Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a joint academic platform of South China Sea Institute of Oceanology and Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Founded in September, 2003. South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences has engaged in the study of marine geological and geophysical for five decades. With a variety of advanced marginal instruments and well-equipped geophysical survey ship, the institute has collected abundant observation data and obtained a series of fruitful achievements in geological structure, geophysical exploration, paleo-ocean environmental change and so on in the South China Sea. Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry has specialized in the research on organic geochemistry, isotope geochemistry and geologic geochemistry for a long time. It owns first-class testing instrument and is strong in the field of geochemistry and geotectonics.

The foundation of Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences has furnished a comprehensive study platform to establish a talented team, stimulate cooperation between experts of multiple disciplines and effective exploitation of advanced equipments, and increased their creative ability in the study of the geodynamics in the continental margin and marginal sea.

The Key Laboratory has chiefly three study directions, 1) the lithosphere structure and the evolution process of the marginal sea; 2) paleoenvironment change in response to the global change; 3) distribution of mineral resources and new exploration technology to explore them. It aims to make foundational, strategic and visionary contributions in developing theory of interior and exterior geodynamic, and global change, promoting marine economy, predicting the environmental change, and safeguarding of the national maritime rights and interests.

The division of the South China Sea Institute has now 38 research scientists including 10 research fellows of which 9 are doctoral supervisors, 11 associate researchers, and 16 assistant researchers. Additionally, there are 50 graduate students, and 4 postdoctoral researchers.

The division of the South China Sea Institute comprises nine research groups: micro palaeontology and paleo-oceanic environment, environmental records of coral reef, marine carbonate sedimentation, environmental geochemistry, applied seismic, geotectonics and modeling, lithospheric structure, comprehensive geophysics and thermal evolution of the lithosphere, and paleo-magnetism.

The Lab has ca. 50 ongoing scientific research projects, among which 2 majors and 26 generals granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 3 of National Key Technologies R&D Program, 3 of National Basic Research Program of China (973), 1 of the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863), 1 of the Public Welfare marine Programme manipulated by the State Oceanic Administration, and 7 of Chinese Academy of Sciences Knowledge Innovation Program, with the funds totaled ca. 45,000,000 RMB.

In the recent years, The Lab has published 70 SCI(EI) papers, including 20 papers in the high influence factor journals, such as EPSL, GRL, GJI, PPP, Quaternary Science Reviews, Paleoceanography and Global and Planetary change.