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This paper advances theoretical developments in critical toponymies through focusing on the renaming of South China Sea Islands and everyday use of names by fishermen in Hainan, China. Undergoing a series of historical renamings associated with European colonial influences and claims of sovereignty by the Chinese state, multiple official and vernacular toponymic systems co-exist and operate in complex ways in everyday life. By focusing on complexities in the everyday usage of these co-existing toponymic systems, this paper develops calls in the literature to engage with a more complex understanding of the operation of power in naming beyond a focus on a power/resistance dichotomy. Whilst acknowledging the role of political power, it develops this by analysing how renaming is also influenced by social and demographic change, developments in other areas such as heritage, and technological changes, which have received scant attention in the critical toponymies literature. The paper explores the naming of oceanic features to shift the focus of analysis away from the literature's concentration on cities and street names. Overall, the paper argues for a more nuanced and diversified approach to analyzing critical toponymies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to present carbon monoxide (CO) emissions trends from January 2019 to June 2021 in Southeast Asian waters and the South China Sea (SEA-SCS). Using securitization theory, the data obtained from geospatial analysis was the basis for constructing CO as a threat. The results showed high CO density in the region due to economic activities that caused pressure on the marine air environment. Unfortunately, this has not been explicitly discussed in regional maritime cooperation, even though the states and territories bordering these waters are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. This article argues that securitizing CO as a threat represents substantial progress in the environmental- political cooperation in the SCS and surrounding waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides information about the distributional range extensions of two fish species, Onigocia grandisquama and Soleichthys siammakuti, in the South China Sea. It discusses the first recorded instances of Onigocia grandisquama in Malaysia and Soleichthys siammakuti in Malaysia and the Philippines. The document describes the characteristics of Soleichthys siammakuti, including its unique color pattern and variations in count and measurement values among the specimens. It also acknowledges the need for further research and identification based on voucher specimens. [Extracted from the article]

The genus Metridia Boeck, 1864 is widely distributed in the global ocean, but only 9 species of Metridia have been recorded from the China seas. Here we report the rare copepod Metridia bicornuta Davis, 1949 for the first time for the South China Sea. One specimen was collected from the southern basin of the South China Sea (13°0.21′N 113°0.21′E) at depths of 500-800 m. Females of this species differ from those of congeneric species by the following features: (i) Prosome 1.5 times as long as urosome; (ii) forehead with lateral points projecting on both sides; (iii) genital somite 1.8 times as long as the second somite; (iv) distal segment of fifth swimming leg (P5) with a small outer marginal spine and 3 subequal robust terminal setae. This finding expands the known global distribution of M. bicornuta , and increases the number of copepod species in the China seas. Résumé: Le genre Metridia Boeck, 1864 est largement réparti dans l'océan mondial, mais seulement 9 espèces de Metridia ont été rapportées des mers de Chine. Nous signalons ici la présence du copépode rare Metridia bicornuta Davis, 1949 en mer de Chine méridionale pour la première fois. Un spécimen a été collecté du bassin Sud de la Mer de Chine méridionale (13°0.21′N 113°0.21′E) à la profondeur de 500-800 m. Les femelles de cette espèce diffèrent de celles des autres espèces du genre par les caractères suivants : (i) Prosome 1,5 fois aussi long que l'urosome ; (ii) partie frontale avec des pointes latérales faisant saillie des deux côtés ; (iii) somite génital 1,8 fois aussi long que le deuxième somite ; (iv) segment distal de la cinquième patte natatoire (P5) avec une petite épine marginale externe et 3 soies terminales robustes subégales. Cette trouvaille étend la répartition mondiale connue de M. bicornuta , et augmente le nombre des espèces de copépodes des mers de Chine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of deep-sea shrimp, Bathypalaemonella liui sp. nov., is described from the seamount of the South China Sea at a depth of 759–1117 m. Bathypalaemonella liui sp. nov. is most similar to B. hayashi Komai, 1995 and B. serratipalma Pequegnat, 1970 for the flexor margin of the major second pereopod bearing a row of tubercles. Important morphological characters which differentiate the present new species from B. hayashi and B. serratipalma are the length of the rostrum, which is far exceeding the scaphocerite, and the dactylus of the posterior three pereopods, which only bear one pair of accessory spines. Moreover, the genetic divergences of the COI and 16S rRNA genes from these two congeners analysed, clearly support the new taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 90% of gas hydrates are buried in fine-grained sediments, especially in the South China Sea. The potential instability of fine-grained sediments induced by hydrate dissociation requires investigation of the shear strength and pore pressure response of sediments during hydrate recovery. To date, most studies have focused on the undrained mechanical behavior of gas hydrate–bearing sand or gas hydrate–free clay — few studies have examined gas hydrate–bearing fine-grained sediments. Because of the low-permeability and water-saturated characteristics of the sediments in the South China Sea, a series of undrained triaxial shear tests were performed on water-saturated methane hydrate-bearing clayey–silty sediments in this area. The experimental results show that the failure strength of methane hydrate–bearing sediments (MHBSs) increases with the increase in hydrate saturation and initial effective mean stress. The excess pore-water pressure of MHBSs remains positive during shear. Cohesion in the Mohr–Coulomb model increases with the increase in hydrate saturation, while the internal friction angle in the Mohr–Coulomb model has little dependence on the hydrate saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's claim to a large part of the South China Sea (SCS) is indicated by a specific cartographic convention, the U-shaped (or dashed) line, shown on its official maps. The line has become an important element in Western popular discourse concerning the geopolitics of the SCS. This paper argues that the cartographic re-presentation of the U-shaped line in the Western press contributes to an 'orientalist' conception that portrays China as 'other'; as aggressive and unwilling to 'play by the rules', and a portrayal of the whole region as potentially unstable. Its re-circulation may, however, work to China's advantage by reinforcing cartographic precedent and creating a specific 'geographic imagination' of the SCS. Maps are regarded as an important element in the 'spectacle of fear' propagated by the West, with the representations of the SCS shown to be part of a wider use of maps by the press to cover issues related to geopolitics and conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the specific properties of the marine environment, marine microorganisms have exclusive physicochemical characteristics that are different from those of terrestrial microorganisms, which can produce various secondary metabolites (SMs) with considerable structural diversity and biological activity. In this study, three strains of coepiphytic Aspergillus with potential antibacterial activities, A7 (Aspergillus flavus), B27 (Aspergillus flavipes), and R12 (Aspergillus sydowii), were isolated from the South China Sea. Via the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform, the genomes of the three strains were sequenced, and genome comparison showed the highest diversity of the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in A7. In addition, a comparison of physiological and genomic characteristics between A7 and other A. flavus strains demonstrated the superior environmental adaptability of A7, which is apparently consistent with the genetic richness of BGCs. By assigning reads to known BGCs, putative BGCs were allocated in A7 that corresponded to various SMs, including naphthopyrone, pyranonigrin E, and cyclopiazonic acids. Based on gene homology analysis, we surmise that a region is involved in the biosynthesis of ustiloxin-like RiPPs, a less thoroughly studied SM in fungi. Our results provide genetic information for the investigation of marine Aspergillus spp., which may help to elucidate their chemical diversity and adaptive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work utilized partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) to study Red Sea populations of threadfin breams (Nemipteridae), and compare their genetic diversity to that of Mediterranean Sea (Nemipterus randalli only) and Indo-Pacific populations. A Maximum Likelihood tree separated four fish species — N. randalli, N. japonicus, N. bipunctatus, and N. zysron — into four clades. Haplotype analyses revealed a strong case of the founder effect for the Lessepsian migrant N. randalli: Three haplotypes represented all sampled geographical ranges in the Mediterranean Sea and only one haplotype was shared with a Red Sea individual, presenting evidence that the colonizing population was founded by a small number of migrants. The Red Sea population of N. japonicus shared haplotypes with Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean populations, but South China Sea populations remained fully isolated. The haplotype networks of N. randalli and N. bipunctatus also revealed haplotype sharing between Red Sea and Indian Ocean populations. For N. zysron, one haplotype was shared between Indonesia and the Persian Gulf. We discuss the impact of continued usage of public database sequences of initially misidentified organisms and provide recommendations for avoiding distribution of sequences with incorrect scientific names. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the time-dependent deformation behaviour of backfill coral sand is important to the long-term stability of engineering facilities built on reefs and reclaimed land. A series of one-dimensional compression tests (with no lateral strain) were carried out on crushed coral sand with a variety of grading and relative densities (50%, 70%, and 90%) sampled from the South China Sea. Axial pressure was applied in stepped loading form: 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 kPa. Each level loading was applied for 3 days and then completely unloaded until the deformation was stable, after which the next loading level was applied. The test results indicate: (i) the deformation of coral sand is much larger than silica sand and involves a larger proportion of time-dependent and plastic deformation; (ii) the total deformation of coral sand and proportion of irreversible deformation decreases as the relative density increases; (iii) coral sands of better grading tend to deform less in total and have larger proportions of elastic and time-dependent deformation; and (iv) the grading of coral sand changes during the deformation process due to particle breakage. Based on the test results, the relationships between particle breakage and pressure, relative density, and grading, as well as the grain-scale mechanism of the deformation, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taiwan Strait, located between Taiwan Island and the southeast of the mainland of China, is the main passageway connecting the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The particular coastline of the mainland created several semi-enclosed embayments along the west coast of the Taiwan Strait. Runoffs from land bring large amounts of nutrients into the bays, which made these bays important natural spawning and breeding grounds for several economically important marine organisms. In order to reveal the effects of the China Coastal Current (CCC) on the zooplankton communities in Fuqing Bay in northeastern Fujian, zooplankton samples were collected at 12 stations in early March 2014. The average surface seawater temperature was 12.53 ± 0.14°C, and salinity was 28.33 ± 0.21 PSU in the investigation area during the research period. In total, 23 identified copepod species and in addition several unidentified benthic harpacticoid copepods were recorded with an average abundance of 77.44 ± 60.07 ind. m−3. In the present study, the most dominant group consisted of juveniles (copepodites) with an average density of 59.97 ± 51.49 ind. m−3, which was followed by Calanus sinicus Brodsky, 1965 with an average density of 5.04 ± 4.95 ind. m−3. The occurrence rate of Calanus sinicus was 91.67% in our study, which indicates that the research area was controlled by the CCC water mass. So, we concluded that the CCC played an important role in transporting cold water copepod species from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea to the western Taiwan Strait. A noteworthy discovery in our samples was Eurytemora pacifica Sato, 1913, which was recorded for the first time in waters of the western Taiwan Strait with an occurrence rate of 33.33% and an average density of 0.81 ± 1.91 ind. m−3. Eurytemora pacifica was first reported at Yantai harbour and is widely distributed in waters of the northern Pacific Ocean. The co-occurrence of Calanus sinicus and Eurytemora pacifica in our research area possibly indicates that E. pacifica could be used as a bioindicator for the directional movement of the CCC. The high occurrence of this species in our research area indicated that the CCC affects the community structure of copepods in the western Taiwan Strait in early spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northeastern region off Taiwan exhibits a high marine diversity favoured by the influence of northern and subtropical water masses driven by the East China Sea Water and the Kuroshio current (KC), respectively. A total of 87 species of copepods representing 36 genera were identified in present study. Calanoida was the most dominant order, while Temora turbinata (Dana, 1849), Paracalanus parvus (Claus, 1863) and Ditrichocorycaeus affinis (McMurrich, 1916) appeared as most dominant species. However, we noticed the unusual presence of the copepod Calanoides philippinensis Kitou & Tanaka, 1969 in concurrence with the dominant influence of KC, which suggests a larger intrusion of South China Sea (SCS) waters into the northeast Taiwan region. C. philippinensis is an exclusive species of the warm subtropical Pacific waters. Its presence in the northern Taiwan region may reflect a larger intrusion of warm SCS waters. We therefore suggest its potential use as a bioindicator of southern, tropical waters in the northern Taiwan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the Pleistocene of South-east Asia, the 'savannah corridor' hypothesis put forward by Lawrence Heaney in 1991 on the basis of a few pollen records rightly aroused a certain amount of enthusiasm and was the source of many attempts to confirm or refute a significant regression in forest cover, depending on the taxa considered, during the Last Glacial Maximum. The work carried out to verify this hypothesis used a number of tools, including palaeontology, the results of which seem to us to have been greatly embellished given the paucity of reliable data available. Indeed, it is clear that the hypothesis concerns a geographical area that is largely inaccessible today, located at a depth of 120 meters in the South China Sea, and that the faunal assemblages taken into account remain imperfectly defined to allow such a hypothesis to be tested. We provide a summary of the main work carried out to date and a critical assessment of the articles published over the last few decades. It emerges that the fossil series considered (essentially mammals) are neither well chronologically set nor well defined from a taphonomic point of view, notably because they are based on unsatisfactory references, which are themselves poorly dated or based on mixtures of different faunas. These shortcomings also call into question the renewed and attractive hypothesis of the flexibility of the diet and change of habitat (ecological niche) of certain taxa, based on isotopic analyses, as recently proposed. We advocate the implementation of systematic fine excavations that take into account the taphonomy of the sites, but also show that progress has been made to go further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specimens previously identified as Bathyconchoecia paulula sensu Yin & Chen, 1991 and Bathyconchoecia galerita sensu Yin & Chen, 1991, together with two similar specimens, are reclassified as a new species, Bathyconchoecia incisa sp. nov., which we describe and illustrate in detail here. The present species is similar to Bathyconchoecia sagittarius and Bathyconchoecia kornickeri in having a shallow notch on the posterodorsal corner of the carapace, but can be easily distinguished from these species by the structure of the posterior margin of the carapace and the striated sculpturing on the surface of the valves. The specimens on which this new classification was based were collected at shallow depths (<125 m) off the east coast of Hainan Island, in the northern South China Sea and in the Zengmu (James) Shoal and adjacent areas in the southern South China Sea. B. incisa is likely to be a shallow-water species or has a wide bathymetric range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial patterns of planktonic ciliate communities were studied to monitor marine water quality during winter, spring, summer, and autumn of 2014 in Daya Bay, South China Sea. A total of 41 species, with eight dominant species, were identified. Multivariate and univariate analyses demonstrated that spatial taxonomic pattern of planktonic ciliate communities was significantly correlated with environmental condition; ciliate abundance, species diversity, and species richness were significantly correlated with NO3- and salinity or temperature. Additionally, two dominant species ( Tintinnopsis minuta Wailes, 1925 and Tintinnopsis beroidea Stein, 1867) were significantly positively correlated with nutrients, particularly with nitrogen nutrients. Three dominant species ( Strombidium conicum (Lohmann, 1908) Wulff, 1919; Spirotontonia turbinata (Song & Bradbury, 1998) Agatha, 2004; Laboea strobila Lohmann, 1908) showed more sensitivity to salinity, whereas Mesodinium rubrum (Lohmann, 1908) was significantly correlated with temperature. Our findings suggest that planktonic ciliate communities can be considered a favorable bioindicator of marine water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven-year time series data gathered by the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) for chlorophylla (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature (SST) were collected. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition and kriging interpolation were applied to capture the main variations of Chl-a and SST. The results showed that Chl-a and SST exhibited four basic patterns: (i) Chl-a and SST were relatively well correlated (R2=0.48) and had a converse season cycle. (ii) The coastal regions were characterized by high Chl-a concentrations and low SST, whereas the open sea area had relatively low Chl-a concentrations and high SST. (iii) Chl-a and SST showed a seasonal pattern for almost every category. In summer, Chl-a concentrations were relatively low (<0.2 mg.m-3) and SST was high (>27°C); in spring and autumn, Chl-a concentrations and SST were dominated by values of 0.1-0.2 mg.m-3 and 25-29°C, respectively; in winter, Chl-a concentrations were relatively high (0.2-0.4 mg.m-3), and SST was low (<27°C). (iv) The EOF mode for the variations in Chl-a and SST in the northern South China Sea (SCS) regions accounts for approximately two thirds of the total variance. This study demonstrated that the EOF could provide a preliminary quantification of synoptic Chl-a and SST distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a geographical information system (GIS)-based method for depicting the characteristics, particularly the internal structures and evolutionary processes, of mesoscale eddies. This was done by examining topologic relations among closed sea surface height (SSH) contours that were reconstructed from the Naval Research Laboratory Navy layered ocean model (NLOM). Different scenarios of the topological relations among the contour lines permitted the identification of the outermost outline of eddies and the depiction of the number of cores in each mesoscale oceanic eddy. With full consideration of the internal structure of the eddies, we then reconstructed the evolutionary processes of these eddies, and the results were compared with empirical observations on three long-lived mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea (SCS). Tracking results were similar, thereby validating our method as being efficient and robust in reconstructing mesoscale ocean eddies, especially their evolutionary processes based on their internal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideology is a major issue in Translation Studies. With a case study of the Chinese translations of English news headlines concerning the South China Sea disputes on the website of www.ftchinese.com, this paper attempts to provide insights into the translation of ideologies in news in the Chinese context. In the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, the ideological factors underlying the disparity between the English news headlines and their Chinese translations are explored. The three-dimensional model of analysis put forward by Fairclough is modified and adopted in this paper as the basic steps of analysis: firstly, describe the differences between the original and their translations; secondly, associate them with the social reality; finally, account for those differences. In addition, to demonstrate how translators maneuvered to reach a compromise with the antagonistic ideologies which may set difficulties either for the news to win the acceptance of Chinese online readers or pass the Chinese government censorship, this paper offers an analysis of the translation strategies adopted in those Chinese translations, such as substitution, omission as well as the more subtle strategies, including changes of modality and actor. It is found that in the Chinese translations of the English news headlines, translators' priority is on producing translations suitable to target readers and censors' ideology, rather than linguistic equivalents. Therefore, translating ideology-loaded texts adds a new way to understand translation and ideological explorations in Translation Studies have great potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of deep-water barnacle belonging to the family Poecilasmatidae is described from the South China Sea. Glyptelasma dentatum sp. nov. differs from its congeners in having an inwardly projecting tooth on either side of the internal median concavity of the basally expanded margins of the carina. Information on distribution and a key to the world's species of Glyptelasma are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ces dernières années, la Chine a rapidement élaboré une stratégie sophistiquée de régionalisme en Asie orientale, dont le désir d'apaiser les inquiétudes concernant une « menace chinoise » dans la région a été une préoccupation centrale. Malheureusement, la montée de la tension due aux conflits territoriaux en mer de Chine (Iles Diaoyu/Senkaku) et en mer de Chine méridionale qui aboutirent à une série d'exercices navals dans la deuxième moitié de 2010, devait renforcer les appréhensions des pays voisins et mener à l'adoption de stratégies de couverture par les États de la région. La Chine est bien consciente de sa faiblesse relative, et elle a choisi de garder ses options ouvertes en laissant l'ASEAN prendre l'initiative [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model has been established on the origin and extent of fresh groundwater, salty paleowaters and saltwater from recent seawater intrusions in the Red River flood plain in Vietnam. This was done with geological observations, geophysical borehole logging and transient electromagnetic methods. Salt paleowater is present up to 50-75 km from the coastline, with occurrence controlled by the Holocene transgression. A density-driven leaching of salty porewater has occurred from high-permeability Holocene sediments into underlying Pleistocene deposits, whereas diffusion has dominated in low-permeability layers. In the Pleistocene aquifer, the highest content of dissolved solids is found below two intrinsic valleys with Holocene marine sediments and along the coastline. Recent intrusion of saltwater from the South China Sea is observed in shallow groundwater 35 km inland, probably a result of transport of salty water inland in rivers or leaching of paleowaters from very young near-coast marine sediments. The observed inverted salinity profile, with high saline water overlying fresher groundwater, has been formed due to the global eustatic sea-level changes during the last 8,000-9,000 years. The proposed model may therefore be applicable to other coastal aquifers, with a proper incorporation of the local geological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]