Based on the natural distribution of macrobenthos, two sections typical of the eastern tidal flat of Chongming Island and Xupu tidal flats were chosen as the study area in the Yangtze estuarine and coastal zone. Using a comparative and simulative approach, this study quantitatively explored the effects of macrobenthos (Ilyoplax deschampsin and Corbicula fluminea) on the exchange of nitrogen across the sediment-water interface and the early diagenesis of nitrogen in tidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary. ...