An introductory study on composition and abundance of corals using an imaging survey technology in the South China Sea (Sanya, China)

Coral reefs are one of the important marine ecosystem in the oceans. This study evidenced the composition and abundance of coral communities in protected and non-protected areas in Sanya (Hainan, China). Our results showed that different localities have different communities of soft and/or stony corals. Regarding to our findings, Yalong Bay that it is under protection program represented high coverage of corals, especially soft corals. It is documented that protection program can be introduced as one of the major methods to preserve coral reefs. published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES