• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.217-231
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• 2018

Planktonic ciliates play an important role in the food web of marine ecosystem as well as a bio-indicator for invasive species from ballast waters or from changing flow of ocean currents due to climate changes. This study was carried out to find some evidences for introduction of such invasive species using ciliate plankton in four major international ports of Korea. We surveyed the seasonal species composition of planktonic ciliate to find out the evidence for the invasive species at Busan, Ulsan, Gwangyang and Incheon ports from February 2007 to November 2008. A total of 45 ciliates species, belonging to 15 genera, were identified during the study period: 33 species occurred at Busan, 31 at Gwangyang, 30 at Ulsan, 18 at Incheon. The abundance of naked ciliates ranged from 566 to $65,151cells\;L^{-1}$ and that of tintinnids 10 to $5,973cells\;L^{-1}$. Based on vector species of ciliates reported from Coos Bay in Oregon, 13 vector species of tinitinnids were identified as follows, Eutintinnus lususundae, E. tubulosus, Favella ehrenbergii, F. taraikaensis, Helicostomella subulata, Stenosemella nivalis, Tintinnopsis ampla, T. beroidea, T. cylindrica, T. directa, T. lohmanni, T. radix, T. rapa. All vector species occurred at Gwangyang port. Most tintinnids were mainly neritic species throughout the survey, while warm water species occurred only in short period at Busan, Ulsan and Gwangyang ports that might be affected seasonally by Tsushima warm current.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2000

In order to understand the role of heterotrophic protists in the coastal waters off Inchon, abiotic and biotic factors were measured from January 1992 to February 1993. Microbial carbon biomass (mean212.9$^{\pm}$119.1 $^{\mu}$gC/1) was composed of 4.2% bacteria, 0.3% cyanobacteria, 12.l% autotrophic nanoflagellates, 6.6% heterotrophic nanoflagellates, 5.8 heterotrophic ciliates and 71.0% diatom and Mesodinium spp. The carbon biomass of heterotrophic protists (heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates) was highest in October 1992 (mean 37.8$^{\pm}$22.5 $^{\mu}$gC/1), and was low in August 1992 (mean 21.2$^{\pm}$10.8 $^{\mu}$gC/1) and in February 1993 (mean 19.5$^{\pm}$6.4 $^{\mu}$gC/1). However, the contribution of heterotrophic protists to total microbial carbon biomass was higher in January 1992 and February 1993 (about 21%) when the phytoplankton was dominated by nanoplankton than in August and October (about 9%) when large diatoms occurred in large numbers. This study suggests that in Kyeonggi Bay heterotrophic protists might play a more important role as prey for zooplankton and as consumers of bacteria & small phytoplankton in less productive seasons (especially winter) than in productive seasons (autumn), and that the classic trophic pathway from diatoms through copepods to fish might be dominant nearly every season.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.403-411
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• 2015

To understand differences of environmental factors and planktonic communities in closed (CS) versus open (OS) enclosed experimental systems, we performed a study on a 100-L indoor-type artificial marine microcosm. For environmental factors, including water temperature, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, and dissolved silica, there were no significant differences between CS and OS; however, salinity was higher in CS than that of OS due to the evaporation effect. The concentration of dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic nitrogen was lower in CS than in OS. The abundance of phytoplankton was lower in CS than in OS. However, abundance of autotrophic nanoflagellates and heterotrophic bacteria varied inversely with that of phytoplankton abundances. In particular, the abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates increased with bacterial growth after a time lag. Therefore, environmental factors and planktonic communities in CS gradually changed over time and characterized a different artificial ecosystem than in OS.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.186-190
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• 2019

DNA barcoding of two marine tintinnids, Eutintinnus rectus and Schmidingerella arcuata, was performed using four samples collected from different sites in the north-eastern coast of South Korea. The loricae morphology was observed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Molecular data were analyzed using five nuclear ribosomal DNA markers(18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, and 28S genes) and one mitochondrial marker (CO1 gene). The intraspecific pairwise differences of E. rectus and S. arcuata in the CO1 gene were 0.0-0.2% and 0.0-0.6%, respectively, while there were no differences in the 18S rDNA sequences.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.327-337
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• 2007

Plankton communities have close relationships with environmental changes in water columns. Thus, the use of plankton as a biological tool for assessing the marine ecosystem health may be effective. Major issue regarding coastal pollution has been usually recognized as phytoplankton blooms or red tides caused by the eutrophication, an increase in concentration of inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, in order to understand the effects of the overall pollution on marine ecosystem, the organic pollutants as well as the inorganic nutrients should be also considered. For understanding the effects of the organic pollution, among the planktonic organisms, heterotrophic bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates should be investigated. Generally, there are three approaches for assessing the marine ecosystem health using the plankton taxa or plankton communities. The first one is a community-based approach such as diversity index and chlorophyll a concentration which are common in analysis of the plankton communities. The second is an indiviual-based approach which is to monitor the pollution indicative species. This approach needs one's ability to identify the plankton to species level. The last approach is a bioassay of toxicity, which can be applied to the plankton. A pilot study in Masan Bay was conducted to assess the effects of the inorganic and organic pollution. In this article, a new approach using plankton communities was tentatively presented as a biological tool for assessing the ecosystem health of Masan Bay.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.201-211
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• 2002

We investigated the abundance and biomass of dinoflagellates and factors controlling their abundance in marine planktonic ecosystems in Korean coastal waters. The abundance of photosynthetic (PDNF) and heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HDNF) was in the range of 0.7${\times}$10$^2$ cells/1-14.0${\times}$10$^6$ cells/1 and in the range of 3.0${\times}$10$^2$ cells/1-6.47${\times}$10$^5$ cells/I, respectively. Their biomass was 0.5${\times}$10$^{-1}$-2.56${\times}$10$^4$ ${\mu}gC/I$ and 2.0${\times}$10$^{-1}$-1.5${\times}$10$^{2}$ ${\mu}gC/I$, respectively. In order to find factors controlling their abundance, stepwise regression and best subsets regression analyses were used. We found that during the summer the most important factors controlling PDNF abundance are DO, P, N and S (abiotic factors), and for HDNF, the abundance of zooplankton, ciliates and HF (biotic factors), and that high turbidity may effect the distribution of dinoflagellate species.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.419-426
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• 2008

Ciliate plankton samples were collected biweekly from July 2006 to June 2008 in Jangmok Bay of Geoje Island. Species composition and abundances were analyzed by quantitative protargol stain and environmental parameters were also examined. A total of 88 ciliate species occurred during the study period, consisting of 22 tintinnids, 51 oligotrichs, and 15 other species. Higher ciliate abundances appeared from June to October during the warm season ($<20^{\circ}C$) and the maximum ($4.0{\times}10^4\;cells\;L^1$) in August, while the lower abundances were found during the cold season. The minimun ciliate abundance was found in November when water temperature rapidly decreased. The temporal succession of dominant species was very clear and opportunistic. Pelagostrombidium sp., Tontonia simplicidens, Helicostomella subulata, and Myrionecta rubra were co-dominant in summer while Rimostrombidium orientale occurred abundantly in winter. Strombidium tressum and S. compressum, eurythermal species, were observed during all seasons. Based on the species-specific ecology of ciliate plankton, it is suggested that the indicative ciliate species can be applied as a biological tool to detect environmental change in the southern coastal waters of korea.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.78-93
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• 2003

To investigate seasonal variation and structure of the microbial community in Kyeonggi Bay, abundance and carbon biomass of nano-and micrzooplankton were evaluated in relation to size fractionated chlorophyll-a concentration, through the monthly interval sampling from December 1997 to November 1998. Communities of nano-and microzooplankton were classified into 4 groups such as heterotrophic nanoflagellate(HNF), ciliates, heterotrophic dinoflagellates(HDF) and zooplankton nauplii. Abundance and carbon biomass of HNF ranged from 380 to 4,370 cells ml-1(average 1,340$\pm$130 cells ml-1) and from 0.63 to 12.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 4.35$\pm$0.58 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of ciliates ranged from 331 to 44,571 cells ml-1(average 3,526$\pm$544 cells ml-1) and from 1.3 to 119.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 13.7$\pm$3.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of HDF ranged from 88 to 48,461 cells 1-1(average 9,034$\pm$2,347 cells 1-1) and from 0.05 to 54.05 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 6.9$\pm$2.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of zooplankton nauplii ranged from 5 to 546 indiv. 1-1(average 83$\pm$15 indiv. 1-1) and from 0.17 to 43.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 6.3$\pm$1.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Eash component of microbial biomass was not different from tidal cycle except tintinnids group. Depth integrated nano-and microzooplankton biomass ranged from 124 to 1,635 mgC m-2(average 585$\pm$110 mgC m-2) and was highest in March and May. The relative contribution of each component to the nano-and microzooplankton showed difference according to seasons. Community structure of nano-and microzooplankton was dominated by planktonic ciliate group. During the study period, carbon biomass of nano-and microzooplankton was strongly positively correlated with size fractionated chlorophylla-a. It implied that prey-predator relationship between microzooplankton and phytoplankton was important in the pelagic ecosystem of Kyeonggi Bay.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.176-183
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• 2010

In order to understand the temporal variations and species composition of tintinnids, at two stations of the Korea Strait, this study was carried out from January to December 2007 (n=17). Fifty-one species from 22 genera were encountered: 27 neritic species (9 genera) and 24 oceanic species (14 genera). The species composition was different between two stations, and neritic species frequently appeared at St. 1, while oceanic species more frequently appeared at St. 2. According to the frequency in appearance of species, the most dominant species were neritic species such as Stenosemella nivalis and S. pacifica, that appeared in all seasons. Also, Acanthostomella norvegica, Amphorellopsis acuta, Epilpocyloides ralumensis, Protorhabdonella curta and other many oceanic species appeared intensively during the low salinity (${\leqq}33\;psu$) and high water temperature (${\geqq}24^{\circ}C$) period (July~October). The abundance of tintinnids ranged from 0 to 1,845 cells $L^{-1}$. It was higher in the seasons (summer and autumn) of low salinity and high water temperature than in other seasons. The abundance was relatively higher at St. 1 than at St. 2. On the basis of correlation and multiple regression analyses, the tintinnid abundance was not correlated with chi-a, but significantly correlated with water temperature and salinity, suggesting to be the primary abiotic factors influencing the abundance. This study suggests that the complex hydrographic conditions of the study area might influence the temporal distribution and species composition of tintinnids.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2000

We investigated the temporal and spatial variations in heterotrophic dinoflagellates (hereafter HTD) and ciliates from June to September 1997 in the waters off Kohung, Korea where red tides dominated by harmful dinoflagellates had occurred from August to October since 1995. We took water samples five times from 5-7 depths at 3 stations in this study period. A total of 17 HTD species were present and of these species in the genus Protoperidinium were 11. The species number of tintinnids (hereafter TIN) present totalled 15 and several naked ciliate (hereafter NC) species were observed. The species numbers of HTD and TIN rapidly increased between August 1st and 21st and then reached to the maximum numbers of 13 and 10, respectively, on August 27 when red tides dominated by Gyrodinium impudicum were first observed in the study area. However the species numbers drastically decreased on September 22. The maximum densities of HTD, TIN, and NC were 45, 39, 57 cells $ml^{-1}$, respectively. ADAS, calculated by averaging the densities of a certain species in the all samples collected from all depths and stations at a sampling period, most increased between August 1st and 21st and then reached to the maximum density of f cells $ml^{-1}$ on August 27 for HTD, while did between August 21st and 27th and up to 7 cells $ml^{-1}$ for TIN. Unlike ADAS of HTD and TIN, that of NC did not change much with the maximum of 8 cells $ml^{-1}$ on August 27th. The pattern of the temperal variation in the species number and ADAS of HTD was similar to that of diatoms and the distributions of Protoperidinium spp. and diatoms had a strong positive correlation. This evidence suggests that HTD, in particular Protoperidinium spp. be a grazer on diatom. In general, the densities of HTD, TIN, and NC decreased with going to stations located in the outer bay. Therefore, the availability of suitable prey and distance from the coastal line might be responsible for the distribution of HTD, TIN, and NC. The results of the present study provide a basis for further experiments for the feeding by dominant HTD, TIN, and NC on dominant phytoplankton including red tide species and for understanding food webs in the planktonic community before, during, and after the red tide outbreak.