ISTANBUL

The Philippines on Monday claimed that marine life had suffered "extensive damages" in disputed waters allegedly frequented by Chinese vessels.

A new report by the Philippines' armed forces "exposed the severe damage inflicted upon the marine environment and coral reef in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal," said Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman of the Philippines Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea.

He said the coast guard launched missions to "conduct extensive underwater surveys" of the seabed in both the Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal on Aug. 9-Sept. 11.

"The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject West Philippines Sea features appeared lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life," said Tarriela.

China and Philippines have overlapping claims in warm waters of the mineral-rich South China Sea, often resulting in disputes.

He added the coast guard monitored an average presence of about 33 Chinese vessels in the vicinity of the Rozul Reef and 15 Chinese vessels in the Escoda Shoal during the same period.

"The surveys conducted in Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of its underwater terrain.

"The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests a potential act of dumping, possibly involving the same dead corals that were previously processed and cleaned before being returned to the seabed," said the PCG spokesman.