• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2002

Seasonal quantitative van Veen grab sampling was conducted to characterize the composition and structure of the benthic polychaete community inhabiting the shellfish farming ground of a coastal bay system of Jiniu Bay (Korea). A total of 132 polychaete species were identified and the polychaetes accounted for about $80\%$ of overall abundance of benthic animals. There was little significant seasonal difference in densities (abundances) of polychaetes, Maximum biomass was obseued in summer (August) and minimum value was recorded in winter (February) and spring (May). Conversely, diversity and richness were lowest in summer, indicating a seasonal variability in the polychaetous community structure, The cluster analysis indicated that such a seasonal variability resulted mainly from the appearance of a few small, r-selected opportunists in spring and the tubiculous species of the family Maldanidae in summer. On the other hand, several indicator species for the organically enriched environments such as Capitelia capitata, Notoniashs Jatericeus and hmbrineris sp. showed high densities during all the study period. Density and biomass of univariate measures of community structure were significantly lower in the arkshell-farming ground of the southern area than in the non-farming sites of the bay, A similar general tendency was also found in the spatial distributions of species diversity and richness. Principal component analysis revealed the existence of different groups of benthic assemblages between the arkshell-farming ground and non-farming sites, The lack of colonization of r-selected opportunists and/or tubiculous species in the former ground seemed to contribute to the spatial differences in the composition and structure of the polychaetous communities. Although finer granulometric composition and high sulfide concentration in sediments of the arkshell-farming ground and low salinity in the northern area were likely to account for parts of the differences, other environmental variables observed were unlikely. The spatial distribution of polychaetes in Jiniu Bay may be rather closely related to the sedimentary disturbance by selection of shells for harvesting in spring.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.694-707
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• 2016

This study investigated the community structure of macrobenthic assemblages in the Taehwa River Estuary, Ulsan, Korea. Macrobenthos were collected with a Van Veen Grab Sampler during February and November 2012. The total species number and mean density were $176species/9.6m^2$ and $1,992inds./m^2$, respectively. Polychaetes were the most dominant faunal group in terms of species (91 species) and abundance ($1,463inds./m^2$). The major dominant species were polychaetes Minuspio japonica ($609{\pm}1,221inds./m^2$), Hediste japonica ($174{\pm}318inds./m^2$), Tharyx sp.1 ($106{\pm}283inds/m^2$), Lumbrineris longifolia ($79{\pm}207inds./m^2$), bivalve Theora fragilis ($114{\pm}272inds./m^2$) and amphipod Grandidierella japonica ($88{\pm}223inds./m^2$). Based on community statistics (cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordination), the macrobenthic community was divided into three station groups. Group I(freshwater dominated stations 2-6 with coarse sediment) was characterized by a high abundance of polychaetes Minuspio japonica, Hediste japonica, Capitella capitata, Pseudopolydora kempi, amphipods Grandidierella japonica and Apocorophium acutum. Group II (ecotone, stations 7-9 with mixed sediment) was numerically dominated by bivalve Theora fragilis, polychaetes Cirriformia tentaculata, Tharyx sp.1, Lumbrineris longifolia and Chaetozone sp. Finally, Group III (seawater dominated stations 10-12 with fine sediment) was characterized by a high density of polychaete Magelona japonica. These results showed that changes in salinity gradient and sedimentary characteristics were the main factors behind spatial changes in the macrobenthic communities of the Taehwa River Estuary.