The project addresses the essential questions regarding the global change research – how to identify, explain and predict the changes in the ecosystems of coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region under the natural and anthropogenic influence forcing?

The South China Sea, the greatest in Southeast Asia, is a strategic body of water that is surrounded by nations that are currently at the helm of industrialization and rapid economic growth in the region. Our project united the experience and knowledge of the scientists, managers and policy makers to synthesize the data on the physical environments together with the information on the biodiversity and reproductive potential of marine organisms for recognition of the risky changes in their populations and estimate its adaptive capacity under the global climate change. The project has fundamental relevance with APN Focus Activity being intended to promote the regional cooperative global change research via wide discussion and promotion of our results and conclusions at public and policy-making levels for developing the social-related policy options for the marine conservation.