Functioning Of Marine Ecosystems Research Articles

Marine bioturbation collapse during Early Jurassic deoxygenation: implications for post-extinction marine ecosystem functioning

Abstract Climate change is undermining the health and integrity of seafloor ecosystems, with declines in bioturbation expected to impact future ecosystem functioning. We explored changes in the nature and degree of bioturbation during Early Jurassic global warming and ocean deoxygenation. Understanding how these communities responded can help anticipate how bioturbation and ecosystem functioning might change over large spatial and temporal scales. Trace and body fossils from outcrop and core in the Cleveland Basin, UK show how healthy seafloor communities deteriorated through the Pliensbachian spinatum Zone, and macroinfaunal behaviour fluctuated across the Pliensbachian–Toarcian boundary coincident with mass extinction. Deoxygenation began above the stage boundary, and conditions deteriorated until bioturbation ceased completely (upper tenuicostatum Zone) for 0.6–2.5 Ma, longer than anywhere else in NW Tethys. The macroinfaunal record revealed new details on the progression and timing of deoxygenation, benthic recovery and fluctuations in the palaeoredox boundary. After the oceanic anoxic event infauna were fewer, smaller and did not mix sediments to depth, and while the depth and diversity of bioturbation had increased by the fibulatum Subzone ( bifrons Zone), the benthos had not recovered to late Pliensbachian pre-oceanic anoxic event state. Bioturbation collapse over large parts of the Northern Hemisphere probably contributed to regional-scale changes in ecosystem functioning.

Sedimentary Records of Phytoplankton Communities in Sanmen Bay in China: The Impacts of ENSO Events over the Past Two Centuries

Phytoplankton communities, showing significant spatiotemporal variation within bay areas, play an important role in the structure and function of nearshore marine ecosystems. However, the absence of long-term high-resolution datasets has hindered our understanding of the effect of ENSO-driven environmental changes on phytoplankton communities in coastal ecosystems. Herein, by performing biomarker inversion analyses on two centuries’ worth of sedimentary organisms in the Sanmen Bay area, we observed a marked El Niño/La Niña-related succession; specifically, that El Niño-induced warming had increased the biomass of phytoplankton by 57.89%, while also increasing the proportion of diatoms by 76.40%. In contrast, La Niña years exhibited a decrease in the biomass of phytoplankton by 54.23%. Further, over three decades of observational data from the Sanmen Bay suggest that La Niña years can promote occasional blooms through monsoonal mixing and land-based inputs. Consequently, the nearshore marine ecosystem of the bay area, being subject to intense anthropogenic activity and land–sea interactions, can be said to be influenced by global-scale ocean–atmosphere processes. Going forward, the connection between short-term extreme events and long-term changes in the nearshore marine ecosystem should receive greater attention.

Marine indicators of climate change in the Azov Sea ecosystem

The study is a contemporary overview of accumulated data and knowledge about the state of water resources in the Sea of Azov basin. The focused area has been rather thoroughly studied since the 1970s, however the information presented in the literature sources is mainly in Russian. The main research objective is to consider the changes that occurred in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries in the lower reaches of the Don and Kuban rivers as a result of economic development of the territory (construction of water-storage reservoirs, dams, irrigation canals, etc.). We provide the most complete summary of data on the inter-annual and seasonal variability of water and solid river runoff, the nutrient load on the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov, as well as new data on the dynamics of organic carbon in the Don runoff in the recent low-water period of 2007–2020. The most significant changes include redistribution of river runoff during the year, a catastrophic reduction in solid runoff, and a change in the structure of terrigenous matter entering the sea. In conclusion, we indicate the chains of consequences of long-term changes in water, solid, and nutrient river runoff for the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov. These include changes in seawater salinity and temperature, terrigenous sedimentation, chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production values, the relative amount of organic matter in bottom sediments (one of the causes of oxygen deficiency at the bottom), structure of planktonic and benthic organisms, as well as in dynamics of valuable commercial fish populations. In particular, we discuss recent observations that confirm the earlier long-term probabilistic forecast of the collapse of the Azov pikeperch population in the beginning of the 2000s. We consider the salinity and temperature of sea waters, data on the content of diatom valves, and the appearance of the Black Sea benthic species in the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov as reliable indicators of climate change. Some of the observed phenomena are still poorly explained and require further research. Using the example of the Sea of Azov and the rivers flowing into it, we indicate how climate variability and economic activity affect the state and functioning of marine ecosystems. Some identified regularities of the processes occurring in the Azov Sea ecosystem may be applied to other water bodies (marine areas).

Effects of hypoxia on benthic eggs of calanoid copepods in the Southern Sea of Korea

Global warming is affecting the composition, structure, and function of marine ecosystems. The increase in hypoxic regions due to stratification is a major environmental problem worldwide. Off the southern coast of Korea, hypoxia occurs frequently in summer, and the area of water affected is gradually expanding. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on the eggs of copepods in the order Calanoida. Data on the distribution and abundance of eggs in benthic sediments were collected from 17 stations, using a piston core sampler (64 mm internal diameter, 50 cm length), from August 1 to 7, 2012. Significant variations in the distribution of calanoid eggs and the occurrence of abnormalities in egg development were found between stations. The abundance of eggs found in the sediments ranged from 0.004 to 2.389 × 106 eggs·m−2, with higher abundances identified in hypoxic than in normoxic areas. The proportion of abnormal eggs ranged from 0 to 92.7%. In particular, there were significantly more abnormal than normal eggs in areas where hypoxia occurred (p < 0.01). These results show that hypoxia can have a lethal effect on calanoid eggs and further affect population and community dynamics.

Changes in marine hot and cold extremes in the China Seas during 1982–2020

Extremes in sea surface temperature (SST) have the potential to threaten marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and regional services. Using the OISST v2 data, we analyzed the spatial and temporal variability of marine hot and cold events in the China Seas during 1982–2020. Results showed that in majority of the China Seas, frequency of Hot Days (HDs) and Marine heatwaves (MHWs) has significantly increased; severe MHWs (SMHWs) have become more intense. Frequency of Cold Days (CDs) and Marine cold-spells (MCSs) has fallen dramatically; severe MCSs (SMCSs) have become weaker. All of the trend distributions are heterogeneous, with the largest magnitudes along the coast. Long-term temporal analysis revealed that cold extremes (CDs, MCSs, SMCSs) decreased significantly, while hot extremes (HDs, MHWs, SMHWs) increased at a higher confidence level and at a faster rate. Asymmetry characterizes the tendencies of hot and cold extremes. Further study demonstrated that mean SST warming, not SST variability, was the primary driver of trends in both MHW and MCS metrics. MHWs/MCSs related to the anthropogenic or natural forcing increased very rapidly in the post-1998 era.

A multispecies, intraspecific functional traits data set on fish species from the Bay of Biscay, France.

The global biodiversity crisis due to anthropogenic pressures jeopardizes marine ecosystem functioning and services. Community responses to these environmental changes can be assessed through functional diversity, a biodiversity component related to organism-environment interactions, and estimated through biological traits related to organism functions (locomotion, feeding mode, and reproduction). Fish play a key role in marine systems functioning and supply proteins for billions of humans worldwide, yet most of the knowledge is limited to several commercial species and little is known about the intraspecific variability of their functional traits. The data provided here consist of 867 records of individuals from 85 species of ray-finned (Actinopterygii) and cartilaginous (Chondrichthyes) fish sampled in the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic, France) between autumn 2017 and 2019. We provided for each individual the taxonomic classification, 16 ecomorphological measures (5 directly made on fresh individuals and 11 realized using individual pictures) that were converted into nine ecomorphological traits classically documented in the literature (biomass, protrusion, oral gape shape, surface and position, eye size and position, body transversal shape and surface, pectoral fin position and caudal peduncle throttling) and eight life history traits obtained from FishBase (maximum length, average depth, depth range, trophic level, reproduction mode, fertilization mode, parental care, vertical position in the water column). These traits document several functions such as dispersion, feeding mode, habitat use, position in the food web, and reproduction. To improve the development of new traits, we provided a picture of each individual with an ROI file containing the different morpho-anatomical measures made using "ImageJ" software and an R function to extract them. In addition, we provided the metadata from each sampling site (years, dates, stations, sampling hours, strata, gears, latitudes, longitudes, and depths) and environmental variables measured in situ (conductivity, salinity, water temperature, water density, and air temperature). This data set accounting for the intraspecific variability among 85 fish species is of interest to better understand the effects of environmental forcing in a global change context as in the Bay of Biscay, a highly fished transition zone harboring mixed assemblages of boreal, temperate, and subtropical fish species that are susceptible to display variability in functional trait to adapt to changing conditions. The data set is freely available without copyright restrictions; users should cite this paper in research products (publications, presentations, reports, etc.) derived from the data set.

Rebuilding Mediterranean marine resources under climate change

The Mediterranean Sea ranks among the most overexploited and fastest-warming ocean regions. This situation calls for urgent development of global change scenarios and models of marine biodiversity to anticipate changes and support ecosystem-based management strategies across the entire Mediterranean Sea. Using a new end-to-end modelling chain for the whole Mediterranean Sea, we explored the potential effects of changes in fishing pressure on marine resources and ecosystem structure and functioning under a worst-case climate change scenario (RCP8.5). We found that a decrease in fishing mortality or an improvement in fishing selectivity could increase the total biomass and total catch of high trophic level species by the middle and end of the 21st century, especially the biomass of demersal, large pelagic and benthic species, thereby reversing the projected climate-induced decrease in their biomass and catch by the end of the century in the western Mediterranean basin. In contrast, climate change could offer opportunities for some eastern Mediterranean fisheries to increase catches of thermophilic and/or exotic species benefiting from new favourable environmental conditions. Based on a suite of ecological indicators, our results indicated clear positive effects of a more sustainable fisheries management on ecosystem structure and functioning. However, a decrease in fishing pressure may not fully compensate for climate-induced changes on marine resources and ecosystems, but rather buffer some projected negative impacts. Our study highlights the need for a more sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources to restore marine ecosystems and increase their resilience in a global change context.

Eco-creative nature-based solutions to transform urban coastlines, local coastal communities and enhance biodiversity through the lens of scientific and Indigenous knowledge

Abstract Increasing anthropogenic pressure on the sea and alteration of coastscapes challenge the functioning of marine ecosystems and long-term reliance on blue economies, especially for developing southern economies. The structural hardening of shores can result in ecological disruptions, with cascading effects on the wellbeing and livelihoods of marginalised groups who depend on marine resources. Mitigation, adaptation and rehabilitation options for coastal developments should include innovative, socially responsible solutions to be used to modify shorelines and ensure long-term functionality of metropolitan coastal ecosystems. Nature-based innovations are being developed to improve surrogacy for natural marine ecosystems. The co-creation of nature-based structures, entailing partnerships between scientists and a local rural community is currently being considered in South Africa and we present this regional case study as a transdisciplinary framework for research in nature-based, ecological engineering of coastal systems. Novel transdisciplinary approaches include ecomusicological interventions, where traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) create opportunities for transgressive pedagogy. This step aims to ensure that the knowledge gathered through nature-based scientific research remains a part of community developed Indigenous knowledge systems. The merging of innovative, eco-creative approaches and TCEs has the potential to sustainably and ethically improve the functioning and diversity of coastal urban habitats. This review tackles the potential of transdisciplinary settings to transform urban coastlines using “low-tech” engineering and Indigenous eco-creative innovations to pedagogy, to benefit the people and biological communities as well as reduce social and gender inequalities.

Integrating phytoplankton pigment and DNA meta‐barcoding observations to determine phytoplankton composition in the coastal ocean

AbstractQuantifying phytoplankton composition is critical to predicting marine ecosystem structure and function. DNA meta‐barcoding and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pigment analysis are two widely used methods for assessing phytoplankton composition; however, comparing their performance has been done only rarely. Here, we integrate DNA meta‐barcoding and HPLC pigment observations to determine eukaryotic phytoplankton composition in the Santa Barbara Channel, California. We find that both methods identify the same four dominant eukaryotic phytoplankton taxa (diatoms, dinoflagellates, chlorophytes, and prymnesiophytes), but inter‐ and intra‐lineage variability in biomarker pigmentation (associated with both a lack of taxonomic specificity of biomarker pigments and intrinsic differences in accessory pigmentation) drives substantial disagreement between the methods. Covariation network analysis circumvents this disagreement and reveals that diverse assemblages of phytoplankton and other protists covary with distinct suites of biomarker pigments. Our results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each method in characterizing phytoplankton composition and reveal novel insights into phytoplankton physiology that could only be gained by integrating the two methods. Finally, we suggest a path to monitor eukaryotic plankton communities on unprecedented spatiotemporal scales based on the covariation of unique phytoplankton and protistan assemblages with remotely sensible phytoplankton pigment concentrations.

4D structure of bio-optical characteristics of the upper 70 m layer of the Black Sea: Bio-Argo floats and ocean color scanners

• Vertical profiles of bio-optical properties varied between seasons and regions. • “Bridge” between bio-Argo floats and satellite oceancolor data. • Retrieval of 4D structure of bio-optical properties euphotic layer of the Black Sea based bio-Argo floats data and merged regional ocean color products. Assessment of the marine ecosystem functioning and energy and matter fluxes from one trophic level to another in marine food web requires the knowledge on light field in the sea upper layer. The detailed information about spatial and temporal variability in light intensity provides the correct assessment of the primary production in the sea. To describe downwelling irradiance in the sea the vertical distribution of the all in water optically active components should be known. The mean profile and two eigenvectors for chlorophyll- a concentration, particle backscattering coefficient, colored dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient and temperature have been derived from bio-Argo float data within 0-70m layer with 5 m resolution. Long-term (2013-2018) dataset of bio-Argo float data have been used to get ten-days averaged parameter values - 37 data subsets/year. To get link between surface satellite data and statistics (parameter profiles) derived from bio-Argo float the chlorophyll- a concentration, light absorption coefficient of colored detrital matter at 490 nm and particle backscattering coefficient at 555 nm retrieved based on regional algorithms, temperature - standard satellite product have been related with statistics derived from bio-Argo float measurements of chlorophyll- a concentration, particle backscattering, colored dissolved organic matter and temperature in surface layer. The obtained relationships allowed to solve the task - to retrieve 4D fields (x,y,z,t) of parameters in the 0-70 m layer of the Black Sea.

Mapping the impacts of multiple stressors on the decline in kelps along the coast of Victoria, Australia

AbstractAimKelp forests throughout temperate regions of the world serve as foundation species that play a critical role in sustaining the health and function of marine ecosystems but are experiencing declines in abundance due to a loss in resilience as the ocean climate changes. Ocean warming along southeast Australia has already been linked to dramatic losses of kelp species and is contributing to the range expansion and population increases of two species of sea urchin. This research attempts to understand the impact of multiple stressors on the decline in kelps in this region.LocationCoastal Waters of Victoria, Southeast Australia.MethodsIn this study, we use long‐term (>20 years) datasets on biological observations across Victorian waters to determine trends in coverage and the impact of multiple environmental variables (oceanography, habitat, and urchin abundances) on two important kelps that serve as foundation species (Phyllospora comosaandEcklonia radiata)using boosted regression trees. These models were then used to develop predictive distribution models for each species and also to project abundance distributions into the future.ResultsWe found that both kelp species are decreasing in percent coverage over time with multiple environmental variables contributing to these declines, including increasing temperatures, intensifying wave energy, changes in currents and recruitment patterns, and increases in urchin populations. Additionally, future projections of temperature, wave energy, and urchin populations show that both species will continue to decrease across 62%–94% of their range by 2090.Main conclusionsLong‐term biological datasets allowed us to develop maps of the past, current, and future distributions of these important foundation species, providing valuable information to managers for prioritization of areas for targeted urchin management and restoration of kelps. Understanding the environmental factors affecting their distribution helps guide manager restoration investments in regions where kelp populations are most likely to persist in the future.

Effects of Glacial Flour on Marine Micro-plankton: Evidences from Natural Communities of Greenlandic Fjords and Experimental Studies

Meltwater runoff from glaciers carries particles, so-called glacial flour that may affect planktonic organisms and the functioning of marine ecosystems. Protist microplankton is at the base of marine food webs and thus plays an important role in sustaining important ecosystem services. To assess the effect of glacial flour on photoautotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic microplankton, the spatial distribution of these trophic groups was studied in four Greenlandic fjords during summer. The results suggest that the abundance of the autotrophic microplankton was affected by the glacier meltwater due to reduced light penetration and nutrient availability. The abundance of heterotrophic and mixotrophic microplankton were not apparently affected by the glacier meltwater. Incubation experiments were conducted on the natural population and in laboratory cultures of two mixoplanktonic ciliate species. The experiments on the natural population revealed that none of the trophic groups were affected by the suspended material at concentrations up to 50mg L-1. The experiments on cultures gave no indication that glacial flour was ingested by the mixoplanktonic ciliates. Growth rates of cultured ciliates were not affected by the glacial flour addition. These results suggest that heterotrophic and mixotrophic microplankton are not affected by glacial flour as much as autotrophic microplankton.

Some Jellyfish Like It Hot!

When you go to the beach, it might seem like there are more jellyfish every summer. Is this true? We study the barrel jellyfish, which lives in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Since the end of the XIX century, many scientists and interested members of the public have been recording the sightings of this jellyfish along the coasts. We collected this information to see whether jellyfish numbers are increasing with the warming of the ocean waters. We found that, due to the warming of the sea caused by climate change, the barrel jellyfish are appearing earlier in the year, and there are greater numbers of barrel jellyfish in some regions now compared with years past. Although other factors, such as food, predators, or habitat changes may also affect marine species, our results indicate that ocean warming could have direct effects on living organisms, changing the functioning of marine ecosystems.

Climate and fishing simultaneously impact small pelagic fish in the oceans around the southernmost tip of Africa

Climate and fisheries interact, often synergistically, and may challenge marine ecosystem functioning and, ultimately, seafood provision and human wellbeing that depend on them. Holistic and integrative approaches aiming at evaluating the spatial overlap between these major stressors are crucial for identifying marine regions and key fish species that require conservation priority to prevent possible future collapses. Based on highly resolved information on environmental conditions and fishing pressure from the Southern Benguela and the Agulhas Bank ecosystems off South Africa, we identified the main areas where small pelagic fish species (European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax, and West Coast round herring Etrumeus whiteheadi) have been highly impacted in terms of unfavourable environmental conditions and fishing pressure over the period 1993-2018. We termed these areas cumulative “hotspots” of climate change and fishing impact. We also identified fishing grounds where environmental conditions are now more favourable for these pelagic fish species, terming these “bright spots” of climate change. Environmental conditions and fishing intensity show contrasting patterns between the Southern Benguela and the Agulhas Bank ecosystems, with the Southern Benguela region accumulating most of the cumulative hotspots and showing the most negative trends in CPUE (a proxy for local fish abundance). Contrastingly, bright spots, identified on the south coast but also south of Cape Town, showed more positive trends in CPUE, suggesting that they may support sustainable growth of the small pelagic fishery in the medium term. Focussing future fishing effort on these bright spots may serve to alleviate pressure on the doubly and highly impacted cumulative hotspots from the western side of the southernmost tip of Africa.

Pipeline, Pathway, Burrow

Pipeline, Pathway, Burrow

Habitat compression indices for monitoring ocean conditions and ecosystem impacts within coastal upwelling systems

Upwelling ecosystems are characterized by intense seasonal productivity that supports highly dynamic species populations, high diversity of mid and upper trophic levels, and a myriad of important fisheries. Climate variability and long-term change will impact upwelling intensity, timing and persistence, thereby potentially threatening resilience of coastal food webs and stability of ecosystem services. The spatial footprint of cool upwelled waters in the surface mixed-layer supports trophic transfer and ultimately the productivity of fisheries. The spatial area of upwelled water in eastern boundary upwelling systems can vary dramatically in response to both local and remote atmospheric forcing. These variations contribute to dynamic habitats that impact the structure, function, and spatial characteristics of marine ecosystems. We quantified the variability in “cool-water thermal habitat” area as a new ecological indicator, the Habitat Compression Index (HCI), for the nearshore (within 150 km of the coast) waters of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME). The HCI can be easily updated from ocean model products and satellite observations of sea surface temperature. We describe standardization of the HCI, regional variability, and evaluate HCI relationships with other indicators commonly used to inform ecosystem context within the CCLME. Importantly, our approach to calculating the HCI is easily extendable to other upwelling ecosystems. Further, we discuss the management context of the HCI such as assessing risk of whale entanglement in a highly profitable fishery, and implications for monitoring ecosystem shifts in coastal upwelling systems and the fisheries they support.

Extraction efficiency of different microplastic polymers from deep-sea sediments and their quantitative relevance

An increasing number of methods for extracting microplastic particles from marine sediments have been published but without evaluating the extraction efficiency. Furthermore, while most of the procedures developed have been applied to sandy sediments from shallow water habitats, specific and standardized procedures for deep-water sediments (> 200 meters deep) are limited. In this study, we describe a specific protocol for extracting microplastics (2- 1000 µm) from deep-sea sediments and for quantifying and identifying them. We also assessed its extraction efficiency, which resulted in a high recovery (on average ca. 60%, and up to 80%) particularly, for polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. This method can be applied to all fine-grained/muddy sediments and allows the extraction of even the smallest fraction of microplastics (<20 µm), which are expected to have the most severe effects on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and ultimately also have implications for human health.

Global long-term observations reveal wide geographic divergence in coastal phytoplankton species niches

Abstract As a fundamental component for marine ecosystem functioning, phytoplankton require an appraisal of the extent of their adaptive potential to interpret the effects of natural or human-induced changes in marine habitats. To this aim, the study of the present ecological characteristics of phytoplankton species represents the first effort to assess their adaptive potential in a wide spectrum of environmental variables. Using a set of nine time series, this study aimed at describing the ecological niche of 10 worldwide-distributed species and testing whether individual species occupy the same niche across different environments. The species showed wide variations in frequency, average abundance and seasonal pattern among sites, while their annual maxima occurred over ample ranges of physical–chemical variables, with marked differences from site to site depicting a considerably wide global niche for each species. Although in some of the species this result can be attributed to the existence of multiple, morphologically similar taxa hardly identifiable in light microscopy, other cases could be explained by intraspecific diversity and/or enhanced adaptation potential in phytoplankton populations. Although probably not applicable to species with more restricted distribution ranges, these results should be considered when projecting present species distributions into a future scenario of climate change.

Seasonal nutrient co-limitation in a temperate shelf sea: A modelling approach

Nutrient limitation on phytoplankton growth plays a critical role in ocean productivity, the functioning of marine ecosystems, and the ocean carbon cycle. In the Celtic Sea, a temperate shelf sea, many studies have shown the importance of nitrate on phytoplankton growth focusing on the seasonal cycle of nitrate and feedbacks with the physical environment; but only recently has it been demonstrated, through discrete measurements, that dissolved iron also plays an important role in the ecosystem of the region. A well-established one-dimensional model has been developed to analyse the nutrient co-limitation between dissolved iron and dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the Celtic Sea. This model allows us to study the full seasonal cycle and inter-annual variability of these two nutrients. Simulations show that dissolved iron is an important nutrient for the development of the spring bloom, while nitrate plays a more important role during the summer season. Sensitivity analyses show that these results are robust when varying the nutrient-related parameters; the largest variability observed for primary production was observed when varying the nutrient sediment flux rates for dissolved iron and nitrate while less impact on phytoplankton production occurs when changing the half saturation constants. Here, we demonstrate that dissolved iron is an important nutrient for the development of the spring bloom and it should not be neglected as a state variable when modelling the Celtic Sea or other temperate shelf seas.

Temporal and spatial patterns of demersal fish assemblages in the coastal water of Sierra Leone

Information on the temporal and spatial patterns of fish community is key to further understand the functioning of marine ecosystem and protect marine organism resources efficiently. 6 demersal trawl surveys were carried out in the coast water of Sierra Leone during Sep 2019∼May 2021. Obvious temporal and spatial heterogeneity of oceanographic condition were observed in the survey area, the water temperature and salinity were usually higher in dry season and lower in rainy season. A total of 195 species belong to 79 families were identified. Offshore Sciaenid sub-community and Inshore sparid sub-community were the 2 common and major groups identified from 6 surveys, but the composition of dominant species may have changed. Less abundant of some traditional economic species (P. Typ, P. qui, Epinephelus, Arius and Lutjanus) and more abundant of T. myo were caught The Offshore sciaenid sub-community distributed mainly in southeast part or closed to shoreline in north part of survey area. The Inshore sparid sub-community distributed mainly in northwest part. Bottom sediment type (Btype) and depth were the common significant factors for the special pattern of fish community in all surveys. Offshore sciaenid sub-community was always associated with mud substrate and shallow water; Inshore sparid sub-community was associated with sand substrate and most of sites distributed in deeper water. The significant effect of sea surface salinity (SSS) were only observed in Oct, Dec, Jan and May. SSS was filtered as significant environment parameter, may not just base on the effect of salinity on fish community, but SSS was also a better characteristic parameter for monthly fluctuation of oceanographic condition. The increasing fishing activities maybe the one of major disturbance factors to the structure change of fish community. In order to promote the biodiversity conservation, strengthen fishery management based on ecosystem approach and developing sustainable fishery should be advocated.