Abstract: To introduce and cultivate euhalophyte Salicornia bigelovii T. in the Xiamen ambient sea, we studied the effects of salinity and temperature on seed germination and seedling growth. The fastest rate of germination occurred with fewer than 15°C seeds germinated with a minimal germination index , which was maximal under 20°C. The germination of seeds was sensitive to salinity, and decreases in salinity resulted in progressive increments of the germination rate, which reached the peak level (94.0%) at salinity of 5 g.L-1 and was still 13.3% at 50 g.L-1 salinity; as well, the maximal daily germination index was reached within 2 days under all treatments. Also, high salinity (>30 g.L-1) reduced the growth of seedlings, tissue water content and root vigor, although adequate salinity (10-20 g.L-1) promoted these features. The salt tolerance ability of the plant is associated with the original function of internal antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), with SOD showing high activity at optimal salinity, 10-30 g.L-1, and POD and CAT showing high activity at polar salinity of 0 and 40 g.L-1, with the activity of POD 5-10 times higher than that of CAT. On the basis of its adaptation to salinity and temperature, S. bigelovii is suitable for cultivation in the Xiamen ambient sea and can be applied for phytoremediation in the sea.