The estuarine distributions of salinity and nutrients(ammonium,nitrite,nitrate,and phosphate)measured in May 2012 and October 2017 were used to study the sources and assimilation of phosphate and the processes that control phosphate distributions within the Xiangshan Bay.In the upper bay,the highest phosphate concentrations observed during both surveys indicates a significant source of phosphate in this area,which was likely from the domestic sewage or/and mariculture.In the lower bay,the distributions of s...