• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.215-228
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• 2008

This study was performed to find out the community structure of macrobenthos and the environmental factors around Munseom coastal water in Jeju Island from June to December, 2007. Mean temperature and mean salinity were $19.6^{\circ}C$ and 34.03 psu, indicating stable water masses. Concentrations of DO, COD and SS were as low as those in the standard sea-water-quality classes I. Chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 0.40 to 1.09 mg/L (mean, 0.69 mg/L), and higher concentration was observed in December rather than in June due to a blooming in winter. The mean concentration (their ranges are in parentheses) of nitrate, phosphate, and silicate were 0.15 mg/L (0.073-0.264 mg/L), 0.01 mg/L (0.004-0.011 mg/L) and 0.23 mg/L (0.039-0.464 mg/L), respectively. The values were higher near the Munseom due to influxes from the land. Of the 112 species that were identified, 40 species (36.0%) were Mollusca; 33 (28.8%) were Cnidaria; 13 (11.7%) were Porifera; 8 (7.2%) were Arthropoda and 17 species (15.3%) were others including Echinodermata. Density and biomass were estimated to be 4,340 individual/$m^2$ and $53,107.8\;gwwt/m^2$ respectively. Anthozoa was the most dominant group in abundance ($2,132\;ind./m^2$) as well as in the number of species, whereas Cnidaria was predominant in biomass ($37,630.9\;gwwt/m^2$). The dominant species were Dendronephthya gigantea, Scleronephthya gracillimum, Anthoplexaura dimorpha, Dendronephthya castanea, Thecocarpus niger, Dendronephthya spinulosa, Dendronephthya putteri, and Acabaria bicolor in the depth of 10-30 m. The seasonal variations of the number of individual and biomass of Cnidaria and Mollusca were observed. There was a slow increment in June, a decrement in October, and a drastic increasing in December. The biodiversity, evenness and richness index in surveyed stations were 2.715-3.413 (H'), 0.758-0.851(E'), and 5.202-8.720 (R) respectively. The dominance index was the highest in station M2 and the lowest in station M1.