Yuri Ya Latypov
Research work on reefs of open South-China Sea and clause bay (South Vietnam), and the Gulf of Thailand investigated in the beginning of the 80s of the previous century were conducted in 2005-2007. A distinct dependence of the level of coral communities’ degradation on their closeness to settlements and aquaculture areas were established. Appreciable changes due to anthropogenic impact have occurred on the reefs that are the nearest to the city. There was a reduction in substrate cover by reef-building corals, a substitution of dominant scleractinian species, and a decrease in the numbers and diversity of common species of corallobionts. The index of species diversity for scleractinian also decreased. The seaweeds Chnoospora and Halimeda spread into all zones of the reefs. Changes in coral communities on more distant and protected reefs were not so marked
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