• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.423-432
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• 2004

In coastal area of Inchon, dredging and the disposal of dredged material for sea-wall construction and reclamation have increased in recent years. These activities may impact the benthic environment and result in changes in benthic communities, but little information is available on the extent and direction of these changes. We investigated whether there have been changes in the dominant macrobenthic species and benthic community over the last decade, and explored the relationship between environmental variables and spatial patterns of macrobenthic community structure. We sampled macrobenthos and recorded environmental variables in the coastal habitats of Inchon in March and June 2004. In total, 212 macrobenthic species were recorded during this study, predominately crustaceans $(34{\%})$, mollusks $(32{\%})$ and polychaetes $(21{\%})$. The mean density of macrobenthos was $1,393\;ind./m^{2}$.The most abundant species was Amphioplus japonicus $(20.5{\%})$, followed by Heteromastus filiformis $(14.4{\%})$, Theora fragilis $(8.2{\%})$ and Ampharete sp. $(4.0{\%})$. Over the past decade the dominant macrobenthic species in this area shifted. Multivariate analysis (multidimensional scaling) revealed significant differences in community structure among three regions: the middle part of the sampling area (B), site 8 (C) and other sites (A). Mean density varied significantly among the three regions, but no differences in the number of species and diversity (H') were observed. The distribution of the macrobenthic community was affected by environmental variables such as percentage sand content and sediment kurtosis. Species that were important in different areas included A. japonicus in region A, Raeta puchella in region B and T. fragilis in region C. The important species in regions B and C were filter-feeding bivalves, and the abundance of these species may be related to the increase in percentage sand content. We suggest that the sediment composition (percentage sand content) may be an important factor in determining the dominant species and structure of the macrobenthic communities in coastal Inchon. Long-term monitoring programs are necessary to understand ongoing changes in the benthic communities of this area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.262-271
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• 2000

This study was carried out to clarify the spatial and temporal patterns of benthic environments and macrobenthos on the subtidal soft-bottom in Chonsu Bay. Seasonal surface water temperature was similar to the bottom layer, but freshwater discharges into the outlets dereased the surface salinity around the dyke in summer. Bottom dissolved oxygen was decreased deeply around the dyke and created the de-oxygenated layer during summer. Sediment grain size was consisted of finer at the neighboring of the dyke than the mouth of the bay. Organic matters including the sediment were decreased at the mouth of the bay. A total of 311 species ($769\;ind./m^2$) were identified. Polychaetes were the most abundant faunal group in the number of species and densities. The number of species revealed the spatial patterns that it was higher in the mouth of the bay, and their densities showed seasonal changes by mass recruitment occurred at the most of the area in summer, At this time, opportunistic species, Lumbrineris iongifolia and Theora fragilis, were also recruited massively. Chonsu Bay were classified into five station groups by the cluster analysis. The dominant species around the dyke were composed to opportunistic species, those in middle area were Sternaspis scutata, Paraplionospio pinnata, and those in the mouth of the bay were Mediomastus californiensis, Nephtys polybranchia. Seasonal fluctuations and spatial difference of environments seem to have influenced to the species compositions and affected to the stability of benthic ecosystems spatial-temporally In Chonsu nay.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2000

An ecological study of the benthic macrofauna was carried out using a modified van Veen grab in September 1997, in Namdaechon estuary, Yangyang, Korea. A total of 17 macro-invertebrates was collected and examined from eleven stations in the study area, including 3,795 individuals and 738.63 g wet weight. Arthropods, annelids and molluscs were most abundant and occupied more than $95{\%}$ of the total number of species, individuals and biomass. Namdaechon estuary in Yangyang was very poor in macrobenthic biodiversity, and numerically dominated and characterized by the polychaetes Heteromastus filiformis, Hediste japonica, Eteone longa, an unidentified oligochaete Oligochaeta sp., a corbulid bivalve Corbicula japonica, and an estuarine isopod Cyathura higoensis. Species composition, species dominance, density, and species evenness were compared among stations. The macrofaunal azoic zone appeared in the bottom of 7 m in depth nearby the artificial bank to catch the salmons to return to the livers for spawning. It probably resulted from the oxygen depletion following strong stratification in summer, which can cause major effect on the ecological conditions and then finally kill bottom macro-invertebrates in this area. Moreover, some opportunistic species thrived in nearby another station and this is of vital importance in terms of the ecological succession in a benthic polluted area.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.190-200
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• 2001

An ecological study was performed to investigate the community structure of the benthic macrofaunal assemblage on the Cheokjeon tidal flat, Incheon, Korea. Benthic samples were collected between Sept. 1990 and July1992 at three stations to compare environmental factors with the structure of benthic community among station sand seasons. Overall, macrofauna comprised a total of 111 species, and the mean density (708.1 md./$m^2$) and biomass (214.9gWWt/$m^2$). The number of species and individuals of polychaetes, molluscs and crustaceans made up more than 80% of the total number. On the other hand, in terms of biomass, bivalves and holothuroideans indicated that they were the dominant faunal groups. Hierarchical classification using the Bray-Curtis coefficient categorized samples into 3 station and 4 faunal groups. In terms of q-mode, there consisted of upper, middle and low tidal flat stations, respectively. And four faunistic groups were established as follows: 1) Heteromastus filifomis-Mactra veneriformis-Solen strictus-Ilyoplax finggi (wide-ranging elevation specialists), 2)Nephtys chemulpoensis-Macrophthalmus gaponicus (high elevation specialists), 3) Glycera subaenea-Decorifer matusimana-Tritodynamia (middle elevation specialists) and 4) Nephtys polybranchia-Borniopsis tsurumaru-Asthenognathus inaequipes-Protankyra bidentata (low elevation Specialists).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate the composition and the distribution of the benthic community in the coastal area of Inchon seasonally from May 1994 to February 1995, and to estimate the environmental factors that effect the temporal and the spatial changes of benthic species composition. In the present study, 231 species were collected with the average density of 455 ind./$m^2$. The dominant species were Heteromastus sp., Sternaspis scutata, Chaetozone setosa, Mediomastus sp., Glycinde sp., Glycera sp. and Nephtys oligobranchia, which are in the polychaete group; abundance of these species showed seasonal and spatial variations. The study area was divided into 4 regions by cluster analysis such as outside area of Palmido (I), main channel region and adjacent are of Shihwa sea wall (II), north-eastern area of Youngjongdo (III), and the Inchon harbor and the mouth area of Sorae harbor (IV). The particle size of sediment which generally influences the distribution of the benthic community, the differences of the concentration of heavy metals, and of the dissolved oxygen, the increase of the proportion of polychaetes and molluscs, the absence of the crustacean phoxocephalids, and the increase of the abundance of pollution indicator species, indicated that the environment of the areas have been degrading gradually from Group I to Group IV.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.323-349
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• 2013

The mud shrimp Upogebia major (Upogebiidae: Decapoda: Crustacea) is a common species on muddy and sandy mud tidal flats in the west coast of Korea. They reside in Y-shaped burrows that can extend up to more than 2 meters below the sediment surface. They feed on suspended detritus carried into their burrow by the beating of their pleopods and captured by their hairy first two pairs of thoracic legs. Mud shrimp burrows provide a habitat for a variety of small organisms such as crabs, shrimps, polychaetes, and mollusks. Ovigerous females are observed from December to May. Females deposit eggs only once per breeding season. They start hatching in March and the pelagic larvae of first zoea appear in March and April, followed by benthic settlement in May. Growth over the first year is rapid, and females deposit their first eggs in the third breeding season, 31 months after their settlement. Adult shrimps live for 4~5 years. Depth of the burrow increases with body length. The deep burrows provide refuge from predators and physical stress, allowing the shrimps to survive for a long time. The mud shrimps supply oxygen-rich water to their deep burrows, and exert a great influence on the structure and metabolism of the tidal flat benthic community. However, recently this type of mud shrimp has posed a serious threat to the Korean clam industry along the west coast of Korea. The extensive burrowing shrimp populations suddenly invaded the tidal flats from 2010 where the clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) are raised. As a consequence, clam production has decreased by about 10% over the past three years in some Korean clam beds. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review the biology of this mud shrimp in order to seek solutions to control the burrowing of these shrimps.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.250-261
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• 1995

This study was carried out to investigate the distribution of the benthic polychaetous community in Kamak Bay, in summer of 1993. Polychaetes, the dominant faunal group comprising 74.5% of the total number of fauna, consisted of a total of 84 species with a mean density of 112 indiv.m/SUP -2/. The number of species and density were higher in the mouth area of the bay than in the rest of the bay. The most dominant Polychaete was Tharyx sp.(31.9%), followed by Lumbrineris longifolia (27.5%), Chone sp.(4.5%) and Glycera chirori (4.2%). The correspondence analysis revealed that the study area could be divided into four regions. Northeastern channel and southern mouth region of the bay, named Tharyx-Chone assemblage, sustained higher polychaetous density and species number due to the active water exchange with the outer off-sea, whereas northwestern region of the bay had the poorest polychaetous assemblage in the species number and faunal density owing to the blocking water exchange, high organic enrichment in sediment, and low dissolved oxygen content of bottom water. The central region, named Praxillella-Terebellides assemblage and Gly-cera assemblage, was the transition zone between another two region in species composition.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2002

This study were observed to the conditions of organic pollution applying to tile environmental assessments based on macrobenthos around the raft culture ground which became an issue by organic matter input in Jinhae Bay. Three stations, mussel farm, oyster farm and the control station on which rarely culture activities were fixed and have analyzed to the sediment characteristics and macrobenthic communities. Muddy substrates between 6.0 and 6.60 on mean grain size have prevailed to the bottom layer in all stations. The highest organic matter content of 2.8% was observed to the mussel farm while the lowest one of 1.5% was recorded on the control area. As a total, 79 species from seven phyla were identified. Comparing to shell farms, the control station have composed to more diversified community structure. In the mussel and the oyster farm, opportunistic species, living in high organic contents area, Lumbrineris longifolia, Heteromastus. filiformis in polychaetes and Corophium sinense in amphipod were dominated. As results on environmental assessment, in spite of changing to the species composition and densities seasonally, the mussel farm have recorded only to moderately polluted condition.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 2001

The community structure of macrobenthos was investigated around Sorido Island, southern coast of Korea between August 1996 and April 1997. Triplicate macrobenthic samples were taken seasonally at twelve stations in August and November 1996 and fourteen stations in February and April 19n by van Veen grab ($0.1m^2$). A total of 217 macrobenthic species were identified during study Period: 80 species were from polychaetes, 60 species from crustaceans, and 46 species from mollusks. The mean density of macrobenthos estimated $1,068 ind/m^2$, and polychaetes comprised $85\%$ of total density. The mean biomass was $110.2 g/m^2$, and echinoderms contributed to more than a half of the biomass. Major dominant species based on abundance were three polychaetes Tharyx sp., Lumbrineris longifolia, and Magelona japonica, which frequently occur in the coastal area enriched by organic pollution. The densities of the species were $582 ind/m^2$, $72 ind/m^2$, and $41 ind/m^2$, respectively. These species showed very low density in the offshore area. The study area was classified into four regions each sustaining specific macrofaunal assemblages by Bray-Curtis cluster analysis: a station group adjacent to the Kwangyang Bay and Yosu harbour and three station groups around Sorido Island. There were negative correlations between the concentration of PAHs in sediments and the abundance of Ampeliscidae spp. and Amphipoda. These results were discussed in terms of both environmental factors and distribution of benthic community.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.313-329
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• 1996

The present study was based on the specimens collected from the Yellow Sea between Sept. 17 and Oct. 2, 1992 within the framework of Korea-China Yellow Sea Research Joint Program. Additional materials were also provided from the benthic samples collected from the tidal mud flats surrounding Inchon, Korea and from the subtidal shallow waters of the Kwang-yang Bay in the southern coast of Korea. Paraonid polychaetes have not been previously reported form Korea waters. Here, a total of six species in two genera are described and illustrated, and they are newly recorded in Korea polychaetous fauna : Cirrophorus furcatus, Cirrophorus armatus, Cirrophorus branchiatus, Aricidea (Aedicira) pacifica, Aricidea (Aricidea) wassi, adn Aficidea (Acesta) assimilis.