Some ecological characteristics of microphytobenthos in the intertidal flat around Xiamen were studied in 1987. These include the abundance and the distribution of benthic diatoms, and the chlorophyll concentration of microphytobenthos. Annual range of 0.35-130mg/m2 with the average of 18.5mg/m2 for chloropyll a and 0.2-411mg/m2 with the average of 57.9mg/m2 for phae-ophytin showed that the microphytobenthos is the main primary producer in the benthic ecosystem. All 162 species of benthic diatoms have been ...