Community structure and ecological quality assessment of macrobenthos in the coastal sea areas of Northern Yantai, China

Four cruises in the Bohai Sea and northern Yellow off Yantai, China, April August of 2020, collected data on species composition community structure characteristics macrobenthos these sea areas. Temporal spatial changes dominant macrobenthic between were also analyzed. The M-AMBI environmental used to assess benthic ecological quality coastal waters Yantai. results revealed differences status two main findings are as follows: A total 7 phyla 153 collected; 113 101 recorded areas, respectively, estimated abundance was 301 ind. m -2 598 ( p < 0.01), biomass 10.20 g 14.65 , respectively. comprised small-sized polychaetes bivalves. Glycinde bonhourei Micronephthys oligobranchia Sternaspis chinensis Moerella hilaris . number differed significantly seasons 0.05). comparison showed that more obvious replacement occurred Sea. There major Macrobenthos positively correlated with depth, dissolved oxygen, sand substrate, negatively bottom-water temperature, pH, fine silt or clay substrate. In April, sites low value at ports Laizhou Longkou Yangma Island, water likely affected by intensive bivalve aquaculture, port activities, river discharge; August, low-ecological-value middle Bay, Port, west Daheishan cities Yantai Weihai. Overall, areas generally deemed be a “good” state quality.