Cixi is a rapidly growing city in Zhejiang province, situated on the southern bank of the Hangzhou Bay. The wetlands around this bay are important areas for aquaculture and industry but they also provide essential living space for species, which are dependent on such habitats. The zoobenthic community (macrobenthos), an indispensable part of such a system, is recognised as a key element in many marine and estuarine monitoring programmes. A loss or a decline in biodiversity results in a loss of ecosystem services provided by wetlands. Preliminary results of the investigation in 2010 reveal more than 50 macrobenthic species, mainly comprising organisms from various big groups such as Crustacea, Annelida and Mollusca. Wise coastal zone management can lead to sustainable use of the wetland area and it’s ecosystem services since wetlands are also rated as the second most valuable ecosystem globally, preceded only by estuaries. Therefore it is necessary to monitor this area with respect to ongoing changes in order to protect the precious wetlands.