• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.361-373
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• 2020

The community dynamics of benthic diatoms in the hypersaline environment are investigated to advance our understanding how salinity impacts marine life. Diatoms were sampled in the two salterns encompassing salt Ponds, ditches, and seawater reservoirs (n = 11), along the salinity gradient (max = 324 psu), and nearby tidal flats (n = 2). The floral assemblages and distributions across sites and stations showed great variations, with a total of 169 identified taxa. First, not surprisingly, higher diversity of benthic diatoms was found at natural tidal flats than salterns. The saltern diatoms generally showed salinity dependent distributions with distinct spatial changes in species composition and dominant taxa. Biota-environment and principal component analysis confirmed that salinity, mud content, and total nitrogen were key factors influencing the overall benthic community structure. Some dominant species, e.g., Nitzschia scalpelliformis and Achnanthes sp. 1, showed salinity tolerance / preference. The number of diatom species at salinity of >100 psu reduced over half and no diatoms were found at maximum salinity of 324 psu. The highest salinity for the observed live diatoms was 205 psu, however, a simple regression indicated a theoretical salinity threshold of ~300 psu on the survival. Finally, the indicator species were identified along the salinity gradient in salterns as well as natural tidal flats. Overall, high species numbers, varying taxa, and euryhaline distributions of saltern diatoms collectively reflected a dynamic saltern ecosystem. The present study would provide backgrounds for biodiversity monitoring of ecologically important microalgal producers in some unique hypersaline environment, and elsewhere.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 1991

A study on the distribution and community structure of the benthic macroinvertebrates on the intertidal zones of Gapa and Mara islets were carried out from March to June 1991. The macroinvertebrates collected and identified were composed of 7 phyla, 14 classes, 29 orders, 68 families and 132 speies in Gapa islet and of 7 phyla, 12 classes, 23 orders, 49 familis and 90 species in Maara islet. The first and second dominant species and the community dominance indices of the upper tidal zones of Gapa and Mara islets were Nodilittorina exigua, Pollicipes mitella and 79.01, 69.77 respectively. However, the dominant species of the middle and lower intertidal zones of the two islets were not identities and different among the tidal zones.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.99-120
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• 2023

The community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in Upo wetland was identified, and the biological water quality was evaluated. In addition, through statistical analysis of current and literature data, ecological changes over time were evaluated for each wetland. Benthos were quantitatively collected in March, June, and September of 2020 and 2021, and 4 phyla, 5 classes, 16 orders, 42 families, 81 species and 3,406 individuals were identified. In the functional feeding group of Upo wetland, predators were dominant with 34 species (45.95%) and 1,504 individuals (41.84%). In the habitual dwelling group, sprawlers and swimmers showed the highest proportion in the number of species and individuals. Average biological indices in Mokpo and Upo were the highest and lowest, respectively, and it is considered that Mokpo maintains the healthy ecosystem for benthic macroinvertebrates. Community stability was high in Upo, and other wetlands are thought to be stabilizing. The ecological score of benthic macroinvertebrate community is considered to be more suitable index among three biological water quality evaluation indices for the environmental evaluation of Upo wetland. The evaluation results on changes in environmental quality showed that Upo has stable ecosystem without significant change, Mokpo and Sajipo have significant increases in some indices.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2017

In rocky intertidal habitats, abiotic stress due to desiccation and thermal extremes increases with elevation because of tides. A study in Atlantic Canada showed that, at low elevations where conditions are benign due to the brief low tides, fucoid algal canopies (Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp.) do not affect the structure of benthic communities. However, at middle and high elevations, where low tides last longer, fucoid canopies limit abiotic extremes and increase the richness (number of invertebrate and algal species, except fucoids) of benthic communities. Using the data from that study, this paper compares the intensity of facilitation and its importance (relative to all other sources of variation in richness) between middle and high elevations, which represent intermediate and high stress, respectively. Facilitation intensity was calculated as the percent increase in benthic richness between quadrats with low and high canopy cover, while the importance of facilitation was calculated as the percentage of variation in richness explained by canopy cover. Data for 689 quadrats spanning 350 km of coastline were used. Both the intensity and importance of facilitation were greater at middle elevations than at high elevations. As canopies do not affect benthic communities at low elevations, this study suggests that the facilitation-stress relationship at the community level is unimodal for this marine system. Such a pattern was found for some terrestrial systems dominated by canopy-forming plants. Thus, it might be ubiquitous in nature and, as further studies refine it, it might help to predict community-level facilitation depending on environmental stress.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2012

Polychaete community structure and its spatial distribution was investigated in 2008 from inshore and offshore of Lake Shihwa, Korea, in order to evaluate status of the benthic environment according to construction of the dike and the water gate. In the present study, the number of species, density, and diversity of polychaete community in inshore was significantly different from those in offshore. The density of polychaete community in offshore increased with the number of species whereas the diversity in inshore increased with the number of species. Dominant species in offshore were 13 species, higher than 1% of the total polychaete individuals. Heteromastus filiformis, known as the most dominant species before the construction of the dike, was the most dominant species in offshore, which collectively account for 54% of the total polychaete individuals. In inshore, the seven species were dominant, higher than 1% of the total individuals. Lumbrineris longifolia, Polydora sp., Capitella capitata, Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata, known as pollution tolerant species, contributed to higher than 75% of the total individuals in inshore. Multivariate statistical analyses, non-metric multidimensional scaling, showed apparent difference in polychaete community structure between inshore and offshore, and also difference between inner sites and outer sites of inshore around the water gate. Sediment characteristics (total organic carbon and nitrogen, ignition loss, and acid volatile sulfide) measured in this study also supported to this result. Therefore, this indicates that the offshore provides better benthic environments for polychaete habitation than the inshore, and the inshore around the water gate shows improving benthic environment, compared to the inner inshore.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.255-267
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• 2021

To understand the composition and community changes of benthic species by water depth (5 m, 20 m, 30 m) in the cage facilities, net substrate made of fish cages were installed at intervals of 2 months from March to September 2019, which is the main period of sessile organism recruitment. Water temperature and salinity varied in the ranges of 1~5℃ and 1~4 mg/L at 5 m from June to August, respectively, and less difference was observed according to water depth in other investigation periods. A total of 37 benthic animals were recruited, and Kamptozoa unid., Caprella scaura and Jassa slatteryi were verified during the entire study period. Mytilus galloprovincialis, a Mediterranean mussel, showed seasonality dominant only from spring to early summer (March to July). The community structure classified by temporal and spatial factors, and Bugula neritina, Kamptozoa unid., and Sertularella sp. contributed to the formation of the community. The depth of 5 m was exposed to environmental changes in water temperature and salinity temporally, so there was a seasonal variation in the composition of the sessile organism, but at depths of 20 m and 30 m, there was less significant environmental change and it showed relatively stable than 5 m.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1399-1410
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• 2009

The study on community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates from wetland Woopo was conducted for the long-term ecological monitoring. The wetland Woopo is located in Changnyeong-Gun, Gyeongsangnam - Do of Korea. In 2006, we investigated the seasonal variation of benthic macroinvertebrates with quantitative and qualitative collecting methods. The collection was performed monthly at four surveying region, Woopo, Sajipo, Mokpo and Topyong stream. In this study, 6 classes, 16 orders, 48 families, 95 species were identified on group of benthic macroinvertebrates. The species diversity index and the species richness index were the highest in Topyung region and it was 3.222 and 10.216 respectively. The two species, Cercion calamorum and Cloeon dipterum were quantitatively collected for 9 months. The changes of body lengths of 50 individuals were recorded and the advanced growth on the two species was expected from present study.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.825-831
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• 2013

The Suwon stream which consists of a mountainous reach, an artificial reservoir and an urban reach provides benthic macroinvertebrates with various habitats. This study was conducted to find out the influence of reservoir sluice control and water quality on benthic macroinvertebrates community in the Suwon stream from June to August, 2011. As a result, substrate composition showed little difference between the upper site (S2) and the lower site of the reservoir (S3). At site S3, water velocity was fastest, and water temperature was lowest due to the intermediate depth discharge of the reservoir. Cheumatopsyche brevilineata which prefer fast water velocity was dominant at site S3. Some biotic indices (H', J, and R) of site S3 decreased significantly whereas Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) showed little difference between site S2 and site S3. EPT showed a negative correlation with water temperature. The sluice control of the reservoir leaded variations of water velocity and temperature, and seemed to make the state of aquatic ecosystem worse.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2008

Intertidal benthic algal communities on the shores of Gujido and Daeyeonpyeongdo islets, Korea, were examined in October 2007. At both sites, 45 seaweeds including 7 green, 6 brown and 32 red algae were identified. The number of species at Gujido(38 species) was 1.5 times higher than at Daeyeonpyeongdo(25 species), but seaweed coverage was very similar with about 20%. Dominant seaweeds in terms of coverage and importance value were Hildenbrandtia sp., Caulacanthus okamurae, Ulva pertusa, and Gelidium amansii at Gujido and U. pertusa, Hildenbrandtia sp., Gelidium divaricatum at Daeyeonpyeongdo. The vertical distribution pattern of the seaweeds was G. divaricatum-U. pertusa, Hildenbrandtia sp.-U. pertusa, Hildenbrandtia sp., Ishige okamurae from upper to lower intertidal zone but seaweed zonations were not observed on the Gujido rocky shore. At both sites, coarsely-branched forms were the dominant functional group in species number and percent cover(among benthic algal species). The rocky shores of the two sites were dominated by crustose coralline and green algae, whose presence generally results in decreased seaweed biodiversity and community stability. Therefore, the shores of the Yeonpyeongdo islets are of considerable environmental concern and should be monitored for seaweed species composition and community structure.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2005

Macrobeilthic fauna were collected using a van Veen grab $(0.1m^2)$ to investigate the spatial characteristics of the macrobenthos community at 28 stations near the Nakdong River estuary, Southeast Korea, in September 2001. A total of 203 species were sampled with a mean density of $1,554 ind./m^2$ and a biomass of $252.3 gWWt/m^2$. Annelids were the dominant faunal group in terms of species and density, with 68 species and a mean density of $1,031ind./m^2$, which comprised 33.5% and 66.3% of the total benthic animals, respectively. Based on density, three Polychaetes were dominant Tharyx sp· $(420ind./m^2)$, Lumbrineris longifolia $(143ind./m^2)$, and Sternaspis scutata $(118ind./m^2)$, along with a bivalve Theora fragilis $(129 ind./m^2)$. On cluster analysis, the benthic community was classified into four groups based on the species composition: Group-1 occurred in disturbed areas, Group-II in coastal regions, Group-III in central mariculture grounds, and Group-IV offshore. Environmental factors (mean gain size, organic carbon, and depth) were primarily correlated with the macrobenthos community structure. A benthic pollution assessment based on the macrobenthos community structure showed that Group-I and Group-II were located in a coastal area that had been severely disturbed by construction of Busan new port and various pollutants, Group-III was gradually polluted, while offshore Group-IV was the most stable.