Comparison of siphonophore distributions during the southwest and northeast monsoons on the northwest continental shelf of the South China Sea

Abstract

Differences in siphonophore communities between summer and winter in the northern South China Sea and the influence of environmental conditions on their variations were studied. Our results suggested that local coastal upwelling and surface ocean currents driven by the southwest monsoon enhanced the species number and abundance of siphonophores in summer, while the northeast monsoon forced the cold coastal current into the study area, resulting in low species richness and abundance in winter.