Morphological comparison and molecular marker screening of three Skeletonema species found in Changjiang(Yangtze)River Basin

In our recent investigations of diatom diversity,we studied three species,namely,Skeletonema costatum,Skeletonema subsalsum,and Skeletonema potamos.Although they have been found frequently in Changjiang(Yangtze)River Basin,their morphological and molecular identification is difficult in taxonomy.Therefore,to integrate morphological and molecular biological approaches,we compared systematically their morphological characters and performed phylogenetic analysis.Twelve strains of Skeletonema were collected and isolated from Shanghai and Jiangsu,China,and their morphological characteristics were examined by light microscopy(LM)and the scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Based on morphological comparison,we determined that S.potamos is easy to distinguish from the other two species.The heavily silicified areolae,undulated or cleft distal ends of terminal fultoportula processes(TFPPs),absence of basal pores of fultoportula processes(FPPs),the rootlike protrusions of FPPs,and no interlocking connection are the stable characteristics that can be used to identify S.potamos.However,there are only two features that can distinguish S.costatum from S.subsalsum,namely the location of terminal rimoportulae(TRPs)and the distal shape of TFPPs.In addition,we amplified and sequenced nine common genetic markers from the strains,from which 101 sequences were obtained,constructed phylogenetic trees based on the nine genes and evaluated that seven genes can be used to identify S.potamos,and revealed that S.subsalsum is the closest known relative of S.costatum,and only ATP synthetase beta-subunit gene(atp B)is able to distinguish them from each other,which strongly support that it is an effective molecular marker for Skeletonema.This work provided a theoretical basis for the taxonomic study of Skeletonema.

Responding of zooplankton to environmental factor changes in the Changjiang River estuarine regions in spring-summer from 2016 to 2020

The estuarine areas are under frequent influence from freshwater intrusion and ocean currents,in which zooplankton species are diversified and variable as they are sensitive to physio-chemical variations in water.Therefore,understanding the relationships between zooplankton and environmental factors help us know the water quality.To achieve co-existence with species in similar ecological group or habit,they could inevitably alter themselves to fit the ecology and adjust the function according to the competitive exclusion in ecological theory.However,information of the co-existence of dominant species in the Changjiang(Yangtze)River estuary(CRE)and adjacent waters remains scarce.We explored the relationships between dominant zooplankton and environmental factors in the study region in spring-summer from 2016 to 2020,involving particularly the composition of dominant species,ecological groups,their relationships with environmental factors,and co-existence of important species,using the non-multidimensional scale analysis(nMDS)method and redundancy analysis.Results show that Labidocera euchaeta and Tortanus vermiculus were dominant species in the study scope.The turnover rate of dominant zooplankton was greater(>50%)in spring while the species number was higher in summer.The dominant species were estuarine,offshore,and eurytopic based on the adaptation to salinity.In spring,the ecological groups were dominated by estuarine species,while in summer by estuarine and offshore species.In addition,the nMDS showed that the dominant species in the same ecological group were more dispersed and not prominently clustered;the dominant species were staggered among different ecological groups.The temperature,salinity,pH,dissolved oxygen,and chlorophyll a were the main environmental factors on the distribution of the dominant species in spring,while in summer were dissolved oxygen,temperature,salinity,and pH.The domination of medusae of Nemopsis bachei and Pleurobrachia globosa in zooplankton community in spring,and the continuous decrease in abundance of L.euchaeta reflected the effects of local climate change.The temperature and salinity changes in different years and the subsequent response of zooplankton reflected the influence of freshwater intrusion and/or ocean currents.Zooplankton in similar ecological habits exhibited the competitive exclusion in terms of co-existence.

Inter-annual variations of dissolved oxygen and hypoxia off the northern Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary in summer from 1997 to 2014

Hypoxia off the Changjiang River Estuary has been the subject of much attention,yet systematic observations have been lacking,resulting in a lack of knowledge regarding its long-term change and drivers.By revisiting the repeated surveys of dissolved oxygen(DO) and other relevant hydrographic parameters along the section from the Changjiang River Estuary to the Jeju-do in the summer from 1997 to 2014,rather different trends were revealed for the dual low-DO cores.The nearshore low-DO core,located close to the river mouth and relatively stable,shows that hypoxia has become more severe with the lowest DO descen ding at a rate of -0.07 mg/(L·a) and the thickness of low-DO zone rising at a rate of 0.43 m/a.The offshore core,centered around 40-m isobath but moving back and forth between 123.5°-125°E,shows large fluctuations in the minimum DO concentration,with the thickness of low-DO zone falling at a rate of -1.55 m/a.The probable factors affecting the minimum DO concentration in the two regions also vary.In the nearshore region,the decreasing minimum DO is driven by the increase in both stratification and primary productivity,with the enhanced extension of the Changjiang River Diluted Water(CDW) strengthening stratification.In the offshore region,the fluctuating trend of the minimum DO concentration indicates that both DO loss and DO supplement are distinct.The DO loss is primarily attributed to bottom apparent oxygen utilization caused by the organic matter decay and is also relevant to the advection of low-DO water from the nearshore region.The DO supplement is primarily due to weakened stratification.Our analysis also shows that the minimum DO concentration in the nearshore region was extremely low in 1998,2003,2007 and 2010,related to El Ni?o signal in these summers.

Effects of phosphorus limitation on sinking velocities of phytoplankton during summer in the Changjiang River Estuary

The sinking of phytoplankton is critical to organic matter transportation in the ocean and it is an essential process for the formation of coastal hypoxic zones.This study was based on a field investigation conducted during the summer of 2022 in the Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary(CJE) and its adjacent waters.The settling column method was employed to measure the sinking velocity(SV) of different size fractions of phytoplankton at the surface of the sea and to analyze their environmental control mechanisms.The findings reveal significant spatial variation in phytoplankton SV(-0.55-2.41 m/d) within the CJE.High-speed sinking was predominantly observed in phosphate-depleted regions beyond the CJE front.At the same time,an upward trend was more commonly observed in the phosphate-rich regions near the CJE mouth.The SV ranges for different sizefractionated phytoplankton,including micro-(>20 μm),nano-(2-20 μm),and picophytoplankton(0.7-2 μm),were-0.50-4.74 m/d,-1.04-1.59 m/d,and-1.24-1.65 m/d,respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between SV and dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP),implying that the influence of DIP contributes to SV.The variations in phytoplankton alkaline phosphatase activity suggested a significant increase in SV across all size fractions in the event of phosphorus limitation.Phytoplankton communities with limited photo synthetic capacity(maximum photochemical efficience,Fv/Fm <0.3) were found to have higher SV than that of communities with strong capacity,suggesting a link between sinking and alterations in physiological conditions due to phosphate depletion.The findings from the in situ phosphate enrichment experiments confirmed a marked decrease in SV following phosphate supplementation.These findings suggest that phosphorus limitation is the primary driver of elevated SV in the CJE.This study enhances the comprehension of the potential mechanisms underlying hypoxic zone formation in the CJE,providing novel insights into how nearshore eutrophication influences organic carbon migration.

Coastal hypoxia response to the coupling of catastrophic flood,extreme marine heatwave and typhoon:a case study off the Changjiang River Estuary in summer 2020

Massive bodies of low-oxygen bottom waters are found in coastal areas worldwide,which are detrimental to coastal ecosystems.In summer 2020,the response of coastal hypoxia to extreme weather events,including a catastrophic flooding,an extreme marine heatwave,and Typhoon Bavi,is investigated based on multiple satellite,four cruises,and mooring observations.The extensive fan-shaped hypoxia zone presents significant northward extension during July-September 2020,and is estimated as large as 13 000 km^(2) with rather low oxygen minimum(0.42 mg/L) during its peak in 28-30 August.This severe hypoxia is attributed to the persistent strong stratification,which is indicated by flood-induced larger amount of riverine freshwater input and subsequent marine heatwave off the Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,the Typhoon Bavi has limited effect on the marine heatwave and coastal hypoxia in summer 2020.

Spatiotemporal changes of biogenic elements in the Changjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters in summer over the last decade

The long-term spatiotemporal changes of surface biogenic elements in the Changjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters during the summer of 2008–2016 were analyzed in this study.The concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN),soluble reactive phosphate(PO_(4)^(3−))and silicate(SiO_(3)^(2−))were generally stable,with a slight decrease of DIN and PO_(4)^(3−),and a slight increase of SiO_(3)^(2−),which mainly occurred in the estuarine waters.The grey correlation analysis was carried out between biogenic elements and chlorophyll a(Chl-a).Results showed that compared with the absolute values of biogenic elements,the correlations between the concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus(N/P),ratio of silicon to nitrogen(Si/N)and Chl-a were closer,indicating the important influence on phytoplankton by the structure of biogenic elements.The study area was generally in a state of potential P limitation,and could have potential impact on the phytoplankton community,triggering the shift of red tide dominant species from diatoms to dinoflagellates.

Diel,seasonal,and annual variations of fish assemblages in intertidal creeks of the Changjiang River estuary

The use patterns of salt marsh habitats by fish assemblages were investigated in two welldeveloped intertidal creeks in the Changjiang(Yangtze)River estuary on spatial and temporal scales.Samples were collected using fyke nets at two sites during day and night in each season throughout four years.Notable changes in fish assemblages were detected over seasonal and interannual cycles,with many more marine species present in winter assemblages,whereas freshwater and estuarine species characterized the other seasonal samplings.The appearance of catadromous species in intertidal creeks mainly depended upon their specific physiological requirements,such as spawning migration.No significant diel shifts were observed in fish assemblages.This diel pattern may be a combined consequence of avian predation pressure and other drivers(i.e.,inherent living behaviors,food availability,and predation by piscivorous fishes).The spatial difference in fish community was insignificant even though the two intertidal creeks were different in size.Intertidal creeks with different size could possess similar ecological value for fish fauna.Redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that biological factors exerted greater effects on fish assemblages than physical variables.Temporal variations were strongly facilitated by food availability,but negatively impacted by avian predation.Salinity,water temperature,and river runoff had weak influence on temporal variations of fish communities.The lengthfrequency distribution showed that the fish collected in these two sites mainly consisted of young-of-year and juvenile fish,which confirmed that the creeks provided important nursery and forage roles in the process of fish ontogenetic development.Further,we proposed that salt marsh conservation management should be equally applied to all well-developed intertidal creeks regardless of creek size.

Vertical structure of tidal currents in the Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary

Three long-term fixed acoustic Doppler current profilers were first used for investigating the vertical structure of tidal currents in Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,three different periods(spring,summer and fall)were also considered for investigating seasonal variations.The semi-diurnal tides were the most energetic,with along-channel speed of up to 80 cm/s for M_(2)constituent,which dominates at all stations with percent energy up to 65%–75%during seasons.The shape of tidal ellipses of the most energetic semi-diurnal constituent M_(2)showed obvious polarization of the flow paralleling to the riverbank,with the minor semi-axis being generally less than 20%of the major one.The maximum velocity of mean current is appeared in top layers at all the three stations,and the velocity decreased with the depth.The seasonal variations of direction are also observed,which is probably caused by complex local topography since the erosion and deposition in riverbed.Observed vertical variation of four parameters of M_(2)ellipses,agreed well with the optimally fit frictional solutions in top and middle layers.However,there was an obvious difference between frictional model and observed data in the lower water column.Discrepancies are probably on account of stratification,which strengthens in summer and fall due to the freshening influence of the Changjiang River Estuary outflow.

Diatom-based dissolved inorganic nitrogen reconstruction in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent areas

A five-component weighted average partial least squares(WA-PLS)calibration model was developed by analysing diatom assemblages in 34 surface sediment samples(collected in 2015)from the Changjiang River estuary(CRE)and its adjacent areas to infer dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)concentrations.Eighteen additional sets of surface sediment diatoms and corresponding upper water DIN data(collected in 2012)were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model,and the relationship between observed and diatom-inferred DIN(DI-DIN)values(R2=0.85)illustrated the strong performance of the transfer function,indicating that precise reconstructions of former DIN are possible.The diatom-DIN transfer function was applied to the diatom record from a sediment core DH8-2(1962‒2012)collected in the Fujian-Zhejiang area south of the CRE.The reconstruction based on the DI-DIN model showed a significant DIN increase from 1962-2012,reflecting the influence of human activities on the very large increase in eutrophication.Three distinct periods can be seen from the changes in DIN and diatom taxa.In the 1962-1972 period,the DIN content was relatively low,with an average of 5.94μmol/L,and more than 80%of the diatom species identified were benthic taxa.In the 1972-2004 period,as the impact of human activities intensified,large nutrient inputs caused the DIN content to increase,with an average of 8.25μmol/L.The nutrient inputs also caused a significant change in the nutrient components and a distinct increase in small planktonic taxa.In the 2004-2012 period,the DIN content continued to rise,fluctuating at approximately 10μmol/L.A continuous increase in the frequency of planktonic taxa(up to 65.48%)indicated that eutrophication was further intensified,which was confirmed by the transformation from diatom-induced red tide to dinoflagellate-induced red tide during this period.

Prokaryotic diversity and community composition in the surface sediments of the Changjiang River Estuary in summer

Microorganisms are fundamental for the functioning of marine ecosystems and are involved in the decomposition of organic matter, transformation of nutrients and circulation of biologically-important chemicals. Based on the complexity of the natural geographic characteristics of the Changjiang River Estuary, the geographic distribution of sedimentary microorganisms and the causes of this distribution are largely unexplored. In this work, the surface sediment samples from the adjacent sea area of the Changjiang River Estuary were collected. Their prokaryotic diversity was examined by high-throughput sequencing technology, and the environmental factors of the bacterial community were investigated. The results indicated that the distribution of prokaryotic communities in the sediments of the study areas showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. The sampling sequences divided the sample regions into three distinct clusters. Each geographic region had a unique community structure, although Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Desulfobacterota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota all existed in these three branches. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that prokaryotic diversity and community distribution were significantly correlated with the geographic location of sediment, seawater depth, and in particular, nutrient content(e.g., total phosphorus, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen). Moreover, it was found for the first time that the metal ions obviously affected the composition and distribution of the prokaryotic community in this area. In general, this work provides new insights into the structural characteristics and driving factors of prokaryotic communities under the background of the ever-changing Changjiang River Estuary.

Regulation of Water Masses to Hypoxia Zones in the Changjiang Estuary

The regulating ways of different water masses affecting the locations and intensities of hypoxia zones were studied based on the time-space continuum data from August 2011 to 2013–2017.The 6-year distribution of the hypoxic area in the Changjiang Estuary(CE)and its adjacent waters show that the hypoxic area can be divided into two segments.The southern segment is out of the south branch of the CE,whereas the northern segment is in the junction zone between the South Yellow Sea and the CE.The two segments were divided along the 31.5°–32°N latitude line.The northern and southern segments were dominated by the East China Sea shelf water(ECSSW)and Kuroshio subsurface water(KSW),respectively.When the KSW(salinity>34)intrusion reached the east of 123°E and south of 31°N,hypoxia zones mainly occurred in the southern segment covered by the Changjiang Diluted Water(CDW),meanwhile the Yellow Sea cold water mass may emerge in the northeastern area.When the KSW intensely invaded westward to the region between 122°and 122.5°E and northward to 31.5°N or further north,hypoxia zones appeared in the northern segment.The strength of the KSW with low dissolved oxygen concentration is the basic driving factor for the hypoxia occurrence in the CE.Moreover,the stratification is crucial for the southern segment,whereas the organic matter decomposition is dominated for the northern segment,even with severe hypoxia across the sea surface in the study area.

Coastal Current Systems and the Movement and Expansion of Suspended Sediment from Changjiang River Estuary

This paper, with NOAA/AHHRR data for 2 years, discusses the expanding path and extent of suspended sediment from the Changjiang River, and the relationship between the suspended sediment expanding and coastal current systems by analyzing the thermal infrared imagery with the sediment imagery, which is acquired by correlating the atmosphere corrected AVHRR imagery with in-situ suspended sediment data. The coastal current systems affecting the sediment dispersal mainly include： the Taiwan Warm Current （TWC）, the Huanghai Sea Mixed Water （HSMW）, North Jiangsu near-shore current, and Zhejiang near-shore current etc. In winter, the current systems are stable. Their distribution affects the sediment from north Jiangsu expanding toward the Changjiang estuary in some degree .The front between Zhejiang coastal current and TWC blocks the expanding of sediment toward the sea. In the flood season, apart from the limitation by coastal current systems, the spatial and temporal distribution of suspended sediment is also affected by the runoff, which shows as the jet stream and fresh water. Spring and autumn are the transitional periods of the forming of expanding patterns of flood season and winter respectively. In addition, the re-suspended sediment caused by the wind wave may make the expanding range of near-shore sediment larger.

Discussion on the Construction of Negotiation Mechanism of Cross-bounder Water Pollution Treatment in Changjiang River

In order to construct cooperation platform for the treatment of water pollution in Changjiang River,thoughts and revolution were performed from both central government and regional area two aspects.From the national level,Changjiang region water resources management cooperation counsel committee was constructed as the national cooperation platform;from the regional level,Changjiang region water resources management cooperation counsel committee was constructed as the platform of Changjiang cooperation platform.The two platforms built fine interaction mechanism to deal with the national water management and Changjiang regional water management.

Variations in tidal currents and suspended sediment concentration of the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary over the past 10 years

The tidal current duration （TCD） and velocity （TCV） and suspended sediment concentration （SSC） were measured in the dry season in December, 2011 and in the flood season in June, 2012 at the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary. They were assimilated with the measured data in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007, using the tidal range＇s proportion conversion. Variations in TCD and TCV, preferential flow and SSC have been calculated. Influences of typical engineering projects such as Qingcaosha fresh water reservoir, Yangtze River Bridge, and land reclamation on the ebb and flood TCD, TCV and SSC in the North Channel for the last 10 years are discussed. The results show that： （1） currently, in the upper part of North Channel, the ebb tide dominates; after the construction of the typical projects, ebb TCD and TCV tends to be larger and the vertical average ebb and flood SSC decrease during the flood season while SSC increases during the dry season; （2） changes in the vertical average TCV are mainly contributed by seasonal runoff variation during the flood season, which is larger in the flood season than that in the dry season; the controlling parameters of increasing ebb TCD and TCV are those large-scale engineering projects in the North Channel; variation in SSC may result mainly from the reduction of basin annual sediment loads, large-scale nearshore projects and so on.

Structure and behavior of floor system of two super high-speed railway Changjiang composite bridges

Wuhan Tianxingzhou Changjiang (WTC) Bridge and Nanjing Dashengguan Changjiang (NDC) Bridge are two super high-speed railway 3-trusses composite bridges. This is the first time of using three trusses in such large bridges in the world. These two types of railway floor systems of the two bridges have never been used in China before. The problem how to conform the deformations and stress levels of the railway floor system of WTC Bridge was studied. After finite element analysis and comparison,the plan of arranging one expansion stringer every two panels in railway floor system were proposed and good effect was obtained. Because of the application of three trusses,the allocation of the loads acted on the deck in three trusses is different and varies in different places of NDC Bridge. This problem was studied by model experiment and 3D finite element analysis. The results of 3D FEM analysis coincide with the model test results. The allocation rule of the loads acting on the deck in three trusses was presented. Because of the application of monolithic decks,the stiffness and structural integrity of NDC Bridge are high.

Simulated circulations off the Changjiang (Yangtze) River mouth in spring and autumn

The circulations off the Changjiang mouth in May and November were simulated by a three dimension numerical model with monthly averaged parameters of dynamic factors in this paper. The area covers the East China Sea (ECS), Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. Simulated results show that the circulation off the Changjiang mouth in spring and autumn is mainly the Changjiang runoff and Taiwan Warm Current (TWC). The Changjiang discharge is much larger in May than in November, and the wind is westward in May, and southward in November off the Changjiang mouth. The runoff in May branches in three parts, one eastward flows, the other two flow northward and southward along the Subei and Zhejiang coast respectively. The Changjiang diluted water expands eastward off the mouth, and forms a strong salinity front near the mouth. Surface circulation in autumn is similar to that in winter, the runoff southward flows along the coast, and the northward flowing TWC becomes weaker compared to that in spring and summer. The bottom circulations in May and November are mainly the runoffnear the mouth and the TWC offthe mouth, and the runoff and TWC are greater in May than in November.

Buoyancy leads to high productivity of the Changjiang diluted water:a note

Being the mightiest river emptying into the East China Sea （ECS） and the Pacific Ocean, compounded with the large increase of nitrogen and phosphorus input due to anthropogenic activities, the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） has become a dominating source of these nutrients to the estuary. The high nutrient concentrations notwithstanding, however, outside of the estuary the high biological productivity of the Changjiang diluted water （CDW） are most probably fueled mainly by nutrient-rich subsurface waters originating from the upwelled Kuroshio waters. This is because while the buoyancy of the CDW spreads it out on the ECS continen- tal shelf, the CDW entrains subsurface waters along with the nutrients. Nutrients thus supplied are several times more than those supplied by the Changjiang River.

Construction of Cultural Landscapes in Changjiang Waters of Jingdezhen since the Song Dynasty

Waters of Changjiang River were first defined.As the mother river of Jingdezhen,Changjiang River once was the only way for this ancient ceramic city communicating with the outer world,and played an important role in the economic development and ceramic industry of Jingdezhen.By consulting documents and investigating the local area,this study expounded and proved kiln landscapes of this ceramic city along the Changjiang River,traffic landscapes in the Changjiang River,folk customs and architectural landscapes,as well as unique images.The construction and evolution of its cultural landscapes were analyzed to explore the development history of this city.Characteristic cultural landscapes with the Changjiang River as the principal line were highlighted,"water elements" in the urban development of Jingdezhen,production and transportation of ceramic industry were demonstrated,so as to provide useful references for the reformation project of "one river and both banks",and the construction of new cultural landscapes in Jingdezhen,help Jingdezhen go smoothly in its urban development and transition from a traditional to a modern city.

Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on reproduction of four major Chinese carps species in the middle reaches of the Changjiang River

Silver carp(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix),bighead carp(Aristichthys nobilis),grass carp(Ctenopharyngodon idella),and black carp(Mylopharyngodon piceus) are the four major Chinese carps and are commercially important aquaculture species in China.Reproduction of these carp has declined since the construction of the Three Gorges Dam(TGD) due to an altered water flow and thermal regime in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River.However,details of the changes in reproduction of the four species are not well understood.To assess the impact of the TGD on reproduction of the four carp,we investigated their eggs and larvae at Yidu City,which is 80 km below the TGD,during 2005-2012.We examined differences in larval abundance of the four species in the Jianli section(350 km downstream of the TGD) before(1997-2002)and after(2003-2012) construction of the TGD.Based on these observations,the first spawning date of the four species was delayed a mean of about 25 days after the dam was constructed.Mean egg abundance in the Yidu section of the river was 249 million and mean larval abundance was 464 million,which were significant decreases since the 1980 s.Moreover,larval abundance in the Jianli section after the dam was constructed was significantly lower than that before construction(ANCOVA,P<0.05).The observed larval abundance accounted for only 24.66%of the predicted value in 2003 when the dam was first inundated.The present spawning grounds between the TGD and Yidu section of the river are very similar to those described in the 1980 s,and some spawning grounds exist upstream of the TGD.Large free-flowing stretches upstream of the TGD and the creation of artificially flooded downstream reaches are needed to stimulate spawning and effectively conserve these four major Chinese carps species.

Macrobenthic community structure in the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent waters in summer

On the basis of data collected in the summer of 2006 from 27 sampling stations in the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent waters, the ecological characteristics of macrobenthos and the relationship between the macrobenthos and the environmental factors were studied using hierarchical cluster and non-metric multidimensional scaling （MDS）. The biomass, abundance, Shannon -Wiener＇s and Margalef＇ s indices of the macrobenthos were presented. The results showed that a total of 253 macrobenthic species were found in the research region, and most of them belong to mollusks and polychaetes. The dominant species were Cossurella dimorpha, Eocylichna cylindrella, Episiphon kiaochowwanense, Nassarius semiplicatus, Ocstergrenia variabilis and Sternaspis scutata. The average abundance of the macrobenthos was （313. 15 ±233.4） ind./m^2, and the average biomass was （ 15. 2 ± 11.2 ）g/m^2. The distribution patterns of the abundance and biomass of the macrobenthos were similar. The abundance and biomass in the area close to the estuary were lower than those from the area more distant to the estuary; the central part of the research region had higher abundance and biomass than other parts of the research region. In accordance with the results, four macrobenthic communities with distinct spatial differences were identified. The low abundance and biomass in the area close to the estuary should be caused by the high sedimentation rate. The statistical analysis indicated that the depth is the most important factor affecting the distribution of macrobenthos.