BaselineSediment characteristics and benthic ecological status in contrasting marine environments of subtropical Hong Kong

•Sediment quality and macrofaunal communities were updated in subtropical Hong Kong.•AMBI and M-AMBI were consistent with sediment characteristics of different benthic environments.•AMBI and M-AMBI were useful in assessing benthic ecological status in subtropics.•Biotic indices were more sensitive than sediment parameters to reflect benthic response.

Sediment characteristics and benthic communities on a finer sampling scale in four contrasting environments in subtropical Hong Kong were analyzed in summer and winter 2012. In two harbour habitats which suffered from historic sewage pollution or hypoxic events, organic carbon, nutrient and trace metal content in the sediment were significantly higher than that in an offshore area and a marine reserve. The relatively low organic and nutrient content in the offshore habitat could be resulted from enhanced resuspension of such materials from the seabed owing to intense water mixing and disturbance caused by bottom trawling. The biotic indices AMBI and M-AMBI were shown to be useful in assessing the benthic ecological status of these habitats. Such indices can also be more sensitive than sediment physico-chemical parameters in differentiating the response of macrofauna to seasonal changes in the benthic environment.