Studies on island intertidal benthic ecology in Fujian

A total of 862 benthic species were identified in the island intertidal zone in Fujian,of which 734 species are animals and 128 species algae.Determination of Jaccard's similarity index of species was made on the intertidal communities around 11 major islands.Based on hierarchical clustering (WPGMA) and polar ordination,the benthic communities may be classified into three types:the estu arine type,the bay and harbour type and open sea type.The distribution of the benthic community is related to the location of the island and its habitats of which,salinity and hydrodynamics are the major factors controlling the distribution of the communities.