• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.207-217
• /
• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the current status of seagrass species in the Nakdong River estuary from May to June 2023. To survey the seagrass habitat area, the Nakdong River estuary was divided into seven zones. Aerial photography using drones was conducted to find seagrass areas, GPS tracking was carried out on foot in the intertidal zone and by boat and SCUBA diving in the subtidal zone. To analyze the seagrass status, we measured the morphological characteristics, shoot density, and biomass of representative seagrass species in each zone. Four seagrass species were found in this area: Zostera japonica, Z. marina, Ruppia maritima, and Phyllospadix japonicus. The distribution areas of each species was 338.2 ha, 92.9 ha, 0.9 ha, and 1.4 ha, respectively, with a total area of 432.5 ha. Z. japonica was widely distributed in most of the tidal flats and mudflats of the Nakdong River estuary, while Z. marina was restricted to Nulcha-do, Jinu-do, and Dadae-dong. R. maritima occurred within the habitat of Z. japonica in Eulsukdo and Myeongji mudflats, and P. japonicus inhabited rocky areas in Dadae-dong. The shoot density of each species was 4,575.8±338.3 shoots m^-2, 244.8±12.0 shoots m^-2, 11,302.1±290.0 shoots m^-2, and 2862.5±153.5 shoots m^-2, respectively. The biomass of each species was 239.7±18.5 gDW m^-2, 362.3±20.5 gDW m^-2, 33.3±1.2 gDW m^-2, and 1,290.0±37.0 gDW m^-2, respectively. The results of this study revealed that Z. japonica was dominant in the Nakdong River estuary. In particular, Z. japonica habitats of Eulsukdo, Daema-deung, and Myeongji mudflats were identified as the largest in Korea. The Nakdong River estuary is an important site of ecological, environmental, and economic value, and will require continuous investigation and management of the native seagrasses.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2005

The phonology and reproductive effort of Zostera marina L. (Dongdae Bay and Aenggang Bay) on the southern coast of Korea were investigated from September 2002 to August 2003. The Dongdae Bay(DB) exhibited a finer sediment grain size with richer organic content than the Aenggang Bay(AB). Water temperature at DB site ranged from $7.5^{\circ}C$ in February to $25.5^{\circ}C$ in August, while water temperature at AB site ranged rrom $6.7^{\circ}C$ in February to $25.2^{\circ}C$ in september. Both populations exhibited a perennial lifB span, but the sexual reproductive effort was significantly higher at DB than AB. The reproductive shoots of DB site were developed from February to June 2003, while those of AB site from March to June 2003. At DB site, the frequency of reproductive shoot ranged from 11 to 33%, whereas reproductive shoot of AB did below 5%. Reproductive structures were larger and more abundant at DB, with the exception of number of fruits and seeds per spadix. Water temperature seems most important to regulate the timing of reproductive phase of Z. marina populations for two study sites.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.122-128
• /
• 2004

On the basis of monthly samples, we investigated the seasonal variation and feeding habits of amphipods inhabiting Zostera marina beds in Gwangyang Bay. Dominant species $(>1\%$ of the total number of amphipods) consist of 5 gammarids (Gammaropsis japonicus, Jassa slatteryi, Pontogenia rostrata, Atylus collingi and Ceinina japonica) and 1 caprellid (Caprella tsugarensis). Mean densities of amphipods varied from the highest of $63,148\;ind.\;m^{-2}$ in-May to the lowest of $1,247\;ind.\;m^{-2}$ in September. G. japonicus and J. slatteryi dominated in summer whereas C. japonica in autumn and winter. C. japonica was found to be a carnivorous feeder consuming mainly harpacticoid copepods and unidentified crustaceans, whereas G. japonicus, J. slatteryi, and C. tsugarensis consumed both phytoplankton and detritus. Seasonal densities of amphipods were significantly related with the shoot standing crop of the eelgrass and its epiphyte. Also densities of amphipods displayed significant difference in related with the shoot density of the eelgrass among sampling stations. These results suggest that the biological interactions between the eelgrass and amphipods as well as between the carnivorous and the herbivorous amphipods may be important in the seasonal variation of amphipods inhabiting Z. marine beds.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 2001

Zostera caespitosa Miki has been identified to be distributed along the seacoasts of Korea and Japan. This study was intended to clarify the morphological characters and the habitat characteristics of Korean Z. caespitosa. It was confirmed that Z. caespitosa is distributed along the seacoasts of South, Yellow and East Seas of South Korea. The habitats were located in the bay and port with the depth varying from 2.5 to 5.2 m. The habitats of Z. caespitosa were rather deeper than that of mixed bed with Z. marina. The sediment in the habitats was composed of well-sorted fine sand or muddy sand. Z. caespitosa showed marked differences in several morphological characters among sites. Morphology of Z. caespitosa varied with water depths, grain size and organic contents of sediments. Flowering shoots occurred by water temperature of 6.0∼13.7℃ from January to early April.

• Journal of Species Research
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.291-314
• /
• 2018

We collected ciliates from terrestrial and aquatic habitats in Korea. Morphology was examined based on observations of both living and stained specimens. As a result of the observations, we found 24 previously unrecorded ciliate species to Korea. The morphology of these species are briefly described here: Tracheloraphis dracontoides, Condylostoma arenarium, Aspidisca steini, Australocirrus aspoecki, Sterkiella tricirrata, Stylonychia lemnae, Wallackia bujoreani, Bakuella marina, Anteholosticha sigmoidea, Holosticha pullaster, Urostyla grandis grandis, Chaenea vorax, Enchelys gasterosteus, Phialina salinarum, Mesodinium pulex, Aegyria oliva, Bryometopus pseudochilodon, Pinacocoleps tesselatus, Urozona buetschlii, Colpidium colpoda, Campanella umbellaria, Pseudovorticella difficilis, Zoothamnium parahiketes and Z. plumula. Among these 24 ciliates, S. tricirrata and U. grandis grandis were studied based on both the morphology and the morphogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.615-626
• /
• 2022

This study investigated the habitat characteristics and spawning ecology of Hippocampus haema (Syngnathidae) in Soando Island, Korea, from May 2015 to December 2016. The survey site where seahorses inhabit was mainly formed by seagrass of Zostera marina populations. Total density and biomass (Mean±SE) of Z. marina were the highest at 136±14.4 shoots/m² and 489.8g DW/m², respectively, in spring (May), while the total density was lowest at 93±7.0shoots/m²in autumn (October), and biomass was the lowest and at 122.3g DW/m² in winter (February). During the study period, 293 individuals were identified through a diving and kick net survey, and the total length of H. haema ranged from 10.1 to 87.0mm. Male individuals nurturing fertilized eggs or larvae appeared beginning in May and were collected until October in both 2015 and 2016. Juvenile individuals were captured beginning in July 2015 and June 2016. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of the spawning season characteristics, it was estimated that the spawning season of H. haema was from April to October. The number of fertilized egg or larvae inside the male brood pouch were 38.3±14.8 (20-76), and the number of fecundity identified from female were 47.2±8.6 (31-59). The male-to-female ratio of H. haema was 1:1.7, indicating the dominance of males.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.576-583
• /
• 2011

In the course of study for the development of functional food ingredients from seaweeds having useful biological activities, the in-vitro antioxidant and nitrite scavenging activities of the methanol extracts prepared from 35 different seaweeds (17 phaeophyta, 11 rhodophyta and 7 chlorophyta) were determined. At $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration of the methanol extracts, Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia stolonifera, Eisenia bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell, Ishige foliacea, I. okamurai, Sargassum confusum, S. fulvellum, S. yamade and Zostera marina showed 60% more DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity. The exceptions were found in I. okamurai and Z. marina, which showed 45% and 53% ABTS scavenging activity, respectively. The correlation coefficient between DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities was 0.855, suggesting that the 9 different seaweeds extracts could scavenge anion and cation radicals concurrently. In reducing power, only E.cava, E.stolonifera and E.bicyclis showed above 0.88 ($Abs_{700}$). In a while, in nitrite scavenging activity at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration of the methanol extracts, 19 different seaweeds extracts including I. foliacea, I. okamurai, S. confusum, S. fulvellum, and S. yamade showed 60% more activity. Calculation of $IC_{50}s$ of DPPH, ABTS and nitrite scavenging activities of 9 different seaweeds extracts further showed that I. foliacea and S. yamade, besides E.cava, E.stolonifera and E.bicyclis, have strong antioxidant and nitrite scavenging activity. These results suggest that the selected 9 different seaweeds could be developed as functional food ingredients and I. foliacea and S. yamade have potential as novel natural sources of antioxidant and nitrite scavenger.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 1997

The spawning season, growth and feeding habit of tubesnout, Aulichthys japonicus were examined from the samples collected by a small beam trawl in the Zostera marina belt at the coastal water off Hamduck, Cheju Island, from May 1993 to May 1994. Tubesnout was the dominant species of overall 58 species collected in the study area throughout the year. The larvae and juvenile of tubesnout in the frequency distributions of body length began to appear in the Z. marina belt in March, and adults disappeared after May in the following year. The gonad weight index (GWI) and the condition factor (K) were high from November 1993 to January 1994 for males, while females were high from February to May 1994. Although tubesnout is an oviparous fish, males have the urogenital papilla. These results suggest that they were fertilized between November and January, and then males seemed to be died or move into other places. Females were examined to spawn from February to May. The stomach contents of tubesnout were dominated by copepoda smaller than ca. 1mm, Paracalanus, Oithona, Acartia, Oncaea and Harpacticoidae, accounting for 97% of total food items. The feeding habit of tubesnout did not vary by size. The fishes fed on Calanus, Euchaeta and decapoda larvae larger than ca. 3mm in March and April during the spawning season.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.48-60
• /
• 1997

The species composition and seasonal variations of fish community in the Zostera marina belt at the coastal water off Hamduck, northern part of Cheju Island, were analyzed based on day and night samples collected by a small beam trawl from May 1993 to May 1994. The dominant species among the 58 fish species in 35 family were tubesnout, Aulichthys japonicus, gobie, Pterogobius zonoleucus, filefish, Rudarius ercodes, pipefish, Syngnathus schlegeli and sea catfish, Plotosus lineatus. These species comprised 86.1% in the number of individuals and 62% in biomass. The number of individuals and biomass were high between October and December, and low between January and April. About 90% of fishes were noncommercial and small-sized fishes, less than 14cm in total length. The larvae and juvenile fishes were collected in the study area throughout the year. The recruitments of dominant species were related to the seasonal variations of Z. marina utilized as a shelter or feeding ground. A japonicus, P. zonoleucus, Zoarchias glaber and Hexagrammos agrammus recruited between January and June, and R. ercodes, S. schlegeli, P. lineatus and Petroscirtes breviceps between July and December.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 2015

The growth and population dynamics of eelgrass (Zostera marina) due to changes in sediment composition were examined in the lower intertidal zone of the Seomjin Estuary, Korea. We surveyed environmental factors such as water temperature, underwater irradiance, main types and organic content of sediment, tidal exposure, and nutrient concentrations in the water column and sediment pore water, in relation to the shoot density, biomass, morphological characteristics, and growth of Z. marina inhabiting lower intertidal zones. The survey was conducted monthly from May to December of 2004 and 2009. The water temperature showed obvious seasonal trends in both study years. Underwater irradiance was significantly higher in 2009 than in 2004. Tidal exposure was not significantly different between 2004 and 2009. The sediment was muddy-sand in 2004 but became sandy and with a significantly lower organic content in 2009. Water column $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations were significantly higher in 2004 than in 2009. Sediment pore water $NO_3{^-}+NO_2{^-}$ concentrations were significantly higher in 2009 than in 2004. Other nutrient concentrations did not differ significantly between 2004 and 2009. Morphological characteristics, including eelgrass length and leaf width were significantly lower in 2009 than in 2004. Eelgrass shoot height, leaf length, and sheath length showed typical seasonal patterns, increasing in early summer and decreasing in autumn, in both years. Vegetative shoot density was not significantly different between 2004 and 2009, while the biomass of individual plant parts and the total biomass were significantly lower in 2009. Eelgrass leaf productivity did not differ between years, but leaf turnover time was significantly shorter in 2009 than in 2004. Eelgrass downsizing and decreased turnover time in 2009 compared to 2004 indicate more effective adaptations to the stress of long-term changes in sediment composition. Overall, results suggest that changes in sediment composition can be a limiting factor for seagrass growth in the intertidal zone.