Introduction
The primary objective of the Research Project was to provide baseline information for further research on marine ecosystems and biodiversity of insular geographic features in the South China Sea (SCS). It involved a satellite image-based mapping of all visible insular geographic features in the SCS, including natural and man-made features, description of their geographic characteristics, natural coastal and marine habitats as well as land cover. Sea-level variations were also studied and taken into account in the mapping and analysis. The geographic scope encompassed all the insular features in the central deep basin of the SCS, including the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal. It excludes the coastlines of the bordering States.
Investigations were carried out by a pluri-disciplinary research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in physical oceanography and sea level modelling, remote sensing science applied to bathymetry calculation and marine habitat mapping as well as geography, marine ecology and marine policy. The main research centres involved were the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP), the Physical Oceanography Lab of the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and the Centre for International Law (CIL), the primary coordinator of the Project. The entire deep basin of the South China Sea was first studied using Landsat imagery to select all visible shallow geographic features (generally defined to be not more than 10-20m deep). The selected features were then studied using high resolution satellite data acquired for the Project. The Research Project was carried out between October 2014 and July 2016.
Each shallow feature has been the subject of:
- calculation of depth;
- study of sea level variations over that feature;
- identification of marine habitat type and land cover classification;
- integration of these data into a descriptive summary.
The results of the study are summarised in 139 Description Sheets that can be accessed below by clicking directly on the name of the relevant geographic feature listed alphabetically or as marked out on the Maps of the Northern and Southern parts of the South China Sea. The following documents can also be accessed by clicking on their name: The Legends, a Readers’ Guide, a Glossary of the Terms used, the Methodology, a Table of Features Studied with their corresponding names set out in Chinese (pinyin and characters), Filipino, Malay and Vietnamese languages and a Table of the Satellite Images reviewed for all features (including those that were considered to be not shallow enough to justify a study with high-resolution satellite data).
The results of the study can also be visualised on CRISP’s Online Research Mapping Tool (or ORMT platform) here.
For any questions on the Project or requests for metadata, please fill in the request form here.
Southern South China Sea
[su_row] [su_column size="1/2"]
| Geographic Feature | Independent Unit of Coral Formation |
| Alexandra Bank | Alexandra Bank |
| Alicia Annie Reef | Alicia Annie Reef |
| Alison Reef | Alison Reef |
| Amboyna Cay | Amboyna Cay |
| Amy Douglas Bank | Reed Tablemount |
| Ardasier Bank | Ardasier Bank |
| Ardasier Reef | Ardasier Bank |
| Baker Reef | Reed Tablemount |
| Bamford Reef | Union Reefs |
| Barque Canada Reef | Barque Canada Reef |
| Bombay Shoal | Bombay Shoal |
| Boxall Reef | Boxall Reef |
| Brown Bank | Brown, Leslie, Templer and Wood Banks |
| Central Reef | Central Reef |
| Collins Reef | Union Reefs |
| Commodore Reef | Commodore Reef |
| Comus Shoal | Comus Shoal |
| Cornwallis South Reef | Cornwallis South Reef |
| Cuarteron Reef | Cuarteron Reef |
| Dallas Reef | Dallas Reef |
| Discovery Great Reef | Discovery Great Reef |
| Discovery Small Reef | Discovery Small Reef |
| East Reef | East Reef |
| Eastern Reef | Thitu Reefs |
| Edmund Reef | Union Reefs |
| Eldad Reef | Tizard Bank |
| Empire Reef | Tizard Bank |
| Erica Reef | Erica Reef |
| Fiery Cross Reef | Fiery Cross Reef |
| First Thomas Shoal | First Thomas Shoal |
| Flat Island | Flat-Nanshan Islands Bank |
| Gaven Reefs | Tizard Bank |
| Gent Reef | Union Reefs |
| Grainger Bank | Grainger Bank |
| Grierson Reef | Union Reefs |
| Half Moon Shoal | Half Moon Shoal |
| Hallet Reef | Union Reefs |
| Hardy Reef | Hardy Reef |
| Hayes Reef | Hayes Reef |
| Higgens Reef | Union Reefs |
| Holiday Reef | Union Reefs |
| Hopkins Reef | Reed Tablemount |
| Hopps Reef | Hopps Reef |
| Hughes Reef | Union Reefs |
| Investigator Northeast Shoal | Investigator Northeast Shoal |
| Investigator Shoal | Investigator Shoal |
| Iroquois Reef | Reed Tablemount |
| Irving Reef | Irving Reef |
| Itu Aba | Tizard Bank |
| Jackson Atoll | Jackson Atoll |
| Johnson South Reef | Union Reefs |
| Jones Reef | Union Reefs |
| Kugui Reefs | Loaita Bank |
| Ladd Reef | Ladd Reef |
| Lankiam Cay | Loaita Bank |
| Lansdowne Reef | Unions Reefs |
| Leslie Bank | Brown, Leslie, Templer and Wood Banks |
| Livock Reef | Livock Reef |
| Loaita Bank Overall | Loaita Bank |
| Loaita Cay | Loaita Bank |
| Loaita Island | Loaita Bank |
[/su_column] [su_column size="1/2"]
| Geographic Feature | Independent Unit of Coral Formation |
| Loaita Nan | Loaita Bank |
| Loaita Bank Unnamed Reef 1 | Loaita Bank |
| Louisa Reef | Louisa Reef |
| Loveless Reef | Union Reefs |
| Luconia Breakers | South Luconia Shoals |
| Lys Shoal | Lys Shoal and Trident Shoal |
| Marie Louise Reef | Reed Tablemount |
| Maralie Reef | Maralie Reef |
| Mariveles Reef | Mariveles Reef |
| McKennan Reef | Union Reefs |
| Meijiu Reef | Thitu Reefs |
| Menzies Reef | Loaita Bank |
| Mischief Reef | Mischief Reef |
| Namyit Island | Tizard Bank |
| Nanshan Island | Flat-Nanshan Islands Bank |
| North Danger Reef Overall | North Danger Reef |
| North Luconia Shoals Overall | North Luconia Shoals |
| North Reef | North Danger Reef |
| Northeast Cay | North Danger Reef |
| Pearson Reef | Pearson Reef |
| Pennsylvania North Reef | Reed Tablemount |
| Petley Reef | Tizard Bank |
| Pigeon Reef | Pigeon Reef |
| Prince Consort Bank Overall | Prince Consort Bank |
| Prince of Wales Bank Overall | Prince of Wales Bank |
| Reed Tablemount and Nares Bank Overall | Reed Tablemount |
| Rifleman Bank Overall | Rifleman Bank |
| Ross Reef | Union Reefs |
| Royal Captain Shoal | Royal Captain Shoal |
| Royal Charlotte Reef | Royal Charlotte Reef |
| Sabina Shoal | Sabina Shoal |
| Sand Cay | Tizard Bank |
| Sandy Cay | Thitu Reefs |
| Scarborough Shoal | Scarborough Shoal |
| Seahorse Breakers | North Luconia Shoals |
| Seahorse Shoal | Seahorse Shoal |
| Second Thomas Shoal | Second Thomas Shoal |
| Sin Cowe Island | Union Reefs |
| South Luconia Shoals Overall | South Luconia Shoals |
| South Reef | North Danger Reef |
| Southern Bank | Southern Bank |
| Southwest Cay | North Danger Reef |
| Spratly Island | Spratly Island |
| Subi Reef | Subi Reef |
| Swallow Reef | Swallow Reef |
| Templer Bank | Brown, Leslie, Templer and Wood Banks |
| Tetley Reef | Union Reefs |
| Thitu Island | Thitu Reefs |
| Thitu Reefs Overall | Thitu Reefs |
| Tizard Bank Overall | Tizard Bank |
| Trident Shoal | Lys Shoal and Trident Shoal |
| Union Reefs Overall | Union Reefs |
| Union Reefs Unnamed Reef 1 | Union Reefs |
| Vanguard Bank Overall | Vanguard Bank |
| West Reef | West Reef |
| West York Island | West York Island |
| Western Reef | Western Reef |
| Whitsun Reef | Union Reefs |
| Wood Bank | Brown, Leslie, Templer and Wood Banks |
| Zhongzhou Reef | Tizard Bank |
[/su_column] [/su_row]
Northern South China Sea
[su_row] [su_column size="1/2"]
| Geographic Feature | Independent Unit of Coral Formation |
| Amphitrite Group Overall | Amphitrite Group |
| Antelope Reef | Crescent Group |
| Bombay Reef | Bombay Reef |
| Bremen Bank | Bremen, Jehangire and Neptuna Banks, Pyramid Rock and Lincoln Island |
| Crescent Group Overall | Crescent Group |
| Discovery Reef | Discovery Reef |
| Drummond Island | Crescent Group |
| Duncan Island | Crescent Group |
| Iltis Bank | Amphitrite Group |
| Jehangire Bank | Bremen, Jehangire and Neptuna Banks, Pyramid Rock and Lincoln Island |
| Kuangzai Cay | Crescent Group |
| Lincoln Island | Bremen, Jehangire and Neptuna Banks, Pyramid Rock and Lincoln Island |
| Macclesfield Bank | Macclesfield Bank |
| Middle Island | Amphitrite Group |
| Middle Sand | Amphitrite Group |
| Money Island | Crescent Group |
| Neptuna Bank | Bremen, Jehangire and Neptuna Banks, Pyramid Rock and Lincoln Island |
| North Island | Amphitrite Group |
[/su_column] [su_column size="1/2"]
| Geographic Feature | Independent Unit of Coral Formation |
| North Reef | North Reef |
| North Sand | Amphitrite Group |
| Observation Bank | Crescent Group |
| Palm Island | Crescent Group |
| Passu Keah | Passu Keah |
| Pattle Island | Crescent Group |
| Pyramid Rock | Bremen, Jehangire and Neptuna Banks, Pyramid Rock and Lincoln Island |
| Quanfu Island | Crescent Group |
| Robert Island | Crescent Group |
| Shi Yu | Crescent Group |
| South Island | Amphitrite Group |
| South Sand | Amphitrite Group |
| Tree Island | Amphitrite Group |
| Triton Island | Triton Island |
| Vuladdore Reef | Vuladdore Reef |
| West Sand | Amphitrite Group |
| Woody Island and Rocky Islet | Amphitrite Group |
| Xianshe Yu | Crescent Group |
| Yagong Island | Crescent Group |
| Yin Yu Zai | Crescent Group |
[/su_column] [/su_row]
Request for more information
We are happy to share habitat classification data for further research on the South China Sea. Timeframe to respond may vary. [ninja_form id=2]