ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Coral Reef Research
El Niño Enhances Coral Larval Dispersal Potential of Dongsha Island—A Biodiversity Hotspot in the South China Sea
1. South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, China
2. Shantou University, Shantou, China
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Abstract
Connectivity plays a critical role in sustaining the diversity and resilience of coral ecosystems. Dongsha Island, which exhibits extraordinarily high coral biodiversity and lies along a key pathway from the Coral Triangle to the South China Sea (SCS), has an unclear coral larval dispersal and demographic linkage with other coral reefs. Using biophysical simulations, this study depicts the spatiotemporal pattern of coral larval dispersal potential of Dongsha Island. Following a strong El Niño event, coral larval dispersal potential of Dongsha Island is expected to enhance toward the southwest, driven by intensified westward ocean currents. This finding highlights the influence of climate change on coral larval dispersal in the SCS from an air-sea dynamic perspective and underscores the pivotal role of Dongsha Island in the West Pacific marine ecosystem. Dongsha Island may act as a key modulatory node for connectivity of coral communities in the Coral Triangle and the SCS, particularly under changing climate conditions, as the frequency of super El Niño events is projected to increase.
Summary
Keywords
Biophysical simulation, coral reefs, Dongsha Island, El Ni ño, larval dispersal
Received
18 November 2025
Accepted
02 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Guo, Zhao and Lian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Meixia Zhao; Zhan Lian
Disclaimer
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