Twenty-two annually banded samples of coral from 1977 to 1998 were collected from Daya Bay, South China Sea, and bomb ~(14)C concentrations were determined. The interannual variation of coral DELTA~(14)C is controlled mainly by oceanic factors. In ENSO years, the coastwise upwelling current of the South China Sea has been intensified; hence, the coral A14C displays its minimum value. The interannual variation curve of DELAT~(14)C in coral bears a relationship with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) curves: the correlation coefficient between DELAT~(14)C and (SOI)_ w is 0.43 and the correlation coefficient between DELAT~(14)C and (SOI)_y is 0.27. The coral DELAT~(14)C has no remarkable response to the variation of solar radiation energy. In the past 20 yr or so, the general situation and oceanic thermal structure of the South China Sea are still stable even though interannual variations in atmosphere-sea interaction and upwelling current driven by the tropical energy have occurred.
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