• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.219-226
• /
• 2009

Seasonal variation in the biomass of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and epiphytic algae in two eelgrass beds (Dongdae and Aenggang Bay) around Namhae Island was investigated throughout 2005. Shoot density and eelgrass biomass differed across months and locations. Peak shoot density occurred from April to August 2005, whereas eelgrass biomass was higher in July and August 2005. Shoot density as well as eelgrass biomass were higher in Dongdae Bay compared to Aenggang Bay. A total of 21 epiphytic algal species (4 Chlorophyta, 2 Phaeophyta, and 15 Rhodophyta) were collected, and dominant species included Polysiphonia japonica, Lomentaria hakodantensis, Symphyocladia latiuscula, Champia sp., and Heterosiphonia japonica. Seasonal variation in both the species composition and biomass of epiphytic algae was substantial: peak epiphytic algal biomass occurred in January and December 2005. We also observed high epiphytic algal biomass in the eelgrass bed of Dongdae Bay. Seasonal changes in the biomass of eelgrass and epiphytic algae were primarily influenced by water temperature, whereas those of the epiphytic algal community were also correlated with eelgrass (substrate) morphology and growth, the life cycle of epiphytic algae, and physical characteristics within eelgrass beds. The spatial variation of eelgrass density and biomass were also limited by sediment characteristics.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2002

Eelgrass, Zostera marina L. widely spreads throughout all the coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula. However, some previously reported eelgrass populations disappeared. The disappearance was probably caused by anthropogenic disturbance such as reclamation and pollutant or exceeded nutrient release. Eelgrass beds occurred from the intertidal to the subtidal zone, mainly in lagoon, estuaries, ports, barrier reef and bays. Eelgrass beds were also found at the intertidal mud and sand flats, subtidal mud and sandbank in more exposed areas. Habitat characteristics of eelgrass beds distributed on the coasts of the Korean Peninsula varied among coast areas. Eelgrass distributed constantly throughout the southern coast of Korea, while the distribution was limited at lagoon, bay, port, or barrier reef on the eastern coast, because of steep water depth and high wave energy in that coast. On the western coast, eelgrass mainly appeared at the intertidal and subtidal zones in islands. Sediment characteristics of the Z. marina beds varied with locality, tidal current and water motion. Sediments of Z. marina beds were composed of sand, muddy sand, sandy mud and mud. Mean grain size ranged from 1.5 to 4.1 phi.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.484-492
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to compare the ichthyofauna between the eelgrass bed waters located in the open sea and the nearby sea free of eelgrass, and this study collected a total of 26 species. Comparing the fish collected on the eelgrass bed (St.2) of Geomun-do coast with the fish collected on the coastal waters (St.1) void of the nearby eelgrass bed, the fish collected from the eelgrass bed included 19 species, 413 individual with 16,110.6g in weight while the fish collected from the coastal waters void of the eelgrass bed included 19 species, 290 individuals with 12,961.5g in weight. Accordingly, it was found that the population size and biomass of the fish collected from the eelgrass bed were higher than the coastal waters void of the eelgrass. This study could identify that diversity, richness, evenness index except dominance were also much higher even in the result of cluster analysis.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.83-90
• /
• 2008

Eelgrass beds are very productive and provide nursery functions for a variety of fish and shellfish species. Management for the conservation of eelgrass beds along the Korean coasts is critical, and requires comprehensive strategies such as vegetation mapping. We suggest a mapping method to spatial distribution and quantify of eelgrass beds using a digital echosounder. Echosounding data were collected from the northeast part of Kwangyang Bay, on the south of Korea, in March, 2007. A transducer was attached to a boat equipped with a DGPS. The boat completed a transect survey scanning whole eelgrass beds of 11.7 km2 with a speed of 1.5-2 m s-1 (3-4 knot). The acoustic reflectivity of eelgrass allowed for detection and explicit measurements of canopy cover and height. The results showed that eelgrass bed was distributed in depth from 1.19 to 3.6 m (below MSL) and total dry weight biomass of 4.1 ton with a vegetation area of 4.05 km2. This technique was found to be an effective way to undertake the patch size and biomass of eelgrass over large areas as nondestructive sampling.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.60-69
• /
• 2009

Fish community structure between eelgrass beds and an adjacent unvegetated area was investigated. Fishes were collected monthly from two eelgrass beds (Gamak and Yeoja Bays) and one adjacent unvegetated area in the southern sea of Korea between February 2006 and February 2007. The number of species for the Gamak and Yeoja Bays were 33, 28, respectively, while 28 species were identified from the unvegetated area. Leiognathus nuchalis was dominant in both Gamak and Yeoja Bays, while Engraulis japonicus was dominant in the unvegetated area. Cluster analysis conducted on total number of individuals for each species produced 3 groups; group A (appeared only in winter regardless of eelgrass), group B (appeared in eelgrass beds during all seasons except winter) and group C (appeared in the unvegetated area during all seasons except winter). The most important differentiating species between eelgrass beds and the unvegetated area were Lateolabrax japonicus, L. nuchalis, Takifugu niphobles and Pholis nebulosa. Based on the results of this study we can assume that eelgrass beds function as a nursery ground for young fishes from spring to fall, but not in winter.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.22 no.7
• /
• pp.814-820
• /
• 2016

In order to utilize coal ash for eelgrass beds, a pilot plant experiment was carried out. Eelgrass was transplanted to on artificial bed made of granulated coal ash. Successful settlement of eelgrass was achieved and the density of the eelgrass increased at an exponential rate through vagetative propagation after 24 months. An increase in biodiversity in and around the artificial eelgrass bed was observed after the transplant took place. From the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that granulated coal ash is a suitable material for creating eelgrass beds.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.315-321
• /
• 2009

The growth and estimated production of Acanthogobius flavimanus (1.9${\sim}$24.7 cm TL) were investigated in an eelgrass bed and unvegetated tidal flat of Dongdae Bay, Korea from March 2006 to February 2007. Growth in fish total length was expressed by the von Bertalanffy's growth equation as: $L_t=43.238(1-e^{-03138(t+02507)})$. Estimated densities, biomass, daily and annual production, and P/B ratio were higher at eelgrass bed than those of at unvegetated tidal flat. Monthly variation in daily production was large; the peak numbers occurred in November 2006 ($0.0014g/m^2$/day) at eelgrass bed, whereas was $0.002g/m^2$/day in July 2006 at unvegetated tidal flat. The eelgrass bed has been supported to maintain capacity of higher production of A. flavimanus than those of in unvegetated tidal flat.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.186-196
• /
• 2004

Since seagrasses are highly productive and provide a source of organic carbon for a wide variety of marine organisms in coastal and estuarine ecosystem, accurate assessment of seagrass production is critical to understand the functions and values of seagrasses in these ecosystems. Zieman's leaf marking technique has been mostly used to estimate seagrass leaf production rates. However, inherent problems on the traditional leaf marking technique have been discussed by the several researchers, and these problems can cause underestimation of seagrass production. To develop an accurate and reliable assessing method for seagrass production, production rates of eelgrass, Zostera marina in three bay systems on the south coast of the Korean peninsula were estimated using the conventional leaf marking technique and the plastochrone method. The plastochrone method has been recently suggested as an effective method for reliable assessments of seagrass production. In the present study, leaf production rates estimated by the plastochrone method were significantly higher than the rates derived from the traditional leaf marking technique. Annual eelgrass leaf production assessed using the leaf marking technique was about 65 to 89% of the estimated production using the plastochrone method. The differences in annual productions between assessment techniques imply that the conventional leaf marking technique significantly underestimated eelgrass leaf production. Total eelgrass productions estimated using the plastochrone method in the present study sites were about 600 to 806 g DW $m^{-2} y^{-l}$, and below-ground production accounted for about 20 to 23% of the total production. The plastochrone method was suggested to be an effective and accurate assessing method for eelgrass production.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.129-137
• /
• 2004

Since cultural eutrophication has the detrimental effects on estuarine and coastal ecosystems, recognition of early stage of nutrient over-enrichment is critical for effective managements of the ecosystems. Since released nutrients into coastal ecosystems are diluted and dissipated through tidal action and rapid uptakes by marine plants, monitoring of in situ nutrient concentrations may not be useful for detecting early eutrophication on coastal and estuarine ecosystems. To develop an effective indicator of cultural eutrophication using marine plants, tissue N content and area normalized leaf mass of eelgrass, Zostera marina were examined in Kosung Bay and Koje Bay on the south coast of Korea from June 2001 to April 2003. Eelgrass tissue N content exhibited obvious seasonal variations. Leaf N content was highest during winter and early spring and lowest during summer. Eelgrass tissue N content was higher at Kosung Bay site, which has higher sediment organic content, than at Koje Bay site. Area normalized leaf mass showed reverse trend of leaf N content, and consequently, eelgrass leaf N content and leaf mass exhibited strong negative correlation at both study sites. The results of the present study suggested that the ratio of eelgrass leaf N content to area normalized leaf mass can be applied to assess environmental nitrogen conditions on the coastal and estuarine ecosystems.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.69-76
• /
• 2017

Eelgrass, Zostera marina is a marine flowering plant that grows in submerged habitats for most of its lifetime, and experiences desiccation stress when exposed to air. Although the desiccation stress observed in adult eelgrass has been frequently studied, there has been little research on desiccation stress in eelgrass seeds. To survey desiccation stress in eelgrass seeds, we studied the germination rate and moisture content upon desiccation caused by exposure to air. The germination rate of the eelgrass seeds exposed to air for 1 hour at $20^{\circ}C$ and 50% relative humidity decreased markedly, and it decreased consistently as the exposure time increased. Eelgrass seeds exposed to air for longer than 11 hours did not germinate. As the exposure time of eelgrass seeds to air increased, the germination rate and moisture content decreased, showing a negative correlation. In addition, eelgrass seeds exposed to air at $30^{\circ}C$ showed significantly lower germination rates than those exposed to air at $10^{\circ}C$ or $20^{\circ}C$. Our results revealed that desiccation causes a decrease in the germination of eelgrass seeds, which will provide useful information for eelgrass habitat restoration using seeds.