China discovers rare coral reef blue hole in disputed Scarborough Shoal
Beijing has used law enforcement patrols and scientific study to boost its control over the contested South China Sea area
A marine blue hole is a deep, circular sinkhole in the ocean and is typically bright turquoise or emerald green.
Unlike most of the world’s known blue holes – which were once caves on land thousands of years ago during the last ice age – the newly discovered marine blue hole within the Scarborough Shoal lagoon was formed by the natural growth of a coral reef, a report published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said on Thursday.
Chinese researchers identified a wealth of marine life in and around the blue hole, which dates back at least 3,200 years, according to the report. The discovery is expected to offer fresh insights into the geological evolution and environmental history of the shoal.
Sitting about 230km (143 miles) off the Philippine coast and about 874km from southern China’s Hainan province, Scarborough Shoal is a triangular-shaped reef formation around a lagoon. It is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, which also claims the feature.