Distribution and abundance of euphausiid larvae and salps during austral summers in Prydz Bay, Antarctica

The distribution and abundance of euphausiid larvae and salps was studied from samples collected in 2002 and 2006 from Prydz Bay, Antarctica.Larvae of Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia superba were mainly distributed in the north of the continental shelf. T. macrura was more abundant and had a relatively wider distribution. In 2006, with ice having retreated and higher seawater temperatures and chlorophyll a levels, E. superba and T. macrura occurred in higher abundances and at more mature developmental stages. Euphausia crystallorophias was mainly distributed in the neritic region. In 2002, with severe ice conditions in the neritic region, abundance of E. crystallorophias was consisted of metanauplius (MN) and calyptopis I (CI). Salps, mostly Salpa thompsoni, had a low abundance in Prydz Bay. In 2002, S. thompsoni was only m)-3. In 2006, S. thompsoni was found at three stations located near the contimental factors, such as the timing of ice melt, polynya formation and food concentration appear to have a marked effect on the distribution and abundance of euphausiid larvae and salps.     

Fatty Acid Composition of Euphausia superba,Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia crystallorophias Collected from Prydz Bay,Antarctica

The information of trophic relationship is important for studying the Southern Ocean ecosystems.In this study,three dominant krill species,Euphausia superba,Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia crystallorophias,were collected from Prydz Bay,Antarctica,during austral summer of 2009/2010.The composition of fatty acids in these species was studied.E.superba and T.macrura showed a similar fatty acid composition which was dominated by C14:0,C16:0,EPA(eicosapentenoic acid) and DHA(decosahexenoic acid) while E.crystallorophias showed higher contents of C18:1(n-9),C18:1(n-7),DHA and EPA than the former two.Higher fatty acid ratios of C18:1(n-9)/18:1(n-7),PUFA(polyunsaturated fatty acid)/SFA(saturated fatty acid),and 18PUFA/16 PUFA indicated that E.crystallorophias should be classified as a typical omnivore with a higher trophic position compared with E.superba and T.macrura.     

Response of regeneration diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carex Lasiocarpa</Emphasis> community to different water levels in Sanjiang Plain,China

The species diversity at the regeneration stage, inflenced by different water levels, is important for community composition in the later growing season. Regeneration diversity of Carex lasiocarpa community under different water levels was studied at two stages, recruitment and adult, in the Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province, China. The results showed that, at the two growing stages, important value of C. lasiocarpa population and species richness of the community decreased with the increasing water level, while the Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indexes and Pielou evenness index increased. Under different water levels, community diversities were higher at the recruitment stage, while population important values of C. lasiocarpa were higher at the adult stage. Indexes in vegetation evaluation must be chosen prudentially for successful restoration and effective management of wetlands, and especially for wetland restoration, the optimal time should be selected according to the restoration objectives and costs.     

Response of Regeneration Diversity of Carex Lasiocarpa Community to Different Water Levels in Sanjiang Plain,China

The species diversity at the regeneration stage, inflenced by different water levels, is important for community composition in the later growing season.Regeneration diversity of Carex lasiocarpa community under different water levels was studied at two stages, recruitment and adult, in the Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province, China.The results showed that, at the two growing stages, important value of C.lasiocarpa population and species richness of the community decreased with the increasing water level, while the Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indexes and Pielou evenness index increased.Under different water levels, community diversities were higher at the recruitment stage, while population important values of C.lasiocarpa were higher at the adult stage.Indexes in vegetation evaluation must be chosen prudentially for successful restoration and effective management of wetlands, and especially for wetland restoration, the optimal time should be selected according to the restoration objectives and costs.     

PHYTOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN THE EAST CHINA SEA(ECS) CONTINENTAL SHELF

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＰｈｙｔｏｐｌａｋｔｏｎｈａｓａｋｅｙｒｏｌｅｉｎｔｈｅｍａｒｉｎｅｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍａｓｔｈｅｂａｓｉｃｐａｒｔｉｎｔｈｅｆｏｏｄｃｈａｉｎ ,ｗｈｉｃｈｉｓｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｆｏｒａｓｓｅｓｓｉｎｇｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｖｉｔｙｐｏｔｅｎｔｉａｌａｎｄｆｉｓｈｅｒｙｒｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓ.Ｐｈｙｔｏｐｌａｎｋｔｏｎａｌｓｏｈａｓａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｒｏｌｅｉｎｔｈｅｃａｒｂｏｎｂｉｏｇｅｏｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｃｙｃｌｅ,ｂｅｃａｕｓｅｉｔｃａｎａｂｓｏｒｂａｌａ…     

Zooplankton community analysis in the Changjiang River estuary by single-gene-targeted metagenomics

DNA barcoding provides accurate identification of zooplankton species through all life stages. Single-gene-targeted metagenomic analysis based on DNA barcode databases can facilitate longterm monitoring of zooplankton communities. With the help of the available zooplankton databases, the zooplankton community of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary was studied using a single-gene-targeted metagenomic method to estimate the species richness of this community. A total of 856 mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene sequences were determined. The environmental barcodes were clustered into 70 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). Forty-two MOTUs matched barcoded marine organisms with more than 90% similarity and were assigned to either the species (similarity>96%) or genus level (similarity<96%). Sibling species could also be distinguished. Many species that were overlooked by morphological methods were identified by molecular methods, especially gelatinous zooplankton and merozooplankton that were likely sampled at different life history phases. Zooplankton community structures differed significantly among all of the samples. The MOTU spatial distributions were influenced by the ecological habits of the corresponding species. In conclusion, single-gene-targeted metagenomic analysis is a useful tool for zooplankton studies, with which specimens from all life history stages can be identified quickly and effectively with a comprehensive database.     

巨蛎属牡蛎DNA序列的比较及鉴定

【目的】了解巨砺属牡蛎的系统关系和种类区分。【方法】对我国沿海分布的7种巨砺属牡蛎(香港牡蛎、有明牡蛎、熊本牡蛎、岩牡蛎、艾氏牡蛎、太平洋牡蛎、葡萄牙牡蛎)的线粒体DNA片段(COI、12S、16S和tRNAs),以及核糖体RNA基因转录间隔子序列(ITS-1、ITS-2和ITS)进行分子系统学研究。【结果】无论种间或种内,tRNAs序列差异最大,亚种内TS1序列差异最大;tRNAs和COI序列较其它序列变异更快,种间变异与种内变异之间有明显的条形码间隙;12S、16S、ITS和ITS2的种间变异与种内变异无重叠及条形码间隙;ITS1的种间变异与种内变异出现重叠。在亚种层面,12S、ITS、ITS1和ITS2的亚种间变异与亚种内变异出现重叠;16S的亚种间变异与亚种内变异无重叠及条形码间隙;tRNAs与COI序列亚种间变异与亚种内变异之间有明显的条形码间隙,有利于区分亚种。【结论】tRNAs和COI序列可用于种及亚种的鉴定。     

Anthropogenic impacts on hyperbenthos in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay, Yellow Sea

A survey on the hyperbenthic communities was carried out in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay in the Yellow Sea in July 2009, to investigate the impact of putative anthropogenic activities related to the presence of a sewage outfall, a harbor and an aquaculture site on the benthic ecosystem. An Agassiz net trawl was used to collect hyperbenthos at 10 sampling stations. Species, diversity, abundance, and biomass were analyzed against water sample data and historical data obtained from records from nearby Yantai City. Fifty-two species were identified in the region, of which Crustacea were the most abundant taxon, followed by Echinodermata. Dominant species included five crustaceans, two echinoderms, one mollusk and one fish species. The results of a BIOENV analysis show that the concentrations of NO3-N and Chl-a were slightly positively correlated with hyperbenthic community structure, while other factors were negatively correlated, including sediment grain size and the percentage of TN and TOC in sediment. Abundance- Biomass Comparison （ABC method） curves indicate that the hyperbenthos in Sishili Bay had been disturbed by putative sources of human activities. Eight out of 10 stations were classified as ＂moderately perturbed＂ to ＂perturbed＂.     

Vertical patterns in plant diversity and their relations with environmental factors on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (middle section) in Xinjiang (China)

The investigation of distribution patterns of species diversity is significant for successful biodiversity conservation. The spatial patterns of vegetation and different life-forms species diversity along an elevation gradient in the middle section of the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, China were explored, using the detrended canonical correspondence analysis(DCCA) and the generalized additive model(GAM) methods based on a field survey of 53 sampling plots. In this work 158 species of seed plants were recorded, including 141 herbaceous, 14 shrub, and 2 tree species, in which the woody plants are very limited. 53 sampling plots were classified into 9 major plant communities. The results indicate that the herb communities were the most sensitive to changes in elevation gradient. The diversity indices of the community as a whole presented bimodal patterns. The peak values for the species diversities were found in the transition region between mountain steppe desert and mountain desert steppe(2,200–2,300m), and in the alpine grassland region(2,900–3,100m), while maximum species diversities were in the areas of intermediate environmental gradient. The main environmental factors on the distribution patterns in plant diversity were the elevation, soil water, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, organic matter, and total salt. The response tendency of the four diversity indices for the whole community to the soil environment was the same as that of the herb layers.     

Population dynamics of four dominant copepods in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during austral summer from 1999 to 2006

Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during austral summer from 1999 to 2006. We found that C. acutus was the most abundant species among these four copepods, followed by C. propinquus, M. gerlachei and R. gigas. R. gigas occurred mainly in the warmer oceanic regions and showed distribution patterns discrete from the other three species, whose distribution in the whole survey area overlapped. By December 15th (about one month before our sampling) of the years 1999, 2003 and 2006, sea ice retreated earlier and polynyas existed in the neritic region one month before sampling. These periods were characterized by numerical dominance of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, elevated proportions of Copepodite I and Copepodite II stages especially in the neritic region. While for the years 2000, 2002, and 2005, the ice edge located more northerly and polynyas did not exist in the neritic region, the copepods abundance was lower, indicating poor recruitment. Population structure of R. gigas was mainly composed of advanced stages Copepodite V and female during all cruises. Log10 (x+1) transformed densities of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei showed positive correlation with temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, while mean population stages of these copopods were negatively correlated with these environmental variables. Younger copepodite stages of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei appeared more often in neritic regions. We confirmed that the polynyas had a great contribution to phytoplankton blooms, which promote copepods reproduction and recruitment success. The study suggested that population dynamics of the four copepods have good correspondence with sea ice and polynya variations during all cruises of the Prydz Bay.     

The relation between distribution of zooplankton and salinity in the Changjiang Estuary

Seasonal netzplankton samples from stations in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary were collected from May, 2004 to February, 2005. The dominant species and their contribution to the total zooplankton abundance were determined. Moreover, the relationship between the salinity and abundance was studied with stepwise linear regression. During the whole year, the salinity was positively correlated with the abundance, while the temperature, negatively. Linear regression analysis showed also a high positive correlation with salinity for total abundance in August and November, while in February and May, no obvious relations were found. The most abundant community was composed of neritic and brackish-water species. The North Passage (NP) (salinity <5) was greatly diluted by freshwater while the North Branch (NB) was brackish water with salinity range of 12–28. Consequently, clear decline in abundance of zooplankton was along the estuarine haloclines from the maximum in the area of high salinity to the minimum in the limnetic zone. Total zooplankton abundance and biomass were lower in NP than the NB in all seasons. In short, the salinity influenced the abundance of each species of zooplankton, and ultimately determined the total abundance of zooplankton. Furthermore, a winter peak in the abundance existed, which might be caused by the flourishing of Sinocalanus sinensis, a widely distributed species in the Changjiang Estuary.     

Distribution of Different Biogeographical Tintinnids in Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

There were different biogeographical tintinnids in the oceans. Knowledge of their distribution pattern and mixing was important to the understanding of ecosystem functions. Yellow Sea (YS) and Bohai Sea (BS) were semi-enclosed seas influenced by warm water intrusion and YS cold bottom water. The occurrence of tintinnids in YS and BS during two cruises (summer and winter) were investigated to find out: i) whether warm-water tintinnids appeared in YS and BS; ii) whether boreal tintinnids appeared in high summer; iii) the core area of neritic tintinnids and iv) how these different biogeographical tintinnids mixed. Our results showed that tintinnid community was dominated by neritic tintinnid. We confirmed the occurrence of warm-water tintinnids in summer and winter. In summer, they intruded into BS and mainly distributed in the upper 20 m where Yellow Sea Surface Warm Water (YSSWW) developed. In winter, they were limited in the surface water of central deep region (bottom depth >50 m) of YS where were affected by Yellow Sea Warm Water (YSWW). Boreal tintinnids occurred in YS in high summer (August) and in winter, while they were not observed in BS. In summer, the highest abundance of boreal tintinnids occurred in Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water, indicating the presence of an oversummering stock. In winter, they were concentrated in the north of YSWW. Vertically, neritic tintinnids abundance was high in the bottom layers. Horizontally, high neritic tintinnids abundance in bottom layers occurred along the 50 m isobath coinciding with the position of front systems. Front systems were the core distribution area of neritic tintinnids. High abundance areas of warm-water and boreal tintinnids were clearly separated vertically in summer, and horizontally in winter. High abundance of neritic tintinnids rarely overlapped with that of warm-water or boreal tintinnids.     

Effects of topographical and edaphic factors on the distribution of plant communities in two subtropical karst forests, southwestern China

Relationships between topography,soil properties and the distribution of plant communities on two different rocky hillsides are examined in two subtropical karst forests in the Maolan National Natural Reserve,southwestern China.Surveys of two 1-ha permanent plots at each forest,and measurements of four topographic and thirteen edaphic factors on the slopes were performed.Twoway Indicator Species Analysis(TWINSPAN) and Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis(DCCA) were used for the classification of plant communities and for vegetation ordination with environmental variables.One hundred 10m×10m quadrats in each plot were classified into four plant community types.A clear altitudinal gradient suggested that elevation was important in community differentiation.The topography and soil explained 51.06% and 54.69% of the variability of the distribution of plant species in the two forest plots,respectively,indicating both topographic factors(eg.elevation,slope and rock-bareness rate) and edaphic factors(e.g.total P,K and exchangeable Ca) were the important drivers of the distribution of woody plant species in subtropical karst forest.However,our results suggested that topographical factors were more important than edaphic ones in affecting local plant distribution on steep slopes with extensive rock outcrops,while edaphic factors were more influential on gentle slope and relatively thick soil over rock in subtropical karst forest.Understanding relationships between vegetation and environmental factors in karst forest ecosystems would enable us to apply these findings in vegetation management strategies and restoration of forest communities.     

Seasonal influence and local factors affecting macroinvertebrate structure in a high-altitude Andean stream

Small water bodies are critical for maintaining freshwater biodiversity, but are among the least investigated aquatic environments. We examined physical and chemical variables at two reaches in Arroyo Tambillos, a small, high-elevation Andean stream, in NW Mendoza province, Argentina,across four seasons to examine how local factors and seasonality affected the structure of the macroinvertebrate community. The Arroyo Tambillos community was numerically dominated by ephemeropterans(mainly Massartellopsis irarrazavali) while the dipteran Chironomidae were the most species rich. Total macroinvertebrate abundance was highest in summer, driven mainly by taxa that were secondary in dominance(Austrelmis sp. and Andesiops peruvianus), while richness did not differ between seasons. However, benthic composition was different in Fall 2013(March)compared to other seasons, largely because of the increased abundance of Chironomidae. Canonical correspondence analysis discriminated Chironomidae species distributions in Fall 2013 by substrate type(i.e., big and small boulder substrate). By contrast,discharge, velocity, and depth were the variables which most affected the macroinvertebrate abundance and distributions. Contrary to our expectations, most community changes observed occurred in fall instead of summer. Nivo-kryal stream communities like the one described here have become increasingly important for conserving mountain stream biodiversity as anthropogentic impacts and climate change increasingly impact lower stream reaches. Therefore, monitoring high-altitude streams like the Arroyo Tambillos may be critical for preventing the future loss of unique and sensitive stream biota.     

Diel vertical migration of mesozooplankton in the northern Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(YSCWM),one of the most vital hydrological features of the Yellow Sea,causes a seasonal thermocline from spring to autumn.The diel vertical migration(DVM) of zooplankton is crucial to structural pelagic communities and food webs,and its patterns can be affected by thermocline depth and strength.Hence,we investigated zooplankton community succession and seasonal changes in zooplankton DVM at a fixed station in the YSCWM.Annual zooplankton community succession was affected by the forming and fading of the YSCWM.A total of 37 mesozooplankton taxa were recorded.The highest and lowest species numbers in autumn and spring were detected.The highest and lowest total densities were observed in autumn(14 464.1 inds./m3) and winter(3 115.4 inds./m3),respectively.The DVM of the dominant species showed obvious seasonal variations.When the YSCWM was weak in spring and autumn,most species(e.g.Paracalanus parvus,Oithona similis,and Acartia bifilosa) stayed above the thermocline and vertically migrated into the upper layer.Calanus sinicus and Aidanosagitta crassa crossed the thermocline and vertically migrated.No species migrated through the stratification in summer,and all of the species were limited above(P.parvus and A.crassa) or below(C.sinicus and Centropages abdominalis)the thermocline.The YSCWM disappeared in winter,and zooplankton species were found throughout the water column.Thus,the existence of thermocline influenced the migration patterns of zooplankton.Cluster analyses showed that the existence of YSCWM resulted in significant differences between zooplankton communities above and below the thermocline.     

Co-occurrence patterns of above-ground and below-ground mite communities in farmland of Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

One of the fundamental questions in community ecology is whether communities are random or formed by deterministic mechanisms. Although many efforts have been made to verify non-randomness in community structure, little is known with regard to co-occurrence patterns in above-ground and below-ground communities. In this paper, we used a null model to test non-randomness in the structure of the above-ground and below-ground mite communities in farmland of the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. Then, we used four tests for non-randomness to recognize species pairs that would be demonstrated as significantly aggregated or segregated co-occurrences of the above-ground and below-ground mite communities. The pattern of the above-ground mite commu- nity was significantly non-random in October, suggesting species segregation and hence interspecific competition. Additionally, species co-occurrence patterns did not differ from randomness in the above-ground mite community in August or in below-ground mite com- munities in August and October. Only one significant species pair was detected in the above-ground mite community in August, while no significant species pairs were recognized in the above-ground mite community in October or in the below-ground mite communities in August and October. The results indicate that non-randomness and significant species pairs may not be the general rule in the above-ground and below-ground mite communities in farmland of the Sanjiang Plain at the fine scale.     

Contrasting patterns of free-living bacterioplankton diversity in macrophyte-dominated versus phytoplankton blooming regimes in Dianchi Lake,a shallow lake in China

Freshwater shallow lakes typically exhibit two alternative stable states under certain nutrient loadings:macrophyte-dominated and phytoplankton-dominated water regimes.An ecosystem regime shift from macrophytes to phytoplankton blooming typically reduces the number of species of invertebrates and fishes and results in the homogenization of communities in freshwater lakes.We investigated how microbial biodiversity has responded to a shift of the ecosystem regime in Dianchi Lake,which was previously fully covered with submerged macrophytes but currently harbors both ecological states.We observed marked divergence in the diversity and community composition of bacterioplankton between the two regimes.Although species richness,estimated as the number of operational taxonomic units and phylogenetic diversity(PD),was higher in the phytoplankton dominated ecosystem after this shift,the dissimilarity of bacterioplankton community across space decreased.This decrease in beta diversity was accompanied by loss of planktonic bacteria unique to the macrophyte-dominated ecosystem.Mantel tests between bacterioplankton community distances and Euclidian distance of environmental parameters indicated that this reduced bacterial community differentiation primarily reflected the loss of environmental niches,particularly in the macrophyte regime.The loss of this small-scale heterogeneity in bacterial communities should be considered when assessing long-term biodiversity changes in response to ecosystem regime conversions in freshwater lakes.     

Plant diversity and community structure of Brazilian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Páramos</Emphasis>

In Eastern South America, high altitude grasslands represent a mountain system that has a high number of endemic species. However, studies on the ecology of plant communities in these environments remain scarce. We aimed to evaluate the patterns of biodiversity and structure of plant communities from rocky outcrops in high altitude grasslands of three areas at the Caparaó National Park, southeastern Brazil, by sampling 300 randomly distributed plots. Then, we compared the floristic composition, relative abundance, and biological and vegetation spectra among areas. We classified species as endemic and non-endemic and verified the occurrence of endangered species. Species richness was evaluated by rarefaction analysis on the sampling units. The importance value and species abundance distribution (SAD) models were assessed. We also performed an indicator species analysis. We sampled 58 species belonging to 49 genera and 32 families. The number of species decreased with increasing altitude, with significant differences being observed among areas regarding richness, abundance, and cover. Of the total number of species, 10 are endemic to the Caparaó National Park and 17 are listed on the Brazilian Red List of endangered species. The dominant families on all peaks were Asteraceae and Poaceae. The SAD models showed lognormal and geometric distributions, corroborating the fact that 10 species that were common to all three areas were also the most dominant ones in the communities and showed the highest importance values, which ranged between 35% and 60%. Indicator species analysis revealed that 28 species (48.27%) were indicators. Of these, 42.85% had maximum specificity, meaning that they occurred only in one area. Thus, the number of species per life form ratio was similar among areas, yet vegetation spectra differed, especially for hemicryptophytes. The altimetric difference among the areas showed to be a very important driver in the community assembly, influencing the evaluated variables, however, other drivers as soil depth, slope and water could also influence the community structure on a smaller and local spatial scale.     

东海中部夏季鱼类群落结构及其多样性分析

根据2008年8月东海区主要渔场重要渔业资源调查资料,分析东海中部鱼类的种类组成、区系特征、多样性等群落结构特征。结果表明:共调查捕获鱼类88种,其中暖水种59种,占67.0%;暖温种29种,占33.0%。相对重要性指数(IRI)值大于500的优势种鱼类共有5种,分别为带鱼、刺鲳、小黄鱼、六斑刺鲀和鳄齿鱼;种类丰富度指数变动范围为0.10～2.31,平均为0.88;Shannon-Wiener多样度指数变动范围为0.01～1.86,平均为0.87;种类均匀度指数变动范围为0.01～0.92,平均为0.41;东海中部夏季鱼类多样性指数与往年相比有下降的趋势。     

Community structure changes of macrobenthos in the South Yellow Sea

The ecological environment in the Yellow Sea has changed greatly from the 1950s to 1990s and this has had significant impact on marine organisms. In this study, data on soft-sediment macrobenthos occurring in depths from 25 m to 81 m in the South Yellow Sea were used to compare changes in community structure. The agglomerative classification (CLUSTER) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) methods were applied. Five communities were recognized by cluster analysis: 1. The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass community dominated by cold water species, which changed slightly in species composition since the 1950s; 2. The mixed community with the coexistence of cold water species and warm water species, as had been reported previously; 3. The polychaete-dominated eurythermal community in which the composition changed considerably as some dominant species disappeared or decreased; 4. The Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuarine community, with some typical estuarine species; 5. The community affected by the Yellow Sea Warm Current. The greatest change occurred in the coastal area, which indicated that the change may be caused by human activities. Macrobenthos in the central region remained almost unchanged, particularly the cold water species shielded by the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass. The depth, temperature and median grain size of sediments were important factors affecting the distributions of macrobenthos in the South Yellow Sea.