Symposium of the 4th project of National Key Science Research Plan 2013CB956100 is held in Wuhan from May 12 to 13. 2013CB956100 is the Research on Response, Record and Adapting Countermeasures of Coral Reefs to Multi-scale Ocean Environment Changes in the South China Sea. The 4th project is Countermeasures to Evolution Trend and Sustainable Utilization of Coral Reefs in South China Sea. More than 20 researchers are present at the symposium.

As representative of the project team, researcher MENG Qiangshan makes a report about the project working progress in 2013 to 2014, he gives a comprehensive introduction to the project target, working progress, achievement breakthroughs and following work arrangement. Experts have further discussion on achievement advance, working target, dos and don’ts in the project; they put forward precious suggestions as well. Experts suggest that the project achievement should focus on integration between different projects and complementation between different research methods. Researchers should explain the engineering characteristics and evolution trend of coral reefs from different spatial scales. The protection and repairing of coral reefs should be improved basing on the characteristics of coral reefs. The coral reef project construction must be grounded on the target of ecological environment protection.