Dredging in the Spratly Islands: Gaining Land but Losing Reefs.

• Published in: PLOS Biology
• Main Authors: Camilo Mora, Iain R Caldwell, Charles Birkeland, John W McManus
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016
• Subjects: Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002422; https://doaj.org/article/7510e9fd2ce6488096472949075db5ed

Coral reefs on remote islands and atolls are less exposed to direct human stressors but are becoming increasingly vulnerable because of their development for geopolitical and military purposes. Here we document dredging and filling activities by countries in the South China Sea, where building new islands and channels on atolls is leading to considerable losses of, and perhaps irreversible damages to, unique coral reef ecosystems. Preventing similar damage across other reefs in the region necessitates the urgent development of cooperative management of disputed territories in the South China Sea. We suggest using the Antarctic Treaty as a positive precedent for such international cooperation.