Abstract:  In order to study the composition and structure of rocky intertidal benthos community in uninhabited islands in Cangnan, Zhejiang, the intertidal benthos investigation was carried out on 11 uninhabited islands in March 2019. The collected samples were identified, and the abundance, biomass and biodiversity indexes were calculated. A total of 58 intertidal benthos species are identified in 11 uninhabited islands, the average density is 857±205 ind/m2 and the average biomass is 2 847.83±1 032.50 g/m2, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index H, Pielou evenness index J and Margalef richness index D are 1.07-1.61, 0.66-0.83 and 0.54-1.30, respectively. Compared with the mainland coastal intertidal zone, uninhabited islands have more distinct ecosystems with rich and diverse biological resources and important ecological values. It is suggested that uninhabited islands should be protected.

Key words: uninhabited island, intertidal benthos community, community structure, biodiversity, resource conservation