Inagridinvestigation,dinoflagellatecystswerecollectedfromsedimentsinXiamenWesternHarborinMayof2000,fromwhichfivespeciesofcystswereidentified:Alexandriumtamarensis,A.minutum,Lingulodiniumpolyedra,GonyaulaxscrippsaeandGymnodiniumcatenatum,accountforabout21%inthespeciescomposition.Thequantitativeanalysisofthesedimentsshowsthatthenumberofdinoflagellatecystsvariesfrom51to256cysts/gofsediment,thehighestvalue(＞200cysts/g)beingrecordedatthestationsofthecentralpartofthebay,whilethelowest(＜100cysts/g)atthebaymouth.Agoodlinearrelationshipisfoundbetweencystamountandfine-grainedsediments.Complexphysiognomiesontheseabed,topographtyinthebayandweakwaterexchangearethemainfactorsnotonlyincystaccumulationbutalsointheirdistributionpattern,andhaveresultedinthedifferenceincystdensitiesbetweentheinnerbayandtheouterbayintheharbor.
