• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.78-91
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• 2015

Macrobenthic community was studied at 87 stations including intertidal and subtidal area in Yoja Bay, south coast of Korea in summer season of July 2001. Duplicate sediment samples were taken using a van Veen grab ($0.1m^2$) in each station. Mud facies of the sediments were widly distributed in the bay. And relatively high content of sand was shown in the Bulgyo-cheon stream estuary. A total of 274 species was occurred with a mean density of $2,346ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $78.2g/m^2$. The polychaetes were species- and density-dominant faunal group with a total of 122 species (44.5% of the total number of species), and mean density of $1,543ind./m^2$ (65.8% of the mean density). Meanwhile, molluscs were biomass-dominant faunal group with $44.4g/m^2$. Bio-Env. analysis showed that the combination of bottom salinity and sand content of the surface sediments was highly correlated to the major macrobenthic communities. The macrobenthic species number, decreasing toward inner bay from mouth of the bay, was significantly correlated to the sediment environmental variables and bottom water salinity. The spatial distribution of abundance showed significant correlation to the sand and mud contents and mean grain size of the surface sediments. Major dominant species were Minuspio japonica (polychaete) with a mean density of $1,167ind./m^2$ at upper part of the bay where salinity was low and Eriopisella sechellensis (amphipod) with $152ind./m^2$ in central part of the bay. Species diversity (H') was $3.0{\leq}$ in the mouth part of the bay and ranged 2.0-3.0 in the inner part of the bay, which showed a significant positive correlation to bottom salinity. Total number of species also showed significant correlations to the sediment composition and bottom salinity. Based on the cluster analysis the macrobenthic community of the bay was classified into five station groups from the bay mouth toward the inner part of the bay depending on the species composition. From the SIMPER analysis Minuspio japonica, Eriopisella sechellensis and Sternaspis scutata mainly contributed to the classification of station group. These results suggested that the macrobenthic communities of the bay were mainly influenced by bottom salinity together with sediment composition, and that the studies of spatial distributions of major dominant species and benthic communities should be conducted continuously to monitor the Yeoja Bay benthic environment.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 2016

An ecological study on subtidal macrobenthic fauna was conducted off the Namhaedo Island, south coast of Korea from July 2012 to April 2013. A total of 247 species of macrobenthos occurred with a mean density of $1,027ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $148.7g/m^2$. Polychaetes was the richest and most abundant faunal group that comprised 37% in both total species number and density whereas echinoderms were biomass-dominant faunal group that accounted for 44% of the mean biomass. There was a seasonal variation in the species richness and abundance of macrobenthos with more species in winter and higher density in spring. Mean faunal density was relatively high at the stations near Namhaedo Island, but gradually decreased toward offshore stations. The most dominant species in terms of density was an amphipod species, Eriopisella sechellensis which occurred as a top ranker during three seasons except spring recorded the fourth rank. E. sechellensis showed its high density at the near shore stations of Namhaedo Island, but this species did not occur around the entrance of Gwangyang and Saryang Bays where Theora fragilis and Lumbrineris longifolia showed high densities. In particular, Tharyx sp., recorded high density between Gwangyang Bay entrance and offshore after Sea Prince oil spill, did not occur in the same area during this study period. The bottom temperature and sorting value of the surface sediments were highly correlated to the spatial distribution of macrobenthic fauna from the Bio-Env analysis. From the cluster analysis, the study area has five station groups with more similar faunal affinities from inner area toward offshore area. Based on the SIMPER analysis T. fragilis, Magelona japonica, E. sechellensis, L. longifolia and Paraprionospio cordifolia were mainly contributed to the classification of station groups. From the BPI, benthic communities in the entrance of Gwangyang Bay and Saryang Bay were considered to be in a slightly polluted condition in contrast to the normal healthy community at the offshore of Namhaedo Island. These results suggested that the benthic community of this area should be regularly monitored to assess the health status of this benthic ecosystem.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.91-108
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• 2018

An ecological study on subtidal macrobenthic fauna was conducted from 25 stations in the estuarine area of Wando-Doam Bay, southern coast of Korea during August 2013. A total of 186 species was collected with a mean density of $1,229ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $265.7g/m^2$. Polychaetes showed the richest benthic fauna comprising 43% of total fauna, whereas mollusks appeared as density- and biomass-dominant fauna accounted for 45% and 48% of the mean density and biomass, respectively. The number of species and mean faunal density were relatively higher at the stations surrounded by Sinjido, Joyakdo and Gogeumdo showing a gradual decrease toward inner bay stations. Species number and density were negatively correlated with bottom water temperature, but they were positively correlated with both the bottom salinity and DO. The most dominant species in terms of density was a semelid bivalve, Theora fragilis which showed a positive correlation with TOC content of surface sediment and its high density occurred around Gogeum-Sinji-Joyakdo area where dense aquaculture facilities exist. In the bay mouth area, an amphipod species, Eriopisella sechellensis showed its higher density at the stations with low organic content but fine grains. The combination of water temperature, salinity, pH of bottom water, water and sulfur content of the surface sediment could explain 71% of the spatial distribution of macrobenthic fauna from the Bio-Env analysis. From the cluster analysis, the study area consisted of 6 distinct station groups lineated from offshore area toward inner area. Ampharete arctica, Goniada maculata, Eriopisella sechellensis, Theora fragilis, Caprella sp. were identified as the main contributing faunas in classification by the SIMPER analysis. From the value of BPI, the benthic communities at the inner and central Wando-Doam Bay were assessed to be in a normal condition whereas those at the outer Wando harbor and Gogeum-Sinji-Joyakdo area were assessed in a poor or very poor condition due to the high concentration of particulate organic matter might be originated from the nearby dense aquaculture facilities. This study indicated that pristine inner bay has been influenced by the organic material supplied from the outer bay. Thus it is necessary to establish an ecological management plan to reduce organic enrichment of sediment from dense aquaculture facilities in the outer bay.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.124-133
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• 2009

The study was performed to investigate the community structure of macrobenthic fauna during June 2005, in Hallyeohaesang National Park from Korea Strait. A total of 284 macrobenthic fauna were collected. The overall average macrobenthic density and biomass were 2,002 individuals m$^{-2}$ and 154.92 gWWt m$^{-2}$, respectively. Based on the Lebris (1988) index, there were 20 species accounting for approximately 47.64% of total individuals. And the highest densities were found in the polychaetes Scoletoma longifolia, Isolda pulchella, Mediomastus californiensis, Minuspio multibranchia, Tharyx sp. 1 and the bivalve Theora fragilis. On the other hand, the top twenty species made up 70.47% of the total biomass while the three most abundant, the echinoderms Schizaster lacunosus, Amphiura vadicola and the bivalve Fulvia mutica. The conventional multivariate statistics (cluster analysis and non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling) applied to assess spatial variation in macrobenthic assemblages. As a result of cluster analysis and nMDS ordination, this study area was divided into two different groups of stations and species. In case of station, there are two groups: one is a mud dominated station group and the other is dead shell and sand dominated group. And the 2 faunistic groups were established as follows: 1) a group of relatively higher abundances in mud dominated sediment. There were numerically dominated by the polychaetes Magelona japonica, Sternaspis scutata, Paraprionospio pinnata, Tharyx sp. 1 and the amphipods Monocorophium sinense and Eriopisella sechellensis. 2) a group of relatively higher densities dead shell and sand dominated sediment. These groups were characterized by the polychaetes I. pulchella, M. multibranchiata, the amphipods M. acherusicum, Gammaropsis japonicus and the echinoderm A. vadicola.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.272-286
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the community structure and health assessment of macrobenthic assemblages in Cheonsu Bay, West Coast of Korea. Total species number was 224 and mean density was $1,940ind./m^2$, both of which were dominated by polychaete worms (111 species and $1,213ind./m^2$). In terms of density, the major dominant species were the bivalve Theora fragilis ($280{\pm}213ind./m^2$), the polychaetes Heteromastus filiformis ($254{\pm}218ind./m^2$), Lumbrineris longifolia ($216{\pm}41ind./m^2$), Mediomastus californiensis ($158{\pm}97ind./m^2$) and the amphipod Eriopisella sechellensis ($167{\pm}100ind./m^2$). As a result of community statistics (cluster analysis and nMDS ordination), the macrobenthic community structure was classified two major groups (inner and mouth of bay) and two stations (station 2 near Ganwol dyke in spring and summer). The Benthic Pollution Index (BPI) and AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) were applied to assess the benthic ecological status. During the sampling periods, the BPI Index values varied between 11 (bad status) and 92 (high status). On the other hand, the AMBI Index values was ranged between 1.34 (good status) and 4.39 (poor status). In conclusion, in terms of the mean BPI and AMBI Index values, the ecological status of Cheonsu Bay were moderate status (ecotone stage) and good status, respectively.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.87-102
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• 2022

To clarify the spatial distribution pattern of macrozoobenthos in Korean coastal waters in the summer season and investigate the relationship between community structure and benthic environmental factors, field surveys on community structure and benthic environmental factors were conducted at 117 stations in August 2017. A total of 613 macrobenthic species were identified, with the mean density of 1,228 ind./m² and the mean biomass (wet weight) of 110.9 g WW/m². Rich biodiversity was found at stations near Wando and along the coast of the East Sea, and there is a trend that stations with greater biodiversity also showed higher mean density as well. The dominant species in all the coastal areas in Korea was Heteromastus filiformis, which were found at most of the stations during the survey. The relatively deep areas in the East Sea were dominated by Magelona johnsoni and Maldane cristata, which were the third and ninth dominant species in the study areas, respectively. Pseudopolydora kempi and Rhynchospio sp. were observed only at the station located in the Nakdong River estuary. From the cluster analysis the stations could be clustered into three station groups with more similar faunal composition. Group A was located in the eastern coast, characterized with deep water depth and low levels of sand contents, while Group B was located in the southern coast, characterized by shallow depth of water and high content of mud and organic matter. Lastly, Group C was in the western coast, demonstrating low levels of mud content and organic matters. The biodiversity of macrobenthic species in the study area showed high positive correlation coefficients with benthic environmental factors such as sorting, clay, silt, and contents of organic matter in sediments, but negatively correlated with the sand contents. Major dominant species, Theora lata and Eriopisella sechellensis, both showed negative correlation coefficients with the sand contents, but a relatively high positive correlation with the levels of organic contents.It can be concluded that the spatial distribution patterns of macrobenthic organisms in Korean coastal waters are affected by depth, sediment type, and contents of organic matters.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.95-108
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate the community structure of macrobenthic assemblages in the Environmental Conservation area, Korea. Benthic animals were collected by van Veen grab sampler at spring (May) and summer (August) 2009. The total species number and mean density were 195 species 5.6 m^-2 and 667 individuals m^-2, respectively. Polychaetes were the most dominant faunal group in species (96 species) and abundance (431 individuals m^-2). The major dominant species were the polychaetes Lumbrineris longifolia (76±224 individuals m^-2), Mediomastus californiensis (42±117 individuals m^-2), Tharyx sp.3 (26±110 individuals m^-2), the bivalvia Theora fragilis (54±78 individuals m^-2) and the amphipod Eriopisella schellensis (70±146 individuals m^-2). Based on the cluster and nMDS ordination analysis, macrobenthic communities were divided into three faunal groups. The first group was characterized by high abundance of the polychaeta Sternaspis scutata and the amphipod Ampelisca cyclops iyoensis, which is located by most stations of Hampyeong Bay and St. 4 of Deungnyang Bay. The second group was numerically dominated by the polychaeta Capitella capitata at St. 4 and St. 5 in Gamak Bay where was most pollutant area. Finally, the third group was dominated by the polychaetes Heteromastus filiformis, Tharyx sp.3 and the amphipod Sinocorophium sinensis. Therefore, geochemical characteristics such as the bay shape and pollution gradient may be important factors controlling of the macrobenthic community structure in Environment Conservation Area.