COMEAU S, KORNDER N A, et al, 2021. Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(21): 1-10.
[10]	COURTNEY T A, ANDERSSON A J, BATES N R, et al, 2016. Comparing chemistry and census-based estimates of net ecosystem calcification on a rim reef in Bermuda[J]. Frontiers in Marine Science, 3: 181.
[11]	COURTNEY T A, DE CARLO E H, PAGE H N, et al, 2018. Recovery of reef-scale calcification following a bleaching event in Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i[J]. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 3(1): 1-9 doi: 10.1002/lol2.v3.1
[12]	DONG XU, ZHENG XINQING, CHEN BAOHONG, et al, 2023. Enhanced regional variability of seawater pCO₂ under human and natural interference in a nearshore coral nature reserve (Dongshan Island, China)[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 128(7): e2022JG007235.
[13]	DUBINSKY Z, STAMBLER N, 2011. Coral reefs: An ecosystem in transition[M] Dordrecht: Springer.
[14]	EDDY T D, LAM V W Y, REYGONDEAU G, et al, 2021. Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services[J]. One Earth, 4(9): 1278-1285. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.08.016
[15]	FRANKIGNOULLE M, GATTUSO J P, 1993. Air-sea CO₂ exchange in coastal ecosystems[M]// WOLLAST R, MACKENZIE F T, CHOU L. Interactions of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
[16]	HEDLEY J D, ROELFSEMA C, BRANDO V, et al, 2018. Coral reef applications of Sentinel-2: Coverage, characteristics, bathymetry and benthic mapping with comparison to Landsat 8[J]. Remote Sensing of Environment, 216: 598-614. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2018.07.014
[17]	HUANG YIBIN, NICHOLSON D, HUANG BANGQIN, et al, 2021. Global estimates of marine gross primary production based on machine learning upscaling of field observations[J]. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 35(3): e2020GB006718.
[18]	IPCC, 2014. 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands[R/OL]. [2015-06-20]. https://www.ipcc.ch/publication/2013-supplement-to-the-2006-ipcc-guidelines-for-national-greenhouse-gas-inventories-wetlands/
[19]	IPCC, 2019a. Summary for Policymakers[R]// PÖRTNER H O, ROBERTS D C, MASSON-DELMOTTE V, et al. IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
[20]	IPCC, 2019b. 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories[R/OL]. [2015-06-20]. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/2019-refinement-to-the-2006-ipcc-guidelines-for-national-greenhouse-gas-inventories/
[21]	JONES N S, RIDGWELL A, HENDY E J, 2015. Evaluation of coral reef carbonate production models at a global scale[J]. Biogeosciences, 12(5): 1339-1356. doi: 10.5194/bg-12-1339-2015
[22]	LANGE I D, RAZAK T B, PERRY C T, et al, 2024. Coral restoration can drive rapid reef carbonate budget recovery[J]. Current Biology, 34(6): 1341-1348. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.009
[23]	LEVY J, HUNTER C, LUKACAZYK T, et al, 2018. Assessing the spatial distribution of coral bleaching using small unmanned aerial systems[J]. Coral Reefs, 37(2): 373-387. doi: 10.1007/s00338-018-1662-5
[24]	LI GANG, XU WEIHAI, LUO YUN, et al, 2023. Strontium isotope stratigraphy and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb carbonate age constraints on the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the southern South China Sea[J]. GSA Bulletin, 135(1/2): 271-285. doi: 10.1130/B36365.1
[25]	LOVELOCK C E, DUARTE C M, 2019. Dimensions of blue carbon and emerging perspectives[J]. Biology Letters, 15(3): 20180781. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0781
[26]	MACREADIE P I, ANTON A, RAVEN J A, et al, 2019. The future of blue carbon science[J]. Nature Communications, 10(1): 3998. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11693-w pmid: 31488846
[27]	MELÉNDEZ M, SALISBURY J, GLEDHILL D, et al, 2022. Net ecosystem dissolution and respiration dominate metabolic rates at two western Atlantic reef sites[J]. Limnology and Oceanography, 67(3): 527-539. doi: 10.1002/lno.v67.3
[28]	MOREL A, 1991. Light and marine photosynthesis: a spectral model with geochemical and climatological implications[J]. Progress in Oceanography, 26(3): 263-306. doi: 10.1016/0079-6611(91)90004-6
[29]	NELLEMANN C, CORCORAN E, DUARTE C M, et al, 2009. Blue Carbon: A Rapid Response Assessment[M]. Nairobi: UNEP; Arendal: GRID-Arendal.
[30]	NIEUWENHUIS B O, MARCHESE F, CASARTELLI M, et al, 2022. Integrating a UAV-derived DEM in object-based image analysis increases habitat classification accuracy on coral reefs[J]. Remote Sensing, 14(19): 5017. doi: 10.3390/rs14195017
[31]	PAGE H N, COURTNEY T A, COLLINS A, et al, 2017. Net community metabolism and seawater carbonate chemistry scale non-intuitively with coral cover[J]. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4: 161. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00161
[32]	PERRY C T, EDINGER E N, KENCH P S, et al, 2012. Estimating rates of biologically driven coral reef framework production and erosion: a new census-based carbonate budget methodology and applications to the reefs of Bonaire[J]. Coral Reefs, 31(3): 853-868. doi: 10.1007/s00338-012-0901-4
[33]	PERRY C T, MURPHY G N, KENCH P S, et al, 2013. Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth[J]. Nature Communications, 4: 1402. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2409 pmid: 23360993
[34]	PERRY C T, LANGE I D, 2019. ReefBudget Caribbean v2: Online Resource and Methodology[R/OL]. [2025-06-24]. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/projects/geography/reefbudget/.
[35]	PILLY S S, TOWNSEND J E, ALISA C A G, et al, 2025. Quantifying coral reef carbonate budgets: a comparison between ReefBudget and CoralNet[J]. Coral Reefs, 44(2): 513-527. doi: 10.1007/s00338-025-02620-1
[36]	SILVEIRA C B, CAVALCANTI G S, WALTER J M, et al, 2017. Microbial processes driving coral reef organic carbon flow[J]. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 41(4): 575-595. doi: 10.1093/femsre/fux018 pmid: 28486655
[37]	STEELE J H, TUREKIAN K K, THORPE S A, 2008. Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences: Second Edition[M]. Cambridge, MA: Academic Press.
[38]	SWART P K, GREER L, ROSENHEIM B E, et al, 2010. The ¹³C Suess effect in scleractinian corals mirror changes in the anthropogenic CO₂ inventory of the surface oceans[J]. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(5): 2009GL041397.
[39]	WARE J R, SMITH S V, REAKA-KUDLA M L, 1992. Coral reefs: sources or sinks of atmospheric CO₂?[J]. Coral Reefs, 11(3): 127-130. doi: 10.1007/BF00255465
[40]	XIANG CHENHUI, ZHONG YU, LI GANG, et al, 2023. Planktonic carbon metabolism of an underwater coral atoll in the oligotrophic sea: a case study of Zhongsha Atoll, Central South China Sea[J]. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10: 1296052. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1296052
[41]	YAN HONGQIANG, YU KEFU, SHI QI, et al, 2016. Seasonal variations of seawater pCO₂ and sea-air CO₂ fluxes in a fringing coral reef, northern South China Sea[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 121(1): 998-1008. doi: 10.1002/jgrc.v121.1
[42]	YAN HONGQIANG, YU KEFU, SHI QI, et al, 2018. Air-sea CO₂ fluxes and spatial distribution of seawater pCO₂ in Yongle Atoll, northern-central South China Sea[J]. Continental Shelf Research, 165: 71-77. doi: 10.1016/j.csr.2018.06.008
[43]	YAN HONGQIANG, SHI QI, YU KEFU, et al, 2019. Regional coral growth responses to seawater warming in the South China Sea[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 670: 595-605. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.135
[44]	YAN HONGQIANG, SHI QI, XU LIJIA, et al, 2024. Carbon budgets of coral reef ecosystems in the South China Sea[J]. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11: 1335662. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1335662
[45]	YATES K K, HALLEY R B, 2006. Diurnal variation in rates of calcification and carbonate sediment dissolution in Florida Bay[J]. Estuaries and Coasts, 29(1): 24-39. doi: 10.1007/BF02784696
[46]	ZHONG JIAGENG, LI MING, ZHANG HANQI, et al, 2023. Fine-grained 3D modeling and semantic mapping of coral reefs using photogrammetric computer vision and machine learning[J]. Sensors, 23(15): 6753. doi: 10.3390/s23156753
[47]	ZHONG JIAGENG, LI MING, GRUEN A, et al, 2025. Cutting-edge 3D reconstruction solutions for underwater coral reef images: A review and comparison[J]. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 230: 779-803. doi: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2025.10.009

方法	评估对象	适用场景	空间/时间	所需数据类型	优势	局限
ReefBudget	无机固碳	现场普查	中等/短期	生物种类、底栖覆盖、侵蚀数据	标准化	依赖经验参数
海洋化学	无机/有机固碳	化学验证	高/短期	TA、pH、DIC等	高精度	成本高、覆盖有限
遥感	覆盖率	大尺度监测	高/长期	卫星影像	广域高效	分辨率限制
三维建模	结构变化	结构分析	高/短期	点云数据	直观精确	设备复杂
生态模型	长期预测	情景模拟	低/长期	环境变量	预测能力强	数据依赖

	钙化藻 / 珊瑚	浮游植物 / 底栖植物 / 共生虫黄藻 / 微生物
固碳过程	钙化和溶解	初级生产力 / 代谢
固碳结果	无机碳固定	有机碳固定
估算方法	现场调查(ReefBudget)、遥感	模型、文献数据
验证方法	海洋化学(碱度、pH)	现场检测(荧光、黑白瓶、同位素等)

Research progress in carbon sequestration assessment methods for coral reefs in the South China Sea ^*

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Like

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

Figures/Tables 3

References 47

Related Articles 15

Metrics

Comments

Recommended 0

[1]	ZHANG Ze, QU Ke, WANG Aoyu, LI Wei, WANG Chao. Three-dimensional numerical investigation of hydrodynamic characteristics over complex coral reefs with tsunami-like waves [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2026, 45(3): 39-49.
[2]	LIN Ting, QU Jianjun, WU Zhifeng, LI Yupei. Study on the characteristics of shoreline changes and ecological protection strategies of coral sandy islands: A case study of North Island in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(5): 154-165.
[3]	YAO Yu, LIU Xiaona, ZHOU Baobao, ZHOU Ting. Numerical simulation of wave motion over large roughness reef surfaces based on XBeach-NH [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(5): 31-38.
[4]	ZHAO Zhongwei, ZHAO Xuan, Chen Tianran, LI Wei. A study of the correlation between coastal morphological changes and oceanographic conditions of coral reef islands in the Xisha Islands from 2015 to 2023 [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(4): 25-44.
[5]	LI Wei, QU Ke, WANG Chao, YU Renshi, ZHANG Ze. Experimental study on the influence of submerged breakwater on the wave characteristics of infragravity waves on coral reefs [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(4): 177-186.
[6]	WANG Zheng, YANG Tao, WANG Yina, LI Ming, PEI Pengbing, DU Hong, ZHANG Jianbai, SHEN Pingping. Assessment of carbon sequestration capacity of cultivated bivalves and influencing factors in Yantai sea areas [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(3): 95-103.
[7]	CHEN Yuyue, JIANG Wei, YANG Haodan, YU Kefu. Changes and controlling factors of seawater phosphorus in Weizhou Island over the past 30 years: Insights from high-resolution coral records [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(3): 206-216.
[8]	XIAO Haiting, HUANG Rongyong, LIU Yi, YU Kefu. Spatiotemporal changes of lime-sand islands in the Xisha Islands under the impacts of typhoons [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(2): 157-177.
[9]	WANG Chao, QU Ke, WANG Xu, GAO Rongze, WANG Aoyu. Influences of artificial fish reef on wave hydrodynamics of solitary wave on an uneven fringing reef [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(2): 30-38.
[10]	WANG Rongxia, CHEN Xian, CHEN Dandan, CHEN Xiaohui, LIANG Jilin. Investigation of seaweed bed distribution and evaluation of its carbon storage in the Hainan Eucheuma Reserve [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2025, 44(1): 182-188.
[11]	YANG Yufeng, ZOU Ligong, HE Zhili, ZHANG Yongyu, WANG Qing. A prospectus for the theory, technology and application of seaweed negative emissions [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024, 43(6): 27-36.
[12]	QIU Xingyu, LIU Qingxia, CHEN Zuozhi, CAI Yancong, HUANG Honghui. Characteristics of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of major fish species in coral reefs of the Nansha Islands in spring 2023 [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024, 43(6): 104-113.
[13]	XIE Hongyu, LIU Yong, LI Chunhou, ZHAO Jinfa, SUN Jinhui, SHEN Jianzhong, SHI Juan, WANG Teng. Species composition and evolutionary characteristics of coral reef fish in the Langhua Reef, Xisha Islands [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024, 43(6): 114-128.
[14]	HUANG Liangmin, LIN Qiang, TAN Yehui, HUANG Xiaoping, ZHOU Linbin, HUANG Hui. Thoughts on the restoration, reconstruction and protection of typical tropical marine ecosystems [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024, 43(6): 1-12.
[15]	ZHANG Tong, LING Juan, YUE Weizhong, WANG Youshao, CHENG Hao, SUN Hongyan, HUANG Xiaofang, LIANG Tongyin, ZHOU Weiguo, DONG Junde. CiteSpace-based visualization analysis of carbon sink research progress in typical blue carbon ecosystems of Guangdong Province [J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2024, 43(5): 58-68.

Research progress in carbon sequestration assessment methods for coral reefs in the South China Sea *

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Like

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

Figures/Tables 3

References 47

Related Articles 15

Metrics

Comments

Recommended 0

Research progress in carbon sequestration assessment methods for coral reefs in the South China Sea ^*