By using sediment trap and suction pump to measure the relative sediment levels across different sites and water depths, and through the in situ measurements of Sargassum horneri density, this paper assessed the relationships between the distribution of S.horneri and the sediment levels and wave exposure on the rocky subtidal platforms around Gouqi Island, China. The laboratorybased experiments were also conducted to test the effects of different sediment levels on the attachment of S. horneri zygote and the survival rate of S. horneri germling after the attachment. S. horneri predominated at the sites with lesser sediment and wave exposure, but less distributed in the sites with high level sediment and waveexposure. At different water depths, the distribution of S. horneri was negatively correlated with the amount of sediment. A medium dusting (dry mass 10.47 mg·cm^-2, approximate 0.543 mm deep) of sediment on the plate reduced the percentage of S. horneri zygotes attached to the substratum by 4.4%, and a heavy dusting (dry mass 13.96 mg·cm^-2, approximate 0.724 mm deep) of sediment on the plate completely prevented the attachment. One week after the settlement of the zygotes, there were 24% of the germlings still survived when the dry mass sediment coverage was 13.96 mg·cm^-2. However, when the dry mass sediment coverage was up to 34.9 mg·cm^-2 (approximate 1.81 mm deep), 100% of the germlings died. Overall, the distribution of S. horneri was not only related to sediment level, but also restricted by wave exposure to some extent. Sediment level was a critical factor affecting the distribution of S. horneri, particularly at its zygote attachment stage.