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${\delta}^{13}C$ Evidence for the Importance of Local Benthic Producers to Fish Nutrition in the Inner Bay Systems in the Southern Coast of Korea  

Kang, Chang-Keun (Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University)
Choy, Eun-Jung (Division of Polar Biology & Ocean Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute)
Kim, Young-Sang (Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University)
Park, Hyun-Je (Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University)
Publication Information
The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY / v.14, no.1, 2009 , pp. 56-62 More about this Journal
Abstract
Stable carbon isotope analysis was used to investigate the autotrophic carbon sources supporting fisheries in three coastal bay systems of the southern coast of Korea. Carbon isotope ratios (${\delta}^{13}C$) of 31 fish species were analysed and compared with those of a range of potential primary food sources [e.g., seagrass (Zostera marina), seagrass epiphytes, benthic microalgae, macroalgae, marine particulate organic matter (marine POM), marsh plant (Phragmites australis) and terrestrial POM]. ${\delta}^{13}C$ values (range, -16.2${\sim}$-8.3‰) of fishes from the coastal embayment systems were overlapped with those of seagrass (-8.3${\pm}$1.9‰), seagrass epiphytes (-12.4${\pm}$0.6‰), benthic microalgae (-15.4${\pm}$1.6‰) and macroalgae (-16.0${\pm}$1.8‰). In addition, fishes (-12.9${\pm}$1.5‰) from the study area had distinctly higher ${\delta}^{13}C$ values compared to those collected in offshore sites (-17.3${\pm}$0.8‰) of the southern sea of Korea and Nakdong River (-23.2${\pm}$1.6‰). This result indicates that carbon supporting fish communities of these coastal bay systems is mainly derived from the local benthic producers.
Keywords
${\delta}^{13}C$; Fish; Carbon Source; Food Web; Coastal Ecosystem;
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