• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.144-157
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• 2016

The community structure of meiobenthos was investigated from seasonal surveys at four stations of Keunso Bay in Taean. Samples of meiobenthos were collected in August, October, 2013 and January, April, 2014. Triplicate faunal samples were collected by using an acryl corer with a 3.6 cm diameter at each station. The mean grain size of the study area ranged from 3.65 ø to 6.35 ø. Total 13 meiofaunal groups were found in the study area. The total density of meiobenthos at each station was be $1,521-7,849ind./10cm^2$. Nematodes were the most dominant faunal group at all stations. The subdominant group were Sarcomastigophorans and benthic harpacticoid copepods. The highest meiofaunal density was shown in spring, whereas the lowest density was recorded in summer. A total of 13 meiobenthic taxa were found, the richest taxa in October at station 2 ($13ind./10cm^2$), and the lowest in April at station 4 ($5ind./10cm^2$). There were seasonal fluctuations in the number of meiobenthic taxa decreasing from summer to spring. The density of meiobenthos gradually decreased as the depth of sediment increased. Seasonal changes in the vertical distribution of meiobenthos in the study area occurred mainly near the sediment surface.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.400-421
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• 2019

This study was conducted to find out the seasonal distribution characteristics of meiobenthic communities to understand the benthic ecosystem of Gwangyang Bay, one of the representative bays in the southern coast of Korea. The faunal sampling was conducted eight times seasonally at 20 stations from 2010 to 2011. Among the meiobenthic fauna that appeared during the study period, the nematodes and harpacticoids were the most dominant. In the summer of 2011, the lowest density ($13ind.10m^{-2}$) was seen at station 10 on the inner part of the bay. In the winter of 2011, the highest density ($3,109ind.10m^{-2}$) was seen at station 4 on the inner part of the bay. Although the trend of seasonal changes in density was not clear, the meiobenthic community was seen to be affected more by the environmental factors in each season. Particularly, while the density of the harpacticoids, a dominant faunal group, showed negative correlations with the organic content and average particle size in the summer sediments (p<0.05, p<0.01), the density of the nematodes showed no significant correlation with the environmental factors except with the winter average particle size and the bottom layer's water temperature. The density change of meiobenthos showed irregular changes in Gwangyang Bay, instead of a general trend showing a low density in winter due to low water temperature but an increased density in spring and summer when the water temperature rises and a decreased one again in fall. Considering such a seasonal trend, it seems that the benthic ecosystem of Gwangyang Bay is affected more by artificial environmental factors than by natural environmental ones.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-55
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• 2004

Meiobenthic community structure was studied in intertidal mud flat and sand flat of Yeochari in Ganghwado in May and August, 1998. Sixteen groups of meiofauna were found at all study sites in the Yeochari tidal flats. Nematodes were the most dominant animal group among the meiofaunal groups as a whole. Sarcomastigophorans, harpacticoid copepods, nauplius larvae of crustaceans and ciliophorans which were also important components of the meiofaunal community. All of these five faunal groups comprised more than 90% of total meiofauna. The maximum total density of meiobenthos was $5.8{\times}10^6ind./m^2$ at the station of sand flat in August and the minimum density was $4.0{\times}10^6ind./m^2$ at same station in May. Biomass of meiobenthos was $1.5g/m^2$(May), $2.3g/m^2$(August) at mud flat and $1.7g/m^2$(May), $2.6g/m^2$(August) at sand flat. At the station of mud flat in May, the highest density was observed within 1cm in depth of upper sediment and steeply decreased increasing depth of sediment. At the sand flat station in August, the highest density was also observed within 1cm in depth of upper sediment and decreased with depth, while the concentration of the animals at the surface was not conspicuous as the mud flat. The value of N/C(nematodes/benthic harpacticoids) ratio was the highest at the station of sand flat in May and the lowest at the sand flat in August.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos on the sediment of the mangrove forest and seagrass bed in the Chuuk lagoon. The samples were collected by an acryl corer at 14 stations. Nematodes were the most abundant meiobenthos, followed by ciliophorans and polychaetes; these taxa comprised more than 70% of the total abundance at all stations. The meiofuuna sampled in seagrass bed were more diverse than those of mangrove substrates. Total densities were higher in mangrove stations than other sites, averaging 1,671 to $2,967inds/10cm^2$. Densities in seagrass area ranged between 605 and $1,053inds/10cm^2$. Biomasses, however, were higher in seagrass bed $(975-2,167{\mu}g\;free\;dry\;weight/10cm^2)$ than in mangrove area $(1,064-1,180{\mu}g\;free\;dry\;weight/10cm^2)$. Ordination chart by MDS of major meiofaunal density in each station showed difference between mangrove area and seagrass area in terms of habitat of meiobenthos.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.138-152
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• 2014

The objective of the study survey was to determine the effect of marine sand extraction on community composition and rate of recolonization of the meiobenthos following cessation of mining activities. Because of meiobenthic distribution in nature, high abundance, intimate association with sediments, fast reproduction, benthic larva period, sensitivity to pollution and rapid life histories, meiobenthos are widely regarded as ideal organisms to study the potential ecological indicator of natural and anthropogenic stresses. The community structure of meiobenthos was studied at seven stations within sandy tidal and sub tidal zones in Jangbongdo in the Yellow Sea, Korea from Aug. 2006 to Dec. 2007. Meiobenthic samples were collected by three core samples, with a 3.6 cm in diameter, from each sediment sample taken with a Smith-McIntyre Grab. It was found that sand mining often causes complete removal of the sediment and the damage to the habitats of meiobenthos. This study in the effect showed that sand mining resulted in a reduction in total abundance and biomass of meiobenthos in mining area. The finding of this study further showed that initial restoration of abundance and biomass within one year of the cessation of sand mining.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.279-290
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• 2000

To alleviate the harmful effects from contamination, the Sihwa Lake waters have been regularly fluxed out into the ocean to mix and circulate with the oceanic waters, and then allowed to flow back into the lake. In the present study, eco-environmental impacts by the outflowing contaminated lake waters to the benthic communities of the coastal zones along Kyonggi Bay were examined at three separate areas. A total of 22 groups of meiobenthic animals were commonly found in the subtidal zones of the Bay. All groups of the meiobenthic animals on the 1st and 7th days after the outflow were remarkably reduced in numbers from the selected areas examined, as compared to those observed one day before the outflow. It was also found that the community structure of meiobenthos was changed drastically: At the station near the water gate, for example, where the immediate outflow of the lake water was encountered, the benthic harpacticoids, the group observed to be one of the predominant groups before the outflow, were found to have disappeared completely. For an area that was relatively far away from the water gate, the reduction rate of meiobenthos after the outflow events was slower and more gradual than the nearer sites. An area that is the farthest from the water gate, no reduction in any of the meiobenthos group was observed. The ratio between nematodes/copepods (N/C) was remarkably changed by the outflows at the station near the water gate: One day before the outflow, the ratio was 0.7 while the ratio was 19.0 at the station near the water gate. In contrast, at the stations relatively far from the water gate, the ratio decreased one day after the outflow event, but increasing trends were observed one week later. In the tidal flats, Station 1 exhibited the common observed regional values of the ratio whereas Station 2 showed a very high ratio of 191.3. The results suggested that the contaminated lake water outflows directly effect meiobenthos in a relatively short time period and thus the meiobenthos may be a good indicator animal group for examining the effect of pollution. [Lake Sihwa, contaminat water outflow, meiobenthic animals living]

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2003

Seasonal fluctuations of physico-chemical and biological aspects of the environment were studied in Vladivostok harbour (Golden Horn Bay, the East Sea/Sea of Japan). The benthic community structure was described with a focus on size-spectra (bacteria, meio- and macrofauna) related with the chemical environment and chemical fluxes in sediment and to reveal their possible ecological role in the process of bioremediation of the environment. Samples from two sites with different concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn, Cr, Ni Cd, Co) and petroleum hydrocarbon were assessed by a number of methods. These included plate counts of culturable bacteria, observation through a scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). These approaches were complemented with microscopic assessments of the diversity of the benthic community. The specific communities had a limited number of species, tolerant to abnormally high levels of toxic compounds. The dominant species were presented by several sho.1-lived small polychaetes (Capitella capitata) and nematodes (Oncholaimium ramosum). The highest population density was recorded in microbenthos, in various diatoms, various physiological groups of bacteria which participate in biomineralization: marine heterotrophic bacteria, which oxidized oil, black oil in addition to groups resistant to heavy metals. They have the entire set of mechanisms for neutralizing the negative effect of those compounds, forming the detrital food web and biogeochemical circulation of material in sediments, which results in the biological self-recycling of sea basins. Macro- and meiobenthic organisms were more sensitive to a greater extent of $H_2S$ and petroleum hydrocarbons than to metal content, but the within-site rankings were the same as those achieved for microbiological analyses.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

We analyzed the characteristics of meiofaunal communities in the northern part of Jeju Island and the environmental factors affecting the meiofaunal communities. For the analysis of the communities, subtidal sediments containing meiofauna were collected from 6 sites (3 shallow sites and 3 deeper sites) on the northern coast of Jeju Island in April, June, August, and October 2017. The sediment samples were collected by SCUBA using a syringe. After isolating and counting meiofauna from the sediment using a series of sieves and centrifugation, the density of the meiofauna was expressed as individuals/10 ㎠. Density of meiofauna was lower in August compared to April and June, and the density determined in October was higher than August. During April and June, the meiofaunal communities at the shallow sites (i.e., ST 1, 2, and 3) were significantly different from the meiofaunal communities at deeper sites (ST 4, 5, and 6, p < 0.01). However, such spatial variation in the meiofaunal communities was not obvious in August and October. The most dominant meiofaunal taxa were harpacticoids, followed by nematodes and nauplius larvae. These three taxa accounted for 90% of the total meiofauna density. Abundance of harpacticoids and nematodes showed a significantly negative correlation with the water depth. BIO-ENV analysis indicated that the total organic nitrogen (TON) and the water temperature exerted a significant influence over the meiofaunal communities at the sampling sites.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2003

To investigate the community structure and meiofaunal density in seagrass/bare non-seagrass beds, a survey was conducted at three seagrass bed locations in Doomoojin of Baegryongdo, inner harbor of Eocheongdo in May 1999, and Yulim of Dolsando for every month from February to July 1999. Meiobenthic samples were collected from sediments within seagrass beds (SB) and non-seagrass bed (or adjacent to barren sand area, NSB). Nematodes were the most dominant group among representative 13 meiofaunal groups. The sub-dominant groups were benthic for-aminiferans, benthic harpacticoids, and annelids. The highest density of meiofauna was recorded at a seagrass bed of Yulim (7,244 ind/10 $\textrm{cm}^2$ in June), and lowest density was recorded at a non-seauass bed of Baegryoungdo (438 ind/ 10 $\textrm{cm}^2$ in May). For vertical distribution, the highest density of meiofauna was recorded at 0-2 cm depth, and the density abruptly decreased with depth in all stations. The density of meiofauna in size between 0.125 m and 0.25 mm was maximum. Sediment types for the study areas ranged from sandy to sandy mud by the Folk's classification. The density of total meiofauna, the number of taxa, and the density of the dominant groups (nematodes, benthic for-aminiferans, benthic harpacticoids, annelids) between SB and NSB were significantly different. The results clearly showed the importance of seagrass bed as suitable habitat for meiofauna.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.255-263
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos in the deep-sea bottom of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone of the northeastern Pacific during July 2003. The samples were collected using the multiple corer at 13 stations along the transects fiom $5^{\circ}N\;to\;17^{\circ}N$. The most abundant meiobenthos was nematodes and followed by sarcomastigophorans; these two taxa comprised more than 70% of the total abundance at all stations. For size distribution analyses showed that animals which fit into the sieve mesh size of 0.063mm were abundant. The maximum density of meiobenthos was $147inds./10cm^2$ at station located in $7^{\circ}N$, and the minimum density was $6 inds./10cm^2$ at station located in $14^{\circ}N$. More than 60% of meiobenthos were distributed at surface sediment layer within 1.0cm, and the peak abundance was found at $0{\sim}0.25cm$ layer. The latitudinal distribution pattern of meiobenthos in the study area seemed to be related with the primary productivity of the surface water that is also connected to the water circulation pattern of the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, diverging at latitude of $8^{\circ}N$ and conversing at $5^{\circ}N$.