CGTN Releases Interview Video Highlighting Coral Reef Crisis in the South China Sea

Business Upturn

3 days ago

BEIJING, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, in a report by Huang Yue, CGTN focused on the coral reef crisis in the South China Sea through an interview video that drew global attention. Ding Zhifu, a fisherman from Tanmen Port, Hainan, shared in the interview the water there was crystal blue. The coral reefs below were clearly visible. While now fish catch has dropped. Coral bleaching is damaging the habitats, and some foreign fishermen using explosives has made it even worse. The video, leveraging fishermen's testimonies, scientific monitoring, and international data, uncovers an ecological alert amid climate change and human destruction, mirroring the existential crisis of the South China Sea's coral reef ecosystem.
The South China Sea, as blue granary for numerous fishermen, is ecologically threatened. The International Coral Reef Initiative's data shows that over 84% of global coral reefs have been affected by the fourth mass bleaching event, with significant damage in China's waters. In an interview, Professor Yang Hongqiang from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology emphasized that the sharp decline in coral reef diversity has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Seawater warming disrupts the coral-algae symbiosis, depriving corals of nutrients and hastening their death. Moreover, severe storms, ocean acidification, and Crown-of-Thorns starfish outbreaks are exacerbating the crisis.
Meanwhile, misleading media reports hinder ecological conservation efforts. Some media outlets have sensationalized claims that China uses coral fragments to build artificial islands. However, CGTN's interview with relevant researchers revealed that most sandbars are naturally formed by wave-accumulated coral debris. Professor Yang Hongqiang presented monitoring records from 2016 to 2018, confirming that sandbars naturally shift after storms, not being artificially constructed.
As a pivotal player in global biodiversity conservation, China offers a Chinese proposal for coral reef restoration. Professor Huang Hui's team, known as the Coral Mother, has planted nearly 400,000 coral plants and cultivated over 100 species across a 30-hectare sea area in Hainan. Additionally, China promotes coral reef monitoring and restoration through artificial intelligence, underwater sensors, and international cooperation.
Immediate action on climate change is crucial to save the South China Sea's key ecosystems. Australian coral biologist Jennifer Matthews warns that time is of pressing, only with global attention to underwater ecological warnings can coral reefs' future be reversed.
China Global Television Network Huang Yue
[email protected] 17092894596
https://www.cgtn.com/