The study looked at the types of tiny plants in Jiaozhou Bay from 2003 to 2010. They found that small and very small plants were the most common. The amount of plant material decreased from the north to the south of the bay. The small plants peaked in winter, while the very small plants peaked in summer. Over time, the amount of small plants increased in winter and the very small plants increased in summer. The tiniest plants decreased after 2000. The temperature and nutrients in the water affected the plants in the bay.