Growth variations of scleratinan corals at Luhuitou, Sanya, Hainan Island, and the impacts from human activities
海南三亚鹿回头造礁石珊瑚生长变化与人类活动的影响

Adopting permanent quadrat method recommended by Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network(GCRMN),we firstly carried out monitoring and researching on coral growth at the fringing reef area of Luhuitou,Sanya,Hainan Island.By establishing ten permanent quadrats,scleratinan coral growth was measured in Dec.2003,Apr.2004,Sep.2004 and Apr.2005,respectively.Human activities along the coast and their impacts on corals were also investigated over this period.The results show a steadily increasing trend over the study period at the northeastern reef area and a declining trend at the central and southern areas.The average living coral cover in the four quadrats at the northeastern reef area is 3.1% and dead 1.3%;while in the five quadrats at the central and the southern areas the average living coral cover is 2.2% and dead 7.9%.Coral recruitment in the ten quadrats is less than 1 colony /m2 averagely and it contributes little to the total coral growth cover.During the study period,two types of human impacts on the coral growth were identified,they are from physical damage and seawater pollution.The former results from catching fish,bombing fish,boat anchoring,scuba diving,etc.;and the later is mainly caused by sewage discharging from the aquafarms and restaurants along the coast and it directly resulted in the observed coral death in the quadrats at the central and southern area.The pollution degree strongly correlates with the amount of discharging of the nearby aquafarms and restaurants.