• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.492-500
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the seasonal distribution of phytoplankton as prey for oysters and to characterize the environmental factors controlling their abundance from June 2016 to May 2017, in the northeast coast between Tongyeong and Saryang Island, particularly for the oyster farming area. During the survey period, water temperature changed from $7.54^{\circ}C$ in February to $29.5^{\circ}C$ in August. The abnormal high temperature persisted during one month in August. Salinity was low due to summer rainfall and typhoon. The lowest level was 30.68 psu in September, and it peaked at 34.24 psu in May. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration ranged from $6.0-9.45mg\;L^{-1}$, and the DO concentration in the surface layer was like that in the bottom layers. The seasonal trends of pH were also like those of DO. The pH ranged from 7.91 to 8.50. Nitrate with nitrite, phosphate, and silicate concentrations ranged from $0.14{\mu}M$ to $7.66{\mu}M$, from $0.01{\mu}M$ to $4.16{\mu}M$, and from $0.27{\mu}M$ to $20.33{\mu}M$, respectively. The concentration of chlorophyll a (Chl. a) ranged from $0.37{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ to $2.44{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ in the surface layer. The annual average concentration was $1.26{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$. The annual mean phytoplankton community comprised Bacillariophyta (69%), Dinophyta (17%), and Cryptophyta (10%), respectively. Dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense in June was the most dominant at 90%. In the summer, diatom Chaetoceros decipiens, Rhizosolenia setigera and Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima were dominant. These species shifted to diatom Chaetoceros spp. and Crytophyta species in autumn. In the winter, high densities of Skeletonema spp. and Eucampia zodiacus were maintained. Therefore, the researchers thought that the annual mean Chl. a concentration was relatively lower to sustain oyster feeding, implying that the prey organism (i.e., phytoplankton) was greatly controlled by continuous filter feeding behavior of oyster in the vicinity area of the oyster culture farm.