Carbonate content, carbonate mass accumulation rate (MAR), non-carbonate MAR, relative abundance of planktonic Foraminifera, coarse fraction, planktonic foraminiferal fragmentation, and relative abundance of benthic Foraminifera were determined from 1702 samples from the upper 465 m of Neogene sediments at ODP Site 1148 in the northern South China Sea. Carbonate content and carbonate MAR display a long-term decreasing trend since 24 Ma, with 4 high peaks at 24.0-15.8, 14.2-11.6, 10.6-4.8 and 4-0 Ma. The high carbonate content and carbonate MAR at 10.6-4.8 Ma is thought to be evidence of the occurrence of late Miocene to early Pliocene biogenic bloom in the South China Sea.