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Lipid compositions of five species of marine macrophytes (marine algae Ahnfeltia tobuchiensis, Laminaria japonica, Sargassum pallidum, Ulva fenestrata and seagrass Zostera marina), collected in spring at 2.9 or 5.5°C, and in summer at 23°C in the Sea of Japan were analyzed, and major membrane lipids were determined. The relative content of neutral lipids was higher in summer for all species except A. tobuchiensis. Triacylglycerols reached 18–37% of total lipids. There were no correlations between the free sterol content and season. The quantity of individual phospholipids and glycolipids differed between seasons in all macrophytes. Molar ratios of phosphatidylcholine/free sterols and diacylglyceryl-O- (N,N,N-trimethyl)homoserine/free sterols varied from 0.9 to 1.7 among species. The relative content of phospholipids was much higher in spring. The ratio of phospholipids to glycolipids was reduced in the majority of macrophytes in summer. The seasonal changes of lipid composition may be related to thermal adaptation of macrophytes, as well as to their developmental biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]