The study looked at different types of tiny plants in the Tianjin Sea area to see which ones might cause red tides. They found that most of the plants were diatoms and dinoflagellates, which like the temperate and neritic environment. One type of diatom called Coscinodiscus was very common and made up a big part of the plant population. The plants changed throughout the year, with big diatoms and dinoflagellates living together. The researchers think the plants' distribution is linked to the environment.