In order to determine incorporation of boron species, boron isotopic fractionation, and influence of trace elements on isotopic compositions of boron in corals (delta B-11(coral)), concentrations of Mg, Sr, Na, B and delta B-11(coral) in growing corals from the South China Sea were measured. Relative to seawater, Sr enriched while Mg depleted in corals in the South China Sea. Although the delta B-11(coral) values were different from various species and were not closely correlated with the element concentrations in corals in the South China Sea, Mg(OH)(2) existed in corals can result in high delta B-11(coral). Thus, it is necessary to examine the existence of Mg(OH)(2) and to choose the same species when delta 11B(coral) is used in the (delta B-11-pH proxy. Based on the measured delta B-11 values of corals and coexisting seawater as well as the seawater pH in the South China Sea, a new isotopic fractionation factor a(4-3) between B(OH)(4)(-) and B(OH)(3) was determined to be 0.979. Besides B(OH)(4)(-) into corals, our results showed that B(OH)(3) may also be incorporated into corals with variable proportions. The incorporation of B(OH)(3) into corals may challenge the hypothesis of delta 11B(coral) = delta B-11(4) resulting in increasing uncertainty to the calculated seawater pH values to the delta B-11-pH proxy. We suggested that a best-fit empirical equation between delta B-11 of bio-carbonates and seawater pH needs to be established by the precipitation experiments of inorganic carbonates or culture experiments of corals or foraminifera.