Coast Of Mainland China Research Articles

Impact of Marine Shipping Emissions on Ozone Pollution During the Warm Seasons in China

AbstractAs China's land‐based anthropogenic emissions are decreasing, the impact of marine shipping emissions (MSEs) on the atmosphere, especially in coastal areas, deserves further attention. This study investigates the impact of MSEs on MDA8 ozone (O3) levels during the warm seasons of 2017 in China, considering different seasons and synoptic patterns. The results indicate that the average impact of MSEs on O3 decreases from offshore to inland, peaking at over 29.0 ppb at sea and 13.8 ppb along the coast of mainland China. Influenced by precursor emissions, meteorology and other factors, MSEs contribute differently to O3 in Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD), with contributions of 3.0, 5.2, and 4.9 ppb, respectively, and ranging from 2.7 to 7.3 ppb in 13 coastal port cities. The O3 impacts of MSEs are higher on polluted days than on clean days, especially during onshore winds. In the BTH, MSEs increase O3 by 5.5 ppb on polluted days and 3.0 ppb on clean days with northeast winds from the Bohai Sea. In the YRD, MSEs increase O3 by 9.4 ppb on polluted days and 7.3 ppb on clean days with southeast winds. MSEs significantly increase O3 levels in the PRD by 11.0 ppb on polluted days and 5.0 ppb on clean days with southeast winds. Although the emission inventories, initial and boundary conditions, etc. may introduce uncertainties, our results still provide useful information for O3 pollution management in coastal cities as a reasonable way to track mass contributions.

Genetic pattern and demographic history of cutlassfish (Trichiurus nanhaiensis) in South China Sea by the influence of Pleistocene climatic oscillations

Trichiurus nanhaiensis is one of the most important commercial fish species in the South China Sea. This study aimed to investigate the level of genetic variation and population genetic structure of T. nanhaiensis in the South China Sea for the first time, using 281 individuals collected from seven locations along the coast of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hainan Island. A high level of haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity were detected in the mitochondrial DNA cyt b gene and nuDNA RYR 3 gene. The overall expected heterozygosity (He = 0.693) among the seven populations ranged from 0.681 to 0.706 in microsatellite DNA data, which revealed high levels of genetic diversity. Significant genetic differentiation was found in Taidong populations in Taiwan, revealing the prevention of gene flow caused by the Kuroshio Current. Two major lineages based on the cyt b gene suggested that the Taiwan Strait acted as a geographic barrier for T. nanhaiensis during the glacier periods in the late Pleistocene. The Bayesian skyline plot also revealed that population demographic expansion of T. nanhaiensis was estimated to have occurred in 0.1 Mya. Our results indicated that all populations of T. nanhaiensis had experienced a recent genetic bottleneck following recent expansion based on ABC analysis.

Demographic history and population genetic structure of Anisakis pegreffii in the cutlassfish Trichiurus japonicus along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan.

Studying the genetic diversity of nematode parasite populations is crucial to gaining insight into parasite infection dynamics and informing parasite phylogeography. Anisakiasis is a zoonotic disease caused by the consumption of infectious third-stage larvae (L3) of Anisakis spp. carried by marine fish. In the present study, a total of 206 mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome c oxidase 2, cox2) were used to study the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and historical demography of twelve A. pegreffii populations from Trichiurus japonicas along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan. Two distinct evolutionary lineages of A. pegreffii and no significant genealogical structures corresponding to sampling localities suggested that isolation in the marginal seas shaped their patterns of phylogeographic distribution along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan during glaciation with lower sea levels. Furthermore, pairwise FST values and AMOVA did not indicate any significant genetic differentiation among groups with no relation to the geographic area, which might be attributed to fewer barriers to gene flow as well as large population sizes. The results of the neutrality test, mismatch distribution, and Bayesian skyline plot analyses showed that entire population underwent population expansion during the late Pleistocene. Analysis of the demographic history revealed that A. pegreffii underwent historical lineage diversification and admixture due to secondary contact based on ABC analysis. The present research represents the first definitive population structure and demographic history across sampling locations of A. pegreffii along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan.

Phylogeography and Genetic Structure of the Swimming Crabs Portunus sanguinolentus (Herbst, 1783) in East Asia

The three-spot swimming crab (Portunus sanguinolentus) is mainly distributed in South East Asia. An analysis of mitochondrial control region partial sequences allows us to determine the population genetic structure, phylogeography and historical demography of this species in East Asia. The seven populations, which included 110 individuals, were collected from mainland China (Shanghai, SH, Xiamen, XM and Hong Kong, HK), Taiwan (Yilan, YL, Taichung, TC, Donggang, DG) and Singapore (Singapore, SGP). The nucleotide diversity (π) of all individuals was 0.01149, with values ranging from 0.00372 (SGP) to 0.01345 (YL). In total, 90 haplotypes have been identified, which can be divided into two major lineages: lineage A consists of specimens from SH, YL, XM, TC and DG, and lineage B corresponds to specimen from SGP. From the second to the most recent interglacial period, population expansion was observed in each lineage. However, a low level of genetic differentiation was also observed in the three-spotted swimming crab, P. sanguinolentus, according to FST values. Our results suggest that several past and present habitat configurations have shaped the genetic patterns of P. sanguinolentus until now. During Pleistocene glaciations, when sea levels were low, this species may have moved along the coast from Southeast Asia to China. It first colonized the Hong Kong area during this era. After sea levels rose and shorelines receded, it subsequently spread to the coast of mainland China.

Development and Operation of the Dalian Cruise Port in China

China's cruise industry has developed rapidly in the past ten years, and China's cruise port construction has flourished. A total of 20 cities along the coast of mainland China have built or planned to build cruise terminals. According to WTO estimates, China will gradually become the world's largest source country of cruise passengers and cruise travel consumers in the future. Due to different national conditions, the business model and development prospects of Chinese cruise ports are different from those of foreign ports. It requires finding the pioneers of domestic cruise ports to take the lead, providing advice on the development and operation of cruise ports. Dalian Cruise Port is actively formulating its cruise industry development plan, expanding the cruise port, and improving the supporting facilities in the cruise port area. Based on the characteristics of the operation of the Dalian cruise port, we use the gray model to make a vague prediction of the future development of the cruise port. It reflects the advanced operation mode of Dalian Port. This research systematically analyzed cruise port operations and maritime cruise transportation. Because the cruise port's business model and prospects are essential to the cruise port industry, China's cruise ports must learn more advanced operating models.

Resource Status and Effect of Long-Term Stock Enhancement of Large Yellow Croaker in China

The large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, was once the most abundant and economically important marine fish in China. Thus far, it has also been the most successful mariculture fish species in China. However, its wild stock severely declined in the 1970s because of overexploitation, and therefore hatchery release has been carried out for stock enhancement since 2000. As a migratory fish, large yellow croaker was divided into three geographical stocks according to ambiguous morphological and biological characteristics in early documents. To investigate the identity of wild large yellow croaker populations and assess the influence of hatchery supplementation on wild populations, a total of 2,785 cultured individuals and 591 wild individuals were collected from 91 hatcheries and six wild populations along the coast of mainland China and analyzed using two mitochondrial genes [cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b)] and one nuclear gene (RyR3). The higher haplotype diversity and moderate nucleotide diversity of wild large yellow croaker indicated that overexploitation, which caused a sharp decrease in biomass, did not lead to a loss of genetic diversity. According to phylogenetic construction and network analysis, the absence of a significant population structure pattern revealed a single panmictic population of wild large yellow croaker with exception of a population collected from the Sansha Bay, which showed high genetic relatedness to the cultured population, suggesting significant genetic effects resulting from stock enhancement. Overall, our study suggests no genetic differentiation in the entire wild population of large yellow croaker, which means that we have great flexibility in mixing and matching farmed and wild populations. However, since the result showed that domestication, the relaxation of purifying selection, increased genetic loads, and maladapted farmed fish will be at a selective disadvantage when cultured juveniles are released in the wild, the effectiveness of stock enhancement and the negative impact of hatchery-wild fish hybridization on the wild population must be carefully evaluated in future.

Trace metal distributions and fluxes in the Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait plays an important role as a corridor for the transport of water and chemicals between the South China Sea and the East China Sea, two of the largest marginal seas in the world, while receiving terrestrial material from land masses on both sides. In this study, we report on trace metal results in multiple cross-Strait transects during surveys of trace metal distributions and fluxes that reached from the northern South China Sea to the southern East China Sea. Plumes of elevated trace metal concentrations off the mainland China coast and off the northwest coast of Taiwan were documented to reach into the Taiwan Strait. Combining trace metal data with current velocity, obtained from HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), trace metal fluxes through multiple cross-sections in the Taiwan Strait were calculated. Seasonal variability in terrestrial source strength and current patterns in the Taiwan Strait dictated trace metal fluxes in different parts of the Strait. The northward fluxes were smaller during northeastern monsoon in the fall/winter because of the greater southward Chinese Coastal Current, which carried terrestrial trace metal sources in its water into the Taiwan Strait. Some trace metals had strong linear relationships with salinity within plume extensions, within a few tens of kilometers off a major river mouth. Results show that varying monsoon-induced water transports led to distinctively different trace metal distributions and fluxes at different times and through different transects across the Taiwan Strait.

Genetic diversity and population structure of cutlassfish (Lepturacanthus savala) along the coast of mainland China, as inferred by mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers

Cutlassfish (Lepturacanthus savala) is a commercially important fish species that is distributed in the tropical coastal area throughout the Indo-West Pacific Oceans. However, there have been few genetic studies on this species. Therefore, based on mitochondrial COI gene and thirteen microsatellite DNA markers that have been successfully developed by predecessors, the objective of this study is to assess the genetic diversity and structure of L savala for the first time, using 172 individuals collected from six locations along the coast of mainland China during 2019. High levels of haplotype diversity (0.94) in mitochondrial DNA and the average number of alleles among the six populations ranged from 10.3 to 14.0 in microsatellite DNA data, which showed that all population exhibited a high level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that did not indicate any significant genetic differentiation among groups with no relation to the geographic area. The significant genetic differentiation was found in LYG and BH populations revealed that the prevention of gene flow caused by the Yangtze River and the Qiongzhou Strait. The results of STRUCTURE suggested that all populations were admixtures of two clusters, which could be explained only by the high migratory ability of L. savala resulting in extensive gene flow. Analysis of demographic history revealed that L. savala undergo historical lineage diversification and admixture due to the secondary contact based on ABC analysis, and no evidence for recent population bottlenecks were detected. Such study is both practical and theoretical value for genetic improvement, conservation, management, and sustainable resource utilization.

Contact Tracing, Testing, and Control of COVID-19—Learning From Taiwan

Taiwan is a country of about 24 million people, 81 miles off the coast of mainland China. As of late April 2020, Taiwan had about 330 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 6 deaths. By comparison, the US had about 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 60 000 deaths.

Crustal movement and strain distribution in East Asia revealed by GPS observations

East Asia is bounded by the Indian plate to the southwest and the Pacific and Philippine plates to the east, and has undergone complex tectonic evolution since ~55 Ma. In this study, we collect and process three sources of GPS datasets, including GPS observations, GPS positioning time series, and published GPS velocities, to derive unified velocity and strain rate fields for East Asia. We observed southward movement and arc-parallel extension along the Ryukyu Arc and propose that the maximum principal stress axis (striking NEE) in North China could be mainly induced by westward subduction of the Pacific plate and the southward movement of the Ryukyu Arc. The large EW-trending sinistral shear zone that bounds North China has been created by eastward movement of South China to the south and westward subduction of the Pacific plate to the north. GPS velocity profiles and strain rates also demonstrate that crustal deformation in mainland China is controlled by northeastward collision of the Indian plate into Eurasia and westward subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates beneath Eurasia. In particular, the India-Eurasia continental collision has the most extensive impact, which can reach as far as the southern Lake Baikal. The viscous behavior of the subducting Pacific slab also drives interseismic deformation of North China. The crustal deformation caused by Philippine oceanic subduction is small and is limited to the region between the southeast coast of mainland China and Taiwan island. However, the principal compressional strain around eastern Taiwan is the largest in the region.

Integrating Typhoon Destructive Potential and Social‐Ecological Systems Toward Resilient Coastal Communities

AbstractThe resilience of coastal communities becomes a critical issue of the social‐ecological system adapting to impacts from hazards on coastal well‐being. This paper formulates a framework integrating typhoon destructive potential and social‐ecological system from a perspective of coastal resilience. Typhoon destructive potential is interpreted using the Power Dissipation Index as a metric. We use the distributional models in geographic information systems to identify the spatial hotspots of high Power Dissipation Index along the coast of Mainland China. Furthermore, we evaluate the community resilience in all identified hotspots with place‐based indicators within five potential dimensions (Social, Ecological, Institutional, Economic, and Safety). Though the results show no significant long‐term trends in the typhoon destructive potential, statistically significant interdecadal variations are identified in different hotspots during 1949–2014. The resilience assessment results reveal that ecological (predisaster defense) and safety resilience (postdisaster support) are critical issues in achieving coastal community resilience. We argue that improving the ecological stewardship (having great predisaster defense) and adopting integrated approaches contribute to resilience enhancement, providing opportunities to support all the dimensions of community resilience via improving the social‐economic‐ecological nexus. The integration of typhoon destructive potential and social‐ecological system helps to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 13 through risk‐informed decision‐making. The results from this study have important policy implications for local‐scale planning incorporating place‐based indicators.

Rapid Invasion of Spartina Alterniflora in the Coastal Zone of Mainland China: Spatiotemporal Patterns and Human Prevention.

Given the extensive spread and ecological consequences of exotic Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) over the coast of mainland China, monitoring its spatiotemporal invasion patterns is important for the sake of coastal ecosystem management and ecological security. In this study, Landsat series images from 1990 to 2015 were used to establish multi-temporal datasets for documenting the temporal dynamics of S. alterniflora invasion. Our observations revealed that S. alterniflora had a continuous expansion with the area increasing by 50,204 ha during the considered 25 years. The largest expansion was identified in Jiangsu Province during the period of 1990–2000, and in Zhejiang Province during the periods 2000–2010 and 2010–2015. Three noticeable hotspots for S. alterniflora invasion were Yancheng of Jiangsu, Chongming of Shanghai, and Ningbo of Zhejiang, and each had a net area increase larger than 5000 ha. Moreover, an obvious shrinkage of S. alterniflora was identified in three coastal cities including the city of Cangzhou of Hebei, Dongguan, and Jiangmen of Guangdong. S. alterniflora invaded mostly into mudflats (>93%) and shrank primarily due to aquaculture (55.5%). This study sheds light on the historical spatial patterns in S. alterniflora distribution and thus is helpful for understanding its invasion mechanism and invasive species management.

Risk assessment for the sustainability of coastal communities: A preliminary study

With communities increasingly concentrated in coastal regions globally, governments and stakeholders call for cohesive risk assessments for future sustainability in the wake of natural hazards. This can only be achieved through risk-based decision-making and smart resources treatment. To provide a basis for such actions, we here propose a risk assessment (RA) framework focusing on the risk-resilience-sustainability nexus. In contrast to focusing on the traditional RA approach, we propose an integrative approach based on hazard, vulnerability, and resilience covering the full spectrum of RA for effective risk reduction. We further explain how the proposed framework can simultaneously provide useful input for resilience management in parallel to achieving certain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We apply this framework for typhoon risk assessment (represented by a Typhoon Risk Index—TRI) of coastal counties of mainland China. Different TRIs e.g. total population, elderly population, non-adult population, and economic status are calculated for each coastal county to supplement multi-objective empirical measures for risk reduction. The RA results show a large spatial heterogeneity in typhoon risk with an increase in the risk from north to south along the coast of mainland China. The comparative results from this study are relevant to the prioritization of different regions for immediate or gradual actions, wise decision-making, and risk reduction through proper treatment of resources-related policy implications. The evaluation of the SDGs achievement status reveals that the overall performance of coastal provinces in mainland China is higher to achieve SDGs 3 and 15 followed by 13 and 8. The study shows that while Guangdong province is in the highest risk category, its achievement status for SDG-13 (climate actions, strengthening resilience) is the lowest relative to other provinces, which is critical. This study represents a major scientific contribution to mainland China's coastal risk management and calls for aligning risk-informed planning and sustainability frameworks.

Idyll or nightmare: what does rurality mean for farmers in a Chinese village undergoing commercialization?

ABSTRACTAmid arguments over the recurrence or deconstruction of rural life – prompted by cultural reconstruction of rurality – the increasing complexity of rural life can be variously traced to economic, social, and political transformations common to all corners of the world. With primary reference to archives and in-depth interviews, this study aims to describe the experience with, negotiation of, and reproduction of rurality among farmers of a thousand-year-old village on the east coast of mainland China. In doing so, it reveals rurality as a Western concept used to clarify the fate of rural communities in a transitional economy. Indeed, market-oriented reform seems to have changed farmers’ conceptualization of rurality, with their references to “the good old days” serving as a complaint about their economically and politically inferior status. Certainly, rural tourism development is an idyllic prospect for urbanite, but it is becoming a nightmare for indigenous farmers as the cultural colonization embodied in the commercialization of rurality threatens to join industrialization and urbanization in encroaching on rural communities in a transitional economy.

Tsunami hazard assessment along the Chinese mainland coast from earthquakes in the Taiwan region

Tsunami disasters have been documented several times in Chinese history, mostly in the Taiwan region. To assess the tsunami hazard along the coast of mainland China from sources in Taiwan, this study analyzed historical tsunamis and undersea seismic events around Taiwan and found that the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes around Taiwan are significantly higher than in the adjacent Ryukyu and Manila trenches. The probabilistic seismic hazard analysis method was adopted to estimate the maximum possible earthquake magnitude around Taiwan. Then, six tsunami sources were assumed in those places where both earthquakes and tsunamis have occurred previously. Numerical models of the tsunamis were used to calculate the probable maximum tsunami amplitude and tsunami arrival time. The largest tsunami amplitude and the shortest arrival time were drawn on a GIS map. The modeling results provided a summary of tsunami hazards along the coast of mainland China from tsunami sources in Taiwan. The results showed that tsunamis triggered by the maximum possible earthquakes in the Taiwan region would arrive first at Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan Provinces within 3 h; the largest tsunami amplitude was up to 3.3 m. Thus, parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong Provinces were identified as regions with the highest hazard levels.

Satellite views of the episodic terrestrial material transport to the southern Okinawa Trough driven by typhoon

AbstractUsing satellite‐derived water transparency (alias Secchi depth) images, we found clear signals of terrestrial material transport to the southern Okinawa Trough triggered by the Typhoon Morakot in August 2009. Three sources were identified: one is from the eastern coast of Taiwan, another is from the western coast of Taiwan, and the other is from the coast of mainland China. Carried by northward flows, typhoon‐triggered terrestrial materials from both sides of Taiwan's coasts were transported to the region northeast of Taiwan. Moreover, the terrestrial material from the coast of mainland China could cross the Taiwan Strait and be further transported to the region northeast of Taiwan. These typhoon‐induced terrestrial materials off northeastern Taiwan could then be transported to the southern Okinawa Trough along the western edge of the Kuroshio. In addition to the particulate terrestrial material transported, nutrients might also be transported to the Kuroshio main stream. A significant phytoplankton bloom was observed along the Kuroshio path for about 300 km off northeast of Taiwan. Our results indicate that episodic cyclone‐driven terrestrial material transport could be another source of mud in the southern Okinawa Trough.

Phylogeography and Genetic Differentiation among Populations of the Moon Turban Snail Lunella granulata Gmelin, 1791 (Gastropoda: Turbinidae)

We examined the genetic variation and phylogeographic relationships among 10 populations of Lunella granulata from mainland China, Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan Island, and Japan using mitochondrial COI and 16S markers. A total of 45 haplotypes were obtained in 112 specimens, and relatively high levels of haplotype diversity (h = 0.903) and low levels of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0046) were detected. Four major phylogenetic lineage clusters were revealed and were concordant with their geographic distribution, agreeing with the haplotype network. These results suggested that geographic barrier isolating effects were occurring among the populations. This hypothesis was also supported by a significant genetic differentiation index (FST = 0.709) and by a spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) analysis. A mismatch distribution analysis, neutrality tests and Bayesian skyline plots found a single significant population expansion. This expansion occurred on the coast of mainland China before 20–17 ka. Consequently, although the dispersal ability of the planktonic stage and the circulation of ocean currents generally promote genetic exchanges among populations, L. granulata has tended to maintain distinct genetic groups that reflect the respective geographic origins of the constituent lineages. Although the circulation of ocean currents, in principle, may still play a role in determining the genetic composition of populations, long-distance migration between regions is difficult even at the planktonic stage.

Wave spectra assimilation in typhoon wave modeling for the East China Sea

The East China Sea is a hot area for typhoon waves to occur. A wave spectra assimilation model has been developed to predict the typhoon wave more accurately and operationally. This is the first time where wave data from Taiwan have been used to predict typhoon wave along the mainland China coast. The two-dimensional spectra observed in Taiwan northeast coast modify the wave field output by SWAN model through the technology of optimal interpolation (OI) scheme. The wind field correction is not involved as it contributes less than a quarter of the correction achieved by assimilation of waves. The initialization issue for assimilation is discussed. A linear evolution law for noise in the wave field is derived from the SWAN governing equations. A two-dimensional digital low-pass filter is used to obtain the initialized wave fields. The data assimilation model is optimized during the typhoon Sinlaku. During typhoons Krosa and Morakot, data assimilation significantly improves the low frequency wave energy and wave propagation direction in Taiwan coast. For the far-field region, the assimilation model shows an expected ability of improving typhoon wave forecast as well, as data assimilation enhances the low frequency wave energy. The proportion of positive assimilation indexes is over 81% for all the periods of comparison. The paper also finds that the impact of data assimilation on the far-field region depends on the state of the typhoon developing and the swell propagation direction.

Low genetic diversity and genetic differentiation among domesticated stocks of the small abalone Haliotis diversicolor in China

AFLP markers were used to investigate levels of genetic diversity within cultured populations of the small abalone Haliotis diversicolor in China and to compare them with a wild population. A total of 234 fragments, with a size range of 150-500 bp, were identified from 152 individuals by five AFLP primer combinations. High proportion of polymorphic loci (77.65%) and heterozygosity (0.2124) were found within the natural population, while low proportion of polymorphic loci (24.51 to 64.31%) and heterozygosity (0.0677 to 0.1665) were detected within the six cultured populations. The results show a significantly reduced genetic diversity in the hatchery stocks when compared with the wild population. AMOVA analysis, pairwise comparison of φST values, and cluster analysis showed that both the wild population (DX) and the stock (TW) were significantly different from the other five domestic cultured populations. For the five hatchery stocks sampled from mainland China coast, however, genetic differences were not significant, except between SZ and ZJ, SZ and HN stocks. The genetic status detected in this study hints that mass mortality of H. diversicolor in recent years might have association with the reduction in genetic diversity. The results also indicate that all cultured populations, excluding TW and ZJ stocks, may not be suitable as source populations for selective breeding programs; some natural populations and foreign stocks introduced from outside China should be considered. Key words : Amplified fragment length polymorphism, Haliotis diversicolor , domesticated stocks, geneticdiversity.

Zooplankton assemblages as indicators of seasonal changes in water masses in the boundary waters between the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait

Hydrology and trophic relationships are frequently reported for inducing changes in mesozooplankton communities. This study investigated the distribution and abundance of mesozooplankton in the boundary waters between the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Samples were collected using a NOR-PAC zooplankton net towed horizontally at a depth of 2 m, at eight stations along a transect, in March (spring) and October (autumn) 2005. The abundance of mesozooplankton was significantly higher during autumn than spring. Densities of many groups (e.g., Noctilucascintillans, pteropods, copepods, mysids, euphausiids, and other larva) increased in October. During both seasons, copepods represented more than 50% of the total zooplankton abundance. Noctiluca scintillans, appendicularians, and Calanus sinicus were dominant in spring, indicating their association with the cold waters of the East China Coastal Current. Appendicularians and N. scintillans were mainly associated with the coastal waters of Taiwan; whereas C. sinicus was concentrated in the offshore waters along the coast of Mainland China. Chaetognaths, Temora turbinata, Acrocalanus spp., and radiolarians were dominant in autumn, showing their association with the warm waters of the Kuroshio Branch Current. Oncaea venusta was relatively abundant during both seasons. Our study shows that, in addition to the influence of seasonal changes in the water masses, the distribution and composition of mesozooplankton are highly influenced by trophic interactions between zooplankton taxa, in the boundary waters of the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.