What Are The Three Countries Claim The Zhongsha Island?

Zhongsha Islands

Situated to the southeast of the Xisha (China), are composed of more than reefs and shoals.

Three countries claim the Zhongsha Island reef as their own: China, Taiwan and Philippines
Situated in the southernmost of China, well known for its “the end of sky and the rim of the sea”

Length exceeds 130km
Width 70km
Depth of 11.6 to 18 metres
Water transparency and temperature (28-31oc) of the South China Sea are ideal for coral growth
The reefs are mainly atolls (with no barrier reefs)
The south china sea belongs to the monsoon zone
- The Monsoon zone is a belt of low-pressure air currents that circle the Earth at the Equator. The Monsoon Zone is also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The Monsoon Zone is
usually warm and experience mild winds.
Oldest corals are 8000-9000 years old

Atolls-
Oldest reefs on planet
Round, doughnut shape
Develop on top of sea mounts
Enclose a Lagoon
Land is reef flat above sea levels

Included within the Reef system
Scarborough Shoal:
Largest atoll in the South China Sea
Traditional fishing region for Chinese and Philippine fisherman
Shells and sea cucumbers are primarily collected
Reefs are just below water at high tide

Ecology:
- 54 genera and 174 hermatypic (reef building) coral species such as
1) Cats paw Coral
2) Hump coral
3) The Galaxy Coral
The reef is home to a wide variety of species
Dugongs
Sea turtles
Reef fish

Threats to the Reef
FISHING- both recreational and commercial
1) Destructive fishing
Cyanide-fishing is carried out by large-scale commercial operators and are used to collect aquarium fishes
Processes involves stunning all life where the chemical comes in contact, including corals
Overfishing is the most pervasive threat over ¾ of China’s reefs
Blast fishing
Illegal fishing

Lack of Conservation Efforts

HUMAN IMPACT
Tourism
Social-economic growth
Sewage
Stony coral for limestone is being used for raw building materials