• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2010

Because seagrass production significantly contributes to the biodiversity and production of coastal and estuarine ecosystems, accurate estimation of seagrass productivity is a critical step toward understanding the ecological roles of seagrass in these ecosystems. To develop an accurate and effective method of measuring seagrass productivity, we estimated leaf productivity of eelgrass (Zostera marina) on the southern coast of Korea using three methods, the conventional leaf marking method, the elongation-mass method (Short '87 method), and the plastochrone method. In each season, shoots were pierced through the bundle sheath using a hypodermic needle and were collected after 2-4 weeks had elapsed to estimate their productivity. The leaf elongation and the leaf plastochrone intervals varied significantly among seasons. On an annual basis, the conventional leaf marking method showed the lowest leaf productivity estimates compared to the elongation-mass method and the plastochrone method, suggesting that the conventional leaf marking method underestimated leaf productivity as it ignored leaf maturation processes and new leaf growth within the sheath. Since the elongation-mass method considered leaf maturation processes, this method produced higher leaf productivity estimates than the conventional leaf marking method. On an annual basis, the plastochrone method produced the highest leaf productivity estimates. Below-ground productivity, which can be easily estimated using the plastochrone method, ranged between 3.29 and 5.73 (mg dry weight $shoot^{-1}\;day^{-1}$) and accounted for about 17.8% to 30.3% of total productivity. Because of the high contributions of below-ground productivity to total seagrass production, we suggest that the plastochrone method is an effective and simple technique for assessing both above- and below-ground productivities.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.36-49
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• 2018

During a study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea in 2016, a total of 42 actinobacterial isolates were recovered from various environmental samples collected from natural cave, squid, sewage, sea water, trees, droppings of birds, freshwater, eelgrass, mud flat, sediment and soil. On the basis of a tight phylogenetic clade with the closest species and high level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, it was shown that each isolate was assigned to independent and previously described bacterial species which were assigned to the phylum Actinobacteria. The following 42 species have not been reported in Korea: eight species in two genera n the order Corynebacteriales, 26 species of 16 genera in the Micrococcales, one species of one genus in the Micromonosporales, one species of one genus in the Propionibacteriales, four species of two genera in the Streptomycetales and two species of two genera in the Streptosporangiale. Cell morphology, Gram staining reaction, colony colors and features, the media and conditions of incubation, physiological and biochemical characteristics, origins of isolation and strain IDs of 42 unrecorded actinobacterial species are presented in the species description.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.117-131
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• 2020

Although most species in genus Zostera inhabit shallow coastal areas and bays with weak wave energy, the Asian eelgrass, Zostera asiatica is distributed in deep water depth (8-15 m) unlike other seagrasses on the eastern coast of Korea. To examine factors limiting distribution Z. asiatica in relatively deep coastal areas, a transplantation experiment was conducted on October 2011, in which Z. asiatica shoots were transplanted from the reference site (donor meadow, ~9 m) to the shallow transplant site (~3 m). We compared shoot density, morphology, and productivity of Z. asiatica as well as environmental factors (underwater irradiance, water temperature, and nutrients) between the reference and transplant sites from October 2011 to September 2012. Shoot density and shoot height of transplants dramatically decreased within a few months after transplantation, but were similar with Z. asiatica in the reference site during spring. Shoot productivity were significantly higher in the transplant site than in reference site because of high light availability and nutrient concentrations. Transplants showed photoacclimatory responses such as higher rETR_max and E_k and lower photosynthetic efficiency in the transplant site than those in the reference site. Most of Z. asiatica transplant in the shallow transplant site disappeared in summer, which may be due to the high wave energy and physical damages induced by typhoons (TEMBIN and SANBA) in August and September 2012. According to the results of this study, Z. asiatica could not survive in shallow areas despite of more favorable light and nutrient conditions. Thus, Z. asiatica may restrictively occur in deep areas to avoid the intense physical stresses in the shallow area on the east coast of Korea.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2004

This study was performed to obtain basic information on the ecology of Zostcra marina and to promote efficient conservation of this species which has been decline in Gamak Bay, Yeosu, Korea. Whater column characteristics and eelgrass morphology at Anpori, Jangsuri and Wonpori were investigated every month from December 1999 to November 2000. The water temperature, salinity and pH at the three sites were 10.0-27.0${\circ}C$,29.4-34.7% and 8.1-8.5, respectively. The water temperature at Anpori tended to be slightly lower than that at the other locations; the salinity at Wonpori from July to November was a little lower than that of the other locations. The concentrations of $NO_2$-N, $NO_3$_N, $NH_4$-N, $PO_4$-P and $Si(OH)_4$-Si at the three sites were 0.9-1.3, 2.0-6.2, 7.8-9.0, 3.0-3.6 and 22.2-30.2 uM, respectively. The concentration of $NO_3$-N at Wonpori from June to November was somewhat lower than that at the other locations; that of NH4-N at Jansuri was somewhat lower than the others. The mean shoot height and leaf width of the Anpori, Jangsuri and Wonpori populations were 80.6 cm and 0.9 mm, 90.0 cm and 1.0 mm, and 95.3 cm and 1.0 mm, respectively. The mean total shoot weight of the Anpori, Jangsuri and Wonpori ones was 24.5,31.0 and 29.7 & respectively. The mean leaf and branch numbers of the Anpori, Jangsuri and Wonpori populations were 16.5 and 2.6, 16.1 and 2.4 and 15.4 and 2.6 individuals, respectively. The correlation coefficients between shoot height and water temperature, leaf width and total shoot weight, leaf number and branch number, and $Si(OH)_4$-Si and $NO_3$-N were 0.726, 0.692, 0.862, and 0.693, respectively. The coefficients between shoot height and $NO_3$-N, total shoot weight and NO_3$-N, water temperature and $Si(OH)_4$-Si, water temperature and salinity, and water temperature and $NO_3$-N were -0.716, -0.536, -0.775, -0.685 and -0.685, respectively. The first four principal components explain 71.1% of the total sample variance. For axis 1, shoot height and water temperature tended to correlate with the population of Jansuri, followed by the Wonpori population, and $Si(OH)_4$-Si and $NO_3$-N tended to correlated strongly with the Anpori population. For axis 2, total weight, leaf width, leaf number and branch number showed a tendency to correlate with the Anpori and Jangsuri populations. For axis 3, the Anpori population tended to be influenced by $NO_2$-N and $PO_4$-P. For axis 4, the Wonpori and Jangsuri populations tended to be affected by salinity. The tendency, however, differed according to season.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2001

An ecological study was conducted to determine the geographic distribution, community structure, and habitat characteristics of eelgrass, Zostera marina L. beds along the southern coast of Korea. Plants and sediment samples were collected during June 2000 and December 2000 on twenty-eight locations, including two Cheju Island stations, which were used to compare morphological characteristics with habitat types. Z. marina populations existed from the intertidal to subtidal zone, mainly in the bays along the coast and the island, the barrier reef, and the estuary where the water depth was 0.5${\sim}$8.0m. Salinity range in Z. marina beds ranged 18.2 to 34.5%$_o$. Sediments of Z. marina beds contained 49.7${\sim}$99.1% of sand and were classified into sand, muddy sand, and sandy mud. Mean grain size varied from 1.5 to 4.4 phi. Height of vegetation shoots varied from 54.7 to 171.4 cm, depending on water depth, location, substrata and habitat types. quantitative morphological features that enabled recognition of the two phonetic groups were short-narrow leaf type and long-broad leaf type. Statistical analysis indicated that biomass of individual plants and their quantitative morphological characteristics were significantly correlated.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.106-116
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• 2020

To examine distribution of the Zostera species growing naturally in Ulleungdo, scuba diving surveys using ships were conducted along the coast and inside the harbors of the island at the end of September 2019. In areas of seagrass occurrence, environmental factors such as nutrient concentrations in water column and sediment pore water, salinity, and sediment organic content were also analyzed. Zostera caulescens meadows appeared in the relatively deep waters (14-24 m MSL) of Cheonbu-ri, Jeodong-ri, Sadong-ri, and Namyang-ri in Ulleungdo, and the total seagrass coverage was approximately 4.9 ha. Approximately 0.9 ha of Zostera marina meadow was found at the depths of 3-5 m MSL within Hyeonpo-hang in Hyeonpo-ri. The average shoot density and biomass of Z. caulescens were 121.9±9.7 shoot m^-2 and 99.0±13.2 gDW m^-2, respectively, with no significant differences by location. The average shoot density and biomass of Z. marina were 193.8±18.8 shoot m^-2 and 102.6±6.8 gDW m^-2, respectively. The nutrient concentrations in the sediment pore water and sediment organic content in the seagrass meadows in Ulleungdo were lower than those in eelgrass meadows on the southern and eastern coasts of Korea. These results will provide useful basic information for the marine protected species, Z. caulescens and Z. marina, and for the conservation of the waters of Ulleungdo, which has been designated as a marine protected area.