The　land-ocean　aquatic　continuum　is　affected　notably　by　damming,　yet　the　effects　of　changing　dissolved　organic　carbon　(DOC)　and　optical　properties　in　the　reservoir　zone　of　dammed　rivers　on　the　downstream　waterbodies　remain　unclear.　This　was　studied　in　the　Minjiang　River　(SE　China)　in　the　normal,　wet,　and　dry　seasons,　using　the　measurements　of　DOC,　absorption　spectroscopy,　and　fluorescence　excitation-emission　matrices-parallel　factor　analysis　(EEMs-PARAFAC).　The　DOC　and　absorption　spectral　slope　(S275-295)　increased　while　the　absorption　coefficient　(a280)　and　DOC-specific　UV　absorbance　(SUVA254)　decreased　in　the　surface　water　of　the　reservoir.　This　indicated　removals　of　chromophoric　dissolved　organic　matter　(CDOM)　and　potential　additions　of　autoch-thonous　constituents　with　lower　aromaticity　and　molecular　weight.　The　discharge　of　more　humified　DOC　from　the　middle　and　deep　outlets　of　the　reservoir　was　evident　in　the　adjacent　downstream　station　in　the　wet　season.　The　DOC　and　optical　indices　were　generally　stable　in　the　downstream　river　zone　in　the　normal　and　dry　seasons,　suggesting　that　these　signals　from　the　reservoir　could　persist　downstream.　In　contrast,　the　downstream　DOC　and　CDOM　showed　evident　additions　in　the　wet　season,　which　might　be　related　to　enhanced　inputs　from　the　sur-rounding　soils　and　residential　areas　in　the　rainy　and　hot　summer.　The　absorption　coefficient　and　humic-like　components　correlated　strongly　with　salinity　in　the　estuarine　zone,　indicating　they　were　mainly　conservative　in　the　estuary　of　this　study.　This　suggested　that　the　refractory　DOC　from　the　reservoir　and　river　zones　could　pass　the　estuary　and　contribute　to　the　carbon　storage　in　the　coastal　ocean.　In　contrast,　the　protein-like　components　did　not　correlate　significantly　with　salinity,　indicating　more　active　modifications　of　labile　constituents　in　the　estuary.　Overall,　our　results　have　implications　for　assessing　the　effects　of　damming　on　DOC　and　optical　properties　across　the　land-ocean　aquatic　continuum.