Director: Prof. ZHANG Si 

　　Address: 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, P. R. China 

　　Tel: 86-20-89023011 

　　Fax: 86-20-84451672 

　　E-mail: kyc@scsio.ac.cn 

　　Website: english.scsio.cas.cn 

　　The South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) was founded in 1959. It is one of the largest marine research institutes in China and is also a participant in CAS’s Knowledge Innovation Program.  

　　The key disciplinary areas at SCSIO are tropical marine environmental dynamics and ecosystems; marginal sea geological evolution and energy resources; sustainable utilization of tropical marine biological resources; and monitoring of the marine environment. 　　 

　　The institute’s research focuses on the structure and evolution of the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in tropical marginal seas and their interaction with each other; the influence of these interactions on natural resources and environmental change; and the development of a unique model for the South China Sea in order to understand its environment and exploit its marine resources. The institute has also conducted research on marine mineral and biological resources, marine engineering, and marine environmental appraisal and forecasting.  

　　SCSIO houses the State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, the CAS Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Marine Bioresources, the CAS Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology (cofounded with the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry), and the CAS Key Laboratory of Sustainable Tropical Marine Biology Resources. It is also home to the Open Laboratory of Marine Observation and Research and the Center for Marine Environmental Engineering.  

　　Other facilities include the Hainan Tropical Marine Life Experimental Station, the Marine Biology Research Station at Daya Bay, the Marine Economic Animal Research Station of Zhanjiang City, and the Marine Plant Research Station of Shantou City. SCSIO has two research vessels, Shiyan 2 and Shiyan 3, which are capable of carrying out large-scale oceanographic surveys. The institute is also acquiring a new small-waterplane-area twin hull (SWATH) ship for research purposes. In addition, SCSIO has a Tropical Marine Biology Specimen Hall and an Information Service Center.  

　　The institute has 590 staff members, including 79 senior researchers, 83 Ph.D. advisers. The institute has recruited 24 scientists through the CAS Hundred Talent Program fellows, of whom seven receive support through the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.  

　　SCSIO offers Ph.D. programs in marine biology, physical oceanography, marine geology, marine chemistry, and environmental science, as well as six master’s programs. It has nearly 300 graduate students. In addition, the institute also has a postdoctoral research program that hosts over 50 postdoctoral research fellows and visiting scientists.  

　　SCSIO has received 238 national, CAS, provincial and municipal awards. The institute has also made 400 patent applications and been granted 245 patents. In recent years, SCSIO scientists have published 541 SCI papers. SCSIO has led or participated in over 200 research projects funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” Program), the National High-Tech Development Program of China (“863” Program) and other national programs.  

　　The institute has engaged in collaboration with institutions from more than 40 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Australia and countries in Europe. SCSIO has also strengthened its relationship with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries around the South China Sea. SCSIO undertakes more than 150 consulting or cooperative projects annually. 

　　SCSIO is the first Chinese marine research institute to be awarded ISO9002 Quality System Authentication and is qualified to assess the environmental impact of coastal development and to survey marine engineering projects. SCSIO hosts the Marine Physics Branch of the Chinese Society of Oceanology, the Guangdong Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and the Guangdong Society of Oceanography. It also publishes the Chinese periodical Journal of Tropical Oceanography.