Abstract:As both a source and sink of varieties of elements including nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in aquacultureponds water bodies, sediments influence the process of eutrophication as well as the restoration and governance of waterquality. With the increasing demands of large size of tilapia in China, more greenhouses were built for tilapia overwinteringaquaculture. Due to large temperature difference, restricted air flow and water change conditions in aquaculturegreenhouses, NHincreases quickly. It is a great help for water quality regulation and pond sedimentmanagement to study the vertical distribution characteristics of the nutrients in overlying and interstitial waters and theirinterface diffusion rates in tilapia aquaculture greenhouse ponds. Intact overlying and interstitial waters were collectedby peeper (pore water equilibriums) devices from tilapia greenhouse aquaculture ponds in Doumen District, Zhuhai,China. The nutrients of NH-N, NOPOSO -S in collected samples were then measuredby miniaturized photometrical methods using a microplate reader. All measured nutrients had good repeatability betweenthe four peeper groups in the two tilapia aquaculture ponds, and showed distinct vertical distribution patternsrespectively. For instance, NH-N mainly remained in interstitial waters, increased greatly with the depth from 0 cm to6 cm, and tending towards stability deeper than 8 cm; NO-N mainly remained in overlying waters, and decreasedquickly from the depth of 0 cm to 4 cm; NO3-P increased to maximumsfrom the depth of 0 cm to 4 cm, and decreased after the depth of 4 cm; -S mainly remained in overlying waters,and decreased quickly from the depth of 0 cm to 8 cm. The depth related samples were divided into three groups, overlyingwater group, surface layer sediment group (water-sediment interface group) and lower layer sediment group withdistinct differences. Diffusion rates of the nutrients were calculated by the Fick’s First Law. NHPO-P werereleased from the sediment to overlying water, while 24-S in the overlying water were absorbed intothe sediment. NH-N was the main endogenous released nutrient in the tilapia aquaculture ponds with the diffusionrates of 22.44 mg/(m·d) and 16.74 mg/(m·d), respectively. It was relativelyhigh compared with other similar studies, which means that it had relatively high organic matter content in sedimentsof the tilapia aquaculture ponds. -S was the most absorbed nutrients with the diffusion rates of –87.05mg/(m·d) and –91.30 mg/(mreductionmaybe one of the most important way to degrade organic matters in sediments of the tilapia aquaculture ponds.