An innovative project, initiated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to study the key biological and geochemical processes of China?痵 offshore areas, has recently passed a verification check. Based on the morphological study of natural granularity, researchers studied the elements in offshore sediments and the associated ecological functions. Researchers for the first time unveiled the morphology of carbon, nitrogen, phosphor, and silicon in China?痵 offshore sediments, and their roles in the biological and geochemical cycles. Researchers found that 30.8% of the nitrogen, 19.2% of the phosphor, and 0.12% of the silicon in the sediments of the Bohai Sea can be part of the potential cycle. Researchers also derived from the sediments of the Yellow Sea the granularity structures of nitrogen in different forms. They found that the decomposing rate of the nitrogen in the sediments with coarse granularity is much faster than that with fine granularity. The sediments can provide 6.54%?-12.03% of the nitrogen needed for new productivity. Researchers also believe that the cumulation of silicon in sediments is a major player in constraining silicon for the growth of phytoplankton near the Jiaozhou Bay. They also found that human activities are the major causes for the cumulation of inorganic nitrogen in the sediments at the mouth of the Zhujiang River. The nitrogen flux from the sediments to seawaters is much higher at the mouth of the river than in deep ocean.

By studying the biological and geochemical cycles and nutritional dynamics of the coral reefs of the Nansha Archipelagos, researchers discovered a mechanism that allows the zooxanthellea to consume nutritional salts in an extravagant manner. They believe that the high productivity of the coral reefs there mainly depends on a sustained internal recycle process that is fast and highly efficient. They conclude that the fast reproduction of nutritional salts at the primary site makes the major supply for the coral reefs. In the meantime, the vertical transfer of chemicals is mainly realized through a biological process.

In addition, researchers found that in both springs and winters, the Yellow Sea , Bohai Sea, and East Sea are all the sinks of carbon dioxide, with an estimated amount of 13.69 million tons a year, while in summers they reverse to the source of carbon dioxide. The carbon that travels vertically through the sea-air cycle only leaves 13% of its traces in the sediments. The Jiaozhou Bay is a weak source for carbon dioxide, though with a seeming trend for increase. Researchers divided inorganic carbons in the sediments into different morphologies, and calculated their respective contributions to the marine carbon cycles. They discovered that HCI carbon is a major morphology representing a long-term existence in sediments, and makes the final destination for carbon dioxide.