Abstract: Data from measuring experiments on the axial stress-strain/sound velocity are reported and analyzed for the short columnar samples of seafloor surface sediments of the southern South China Sea,the result shows that there are three types on the variance of sedimental compressional wave velocity:(1) following the stress-strain curve variance the sound velocity varies from the strain beginning,the sound velocity values come out maximum when the stress value reaches maximum,at the strain ending,the sound velocity value is higher or lower than that of the strain beginning;(2) the sound velocity decreases with the strain increase and the sound velocity minimum values come out at the strain ending;(3) the sound velocity increases with the strain increase and maximnm values come out at the end of the course of the stress-strain1.These results are related to the characteristics of seafloor surface sediments such as physical-me-chanical features,grain contact state and sediment microst ructure,etc1.These research results will contribute to evaluating the basic stabilization of seafloor engineering in a bearing capacity state,and survey seafloor sediment engineering-mechanical characteristics by the acoustic remote sensing methodl.