In 2024, the Administration of Guangdong Nanpeng Islands National Nature Reserve, in collaboration with the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) and other organizations, conducted a marine biodiversity survey and water quality monitoring in the Nanpeng Islands in Shantou.
The survey focused on the coral reef ecosystems near Dingpeng Island (顶澎岛), Zhongpeng Island (中澎岛), Nanpeng Island (南澎岛), and Qinpeng Island (芹澎岛). Twenty-three coral survey sites, 16 fish survey sites, 25 invertebrate survey sites, and 10 water quality survey sites were established.
The survey identified 22 new distribution records of stony corals within the reserve. It also found 96 new distribution records of fish species and 28 new invertebrate species.
A 2009 survey recorded 1,308 marine species in the region; from 2019 to 2021, an additional 33 species were found, bringing the total to 1,341 species. This latest survey added 146 new species, significantly enhancing the area's diversity and updating the marine species count to 1,487, including 9 national Class 1 protected animals and 65 national Class 2 protected animals.
This latest survey has recorded a large number of newly distributed species of hermatypic coral, fish, and invertebrates in the Nanpeng Islands, significantly increasing marine biodiversity. It has also clarified the current situation of marine animal resources in the area, thus providing crucial scientific data for formulating relevant conservation and management policies.
Author: Che Zhenqing
Editor: Huang Qini, Wei Shen, James, Shen He
Photo: Shantou Fabu
