Introduction

College Profile: School of Marine Sciences at Guangxi University was founded in Sep 2014 and is also the affiliation for the Coral Reef Research Center of China (established in March of the same year). Marine Science discipline of Guanxi University was listed on the“First-Class Academic Disciplines Group Construction” in Sep 2017, as a supporting discipline of the Civil Engineering and Advanced Materials subject group.The college's distinctive research field is the system science study of coral reefs, which includes 4 aspects: Marine Geology and Environment, Marine Environment and Chemistry, Marine Biology and Ecology, Physical Oceanography and Remote Sensing. Since its establishment, the college has conducted comprehensive scientific surveys, major theoretical innovations and applied technology research and development on the high seas and coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific andSouth China Sea (SCS) for more than 10 years, mainly focusing on coral reefs and global change issues, especially on the international frontiers of coral reef research and resource development and utilization.

The school currently hosts about 52 members, including 40 faculty (3 professors and 18 associate professors), who contribute to 40 master's and 5 doctoral supervisors within Guanxi University. Members include: Academic Member of the Central Science and Technology Commission of the Ministry of Education, P.R.C.; Chief scientist of the National Basic Research Program of China (No.973); Innovation leader of the“National Plan for Ten Thousand Talent Program; Distinguished professor of“Cheung Kong Scholar” by the Ministry of Education; Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) Distinguished Young Scholar; Holder of“Trans/New Century Talents” by the Ministry of Education; Young and middle-aged leading scientists, engineers and innovators; Specialist who enjoy the special allowance of the State Council.

The Photo of all Staff in School of Marine Science, Guangxi University

Discipline Construction

Marine scienceas the undergraduate program and Marine Biological Resources and Environmental Protection for doctoral and master's degree programs (as secondary discipline) were approved to be established in 2016, and acquiring master’s degree conferring authority in 2017 (as first-level discipline). In 2024, Marine Science Elite Class of our college was selected as the training base for outstanding students in basic disciplines at the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region level. We also offer a specialized course in coral reef science, based on the textbook - “Introduction to the Sciences of Coral Reefs”, compiled by the team led by Dean Professor Yu Kefu and is the first textbook on coral reef science in China to date.Professor Yu and other team members were also responsible for the Integration of Scientific Research and Education in Marine Science for the SCS and Island Coral Reefs: Constructing and Practising a Model for Cultivating Marine Science Research Talents” project, which won thefirst prize of Guangxi Higher Education (Undergraduate) Autonomous Region Level Teaching Achievement Awards in 2023.Another blockbuster book“Coral Reef Formation, Evolution and Environmental Changes in Xisha Islands: Records from a Kilometre-Long Borehole” was published in 2024. It has valuable materials and comprehensive content with numerous images, and could serve as an ideal reference book for earth sciences and other related disciplines.

TheFirstPrize of Guangxi Higher Education (Undergraduate) Autonomous Region Level Teaching Achievement Awards in 2023

Introduction to the Sciences of Coral Reefs (Yu, 2018)

Coral Reef Formation, Evolution and Environmental Changes in Xisha Islands: Records from a Kilometre-Long Borehole (Yu et al., 2024)

Research

Since its establishment, School of Marine Sciences has hosted 187 scientific research projects (with a total funding of 25.4 million USD), including Major Program of Joint Fund of the NSFC (410,000 USD), Major Program of NSFC (550,000 USD), Key Program of NSFC (420,600 USD), Innovation-Driven Development of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi's“nine business cards”Project, 3.86 million USD), Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Special Project (Guangxi Academician Reserve Training Project for the First Batch of Candidates Supporting Project, 1.79 million USD) and Marine Ecological Restoration Fund of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCCPC, 9.64 million USD), etc. Relying on the above projects, we have made significant progress in:

· The formation and evolution of coral reefs and their record of environmental changes.

· Coral reef responses to global change and human activities.

· Theory and technology of coral reef ecological restoration etc.

A total of 569 papers have been published (375 papers retrieved by Science Citation Index, SCI), including 86 papers in the Chinese Academy of Sciences ranking Q1 and 137 papers in Q2. Related research have received 54 awards and honours, including the First and Second Prizes of the Guangxi Science Award and the First Prize of the Guangxi Technological Innovation Award. Over the past 8 years, faculty and students have conducted coral reef restoration on Weizhou Island and built up the only natural sea restoration demonstration area that is open to the public in China (2,000 m²). By 2024, there has been a newly added 30 hectares coral reef restoration area in Weizhou Island. Based on that, it has generated 17 invention patents and 9 utility models related to coral reef protection and restoration.

Frist Month	Ninth Month	Two years

Coral Reef Ecological Restoration in Natural Marine Region in Weizhou Island in Beihai, Guangxi Province, China

Research Platform Construction

Nowadays thenationwide integrated platform for scientific research, teaching and internship practicefocused on coral reef disciplines in Chinahas been established, which includes:

· The onlyProvincialKeyLaboratory dedicated to coral reef research in China —Guangxi Laboratoryon the Study of Coral Reef in theSCS

· Firstcoral reef-themed research and popular science museum in China —Marine Science and Education Museum of Guangxi University (1,300 m²)

· Longdong Experimental Station on Jinqing Island in Xisha

· Coral Reef Museum on Wezhou island (500 m)

· Island and Reef Ecological Restoration Laboratory (120 m²)

· Guangxi University SSI Diving Center, etc.

There are 21 undergraduate teaching laboratories (about1,900m2). Professional instruments in all platforms total 12.02 million USD, of which 540 sets of equipment for undergraduate teaching are worth about 1.6 million USD.This platformhas the most comprehensive, fully equipped, and advanced facilities dedicated to coral reef system science teaching and research in China. It has gradually become one of the most important vehicles and windows for education, research, and popular science work related to the SCS Coral Reef Ecology and Island Reef Engineering. Since its establishment, this integrated platform has attracted nearly 300,000 visitors and held nearly 100 popular science activities, directly benefiting over 8,000 people, which includes party and government leading cadres at various levels, expert groups, study tours, media reporters and teachers and students from primary, secondary, and higher education institutions, etc.

Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea

Marine Science and Education Museum, Guangxi University

Coral Reef Museum on WezhouIsland, School of Marine Science, Guangxi University

Island and Reef Ecological Restoration Laboratory, School of Marine Science, Guangxi University