<p>Laver cultivation, a key economic activity in Haizhou Bay (HB), China, is linked to measurable coastal ecosystem changes. Of particular interest is zooplankton miniaturization within cultivation areas, manifested through a dominance shift toward smaller species. However, the ecological drivers behind this structural shift remain poorly understood. To investigate these linkages, we conducted a seasonal survey in HB, analyzing zooplankton and phytoplankton samples alongside environmental data. Results indicate the study area is eutrophic, with copepods as the predominant group. Copepod miniaturization increased from spring to winter and was generally more pronounced in adjacent areas than in cultivation areas, except in winter. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that temperature was key factor associated with the seasonal succession patterns of dominant species. Regional differences in environmental factors, including dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphate, transparency, and phytoplankton density, potentially drive this phenomenon and elucidated by CCA. This is associated with combined effects of laver's biological characteristics and hydrodynamic alterations potentially induced by cultivation infrastructure. These findings offer insights into ecological mechanisms through which intensive laver cultivation may relate to zooplankton miniaturization.</p>