The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences (XMAS 2027)

In recent decades, the coral reefs around the coast of Hainan Island have undergone persistent degradation. The connectivity between coral reef regions is crucial for the natural resilience of coral reefs. A three-dimensional ocean hydrodynamic model was employed to simulate the hydrodynamic conditions and a Lagrangian particle tracking method was used to investigate coral larval dispersal pathways. Influenced by the current, coral larvae along the eastern coast of Hainan Island primarily disperse southward. With the current turning northward at mid-May, the larvae are carried and disperse northward. In contrast, coral larvae released from the western coral reefs mainly disperse northward and finally reach the coast of Guangxi. Coral reef connectivity is stronger in the eastern Hainan Island than that in the western Hainan Island. In addition, there is a limited connectivity between the eastern and western coral reefs of Hainan Island. The results is benefit for the coral reef protection around Hainan Island.