Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a significant driving factor of marine chemistry and coastal ecosystem evolution, and plays a very important role in the development and degradation of coral reefs due to supplying large loads of chemicals into the coastal ocean. This paper reviews the characteristics of SGD in coral reefs and the potential ecological environment effect. Meanwhile, the northern South China Sea was taken as an example to explore the dominant factors controlling the development and degradation of coral reefs, as well as the potential effects. Results show that the research on the long time serial variations of dynamic changes of SGD in coral reefs, especially in fringing reef areas, is quite weak; it is feasible to reconstruct the historical patterns of the annual fluxes of SGD in local seas by using the geochemical coral skeletons proxies; SGD is likely to be an important factor contributing to the degradation of coral reefs in the northern South China Sea, nevertheless SGD has received limited concerns and attentions from both governmental agencies and the public. The future researches should focus on the high-resolution coral records of SGD and chemicals it carries in coral reefs, explore the key processes and mechanisms of effects from SGD on the development and degradation of coral reefs, and then offer scientific and reasonable advice.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |