China discovers rare coral reef blue hole in the disputed Scarborough Shoal

AI Summary

China has discovered a rare marine blue hole coral reef within the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a contentious area in the South China Sea. The blue hole is a deep circular ocean sinkhole, distinct from most known blue holes formed on land during the last Ice Age.

China has identified a rare coral reef blue hole within the Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested feature in the South China Sea that is now a major flashpoint in the region. A marine blue hole is a deep, circular sinkhole in the ocean and is typically bright turquoise or emerald green. Unlike most of the world’s known blue holes – which were once caves on land thousands of years ago during the last Ice Age – the newly discovered marine blue hole within the Scarborough Shoal lagoon was formed by...