Seasonal changes of macrobenthos distribution and diversity in Zhoushan sea area

To understand the distribution and seasonal changes of macrobenthos in Zhoushan sea area, two cruise surveys were carried out in the summer and winter. A total of 219 species were recorded in the sampling sediment during the two seasons. Two-way ANOVA results showed that the differences were not significant among sections in all the community parameters (species number, biomass and density) and species diversity (Shannon-Weiner index and Pielou's evenness index), but significant between seasons in species number, density and Shannon-Weiner index. This might be influenced by two factors as follows: (1) water currents' differences between seasons; (2) considerable differences in temperature between seasons.