Aquaculture　is　a　major　type　of　human　activity　that　disturbs　the　biogeochemistry　and　ecosystem　in　coastal　environments,　yet　its　influence　on　the　optical　properties　of　particulate　organic　matter　remains　largely　unknown.　This　was　studied　for　the　Aojiang　Estuary-cultural　zone-adjacent　seawater　continuum　in　SE　China　in　July　and　October　2019,　and　in　January　2020,　using　absorption　spectroscopy　and　fluorescence　excitation-emission　matrices-parallel　factor　analysis　(EEMs-PARAFAC).　The　POM　absorption,　three　humic-like　components　(C1,　C2,　and　C5),　and　humification　index　(HIX)　generally　decreased　from　the　river　to　the　seawater　and　were　higher　in　October　than　in　January.　The　humic　substances　were　mainly　derived　from　terrestrial　sources　and　sediment　resuspension,　which　were　dependent　largely　on　the　level　of　total　suspended　matter　(r:　0.823-0.888).　The　intensity　of　shoulder　peak　in　the　absorption　spectra　and　the　tryptophan-like　C4　were　lower　in　the　river　than　in　seawater　in　July,　which　was　in　contrast　to　the　spatial　distribution　in　other　months.　They　correlated　positively　with　Chl　a　(r:　0.779-0.912),　indicating　they　were　mainly　related　to　the　algal　production.　Principal　component　analysis　(PCA)　revealed　notable　seasonal　variations　of　POM　with　an　elevated　autochthonous　contribution　in　July,　indicating　stronger　algal　production　than　the　removal　by　shellfish.　The　low　autochthonous　POM　in　October　and　January　identified　with　PCA　suggested　limited　addition　from　the　laver　culture　after　the　shellfish　harvest.　The　mooring　monitoring　in　July　and　October　further　demonstrated　that　the　POM　in　the　cultural　zone　and　adjacent　seawater　was　influenced　by　the　active　material　exchange　across　the　continuum,　strong　tides,　sediment　resuspension,　algal　production,　and　microbial　transformation.　Our　results　have　implications　for　assessing　the　influences　of　aquaculture　activities　on　the　water　quality　and　ecosystem　in　the　coastal　environments.