• 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.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.413-425
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• 1995

Abundances and bacterivory of heterotrophic and mixotrophic nanoflagellates were investigated fourtimes between October 1993 and March 1995 in an estuarine system of the Mankyung and Dongjin rivers to understand distributions of nanoflagellates and ecological significance of bacterivory of nanoflagellates. Bacterivory of nanoflagellates were measured with fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB). Heterotrophic and autotrophic flagellates showed a rage of 438-4,159 cells ml/SUP -1/ (mean of 2,145 cells ml/SUP -1/, n=20) and 971- 4,935 cells ml/SUP -1/ (mean of 2,2226 cells ml/SUP -1/, n-20), respectively. These two groups of nanoflagellates generally showed similar distributions of abundance. Abundances of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, known as major grazers of bacteria, and those of autotrophic nanoflagellates with chloroplasts showed statistically significant correlations with bacterial abundance (respectively, r$^2$=0.51 and r $^2$=0.47, p>0.05). Mixotrophic nanoflagellates seemed to comprise at least 4-23% of autotrophic nanoflagellate populations. Individual predation rates of heterotrophic nanoflagellates ranged from 2.2 to 14.2 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/ h/SUP -1/ (mean of 4.9 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/h/SUP -1/, n=16), and those of mixotrophic nanoflagellates from 1.6 to 9.7 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/ h/SUP-1/ (mean of 3.7 bacteria flagellate /SUP -1/ h/SUP -1/, n=16). Bacterivory by mixotrophic nanoflagellates comprised from 30 to 69% of total nanoflagellates grazing on bacteria, indicating the significant role of mixotrophic nanoflagellates as grazers on bacteria in the study area. The ratios of grazing rates on bacteria to bacterial secondary production ranged widely from 0.06 to 1.23. In June, when abundances of total nanoflagellates were low, removal of bacteria by bacterivory of nanoflagellates was also a small fraction (0.08${\pm}$ 0.01, n=4) of bacterial production. In other seasons, nanoflagellates usually grazed on bacteria in significant fraction (0.06${\pm}$0.37, n=9) of bacterial production. Both heterotrophic and mixotrophic nanoflagellates appear to be major grazers on bacteria, and might transfer bacterial secondary production to higher trophic level in an estuarine system of the Mankyung and Dongjin rivers.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2007

The summer distributions of planktonic microbial communities (heterotrophic and phtosynthetic bacteria, phtosynthetic and heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliate plankton, and microphytoplankton) were compared between inner and outer areas of Lake Sihwa, divided by an artificial breakwater, located on the western coast of Korea, in September 2003. The semi-enclosed, inner area was characterized by hyposaline surface water (<17 psu), and by low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (avg. $0.4\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and high concentrations of inorganic nutrients (nitrogenous nutrients $>36\;{\mu}M$, phosphate $>4\;{\mu}M$) in the bottom layer. Higher densities of heterotrophic bacteria and nanoflagellates also occurred in the inner area than did in the outer area, while microphytoplankton (mainly diatoms) occurred abundantly in the outer area. A tiny tintinnid ciliate, Tintinnopsis nana, bloomed into more than $10^6\;cells\;L^{-1}$ at the surface layer of the inner area, while its abundance was much lower ($10^3-10^4\;cells\;L^{-1}$) in the outer area of the breakwater. Ciliate abundance was highly correlated with heterotrophic bacteria (r = 0.886, p < 0.001) and heterotrophic flagellates (r = 0.962, p < 0.001), indicating that rich food availability may have led to the T. nana bloom. These results suggest that the breakwater causes the eutrophic environment in artificial lakes with limited flushing of enriched water and develops into abundant bacteria, nanoflagellates, and ciliates.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.356-363
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• 2021

Heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs, 2-20 ㎛ in size) are substantially capable of controlling bacterial abundance in aquatic environments, and microbial taxonomists have studied ecologically important and abundant HNFs for a long time. However, the classifications of HNFs have rarely been reported in Korea on the basis of morphology and 18S rDNA sequencing. Here, previously reported five HNFs from non-Korean habitats were isolated from Korean coastal seawater or intertidal sediments for the first time. Light microscopic observations and 18S rDNA phylogenetic trees revealed that the five isolated species were Cafeteria burkhardae strain PH003, Cafeteria graefeae strain UL001, Aplanochytrium minuta (formerly Labyrinthuloides minuta) strain PH004, Neobodo curvifilus strain KM017 (formerly Procryptobia sorokini), and Ancyromonas micra (formerly Planomonas micra) strain IG005. Being morphologically and phylogenetically indistinct from its closest species, all isolates from Korea were therefore regarded as identical species detected in other countries. Thus, this result indicates an expansion of known habitats that range from those of the five isolates in natural ecosystems on Earth.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.401-410
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• 2007

In Korea the study of marine heterotrophic protists started in the late 1980s, and since the early 1990s many studies have been conducted in various marine environments. In this article, studies on the distribution and abundance of protists and the biotic interactions(bacteria-protists, phytoplankton-protists) conducted in Korean coastal waters are reviewed, and a field study is reported and discussed. The field study in Masan Bay was carried out from February 2004 to November 2005 at seven selected stations representative of the bay. During the study, the mean abundance of heterotrophic bacteria and the mean concentration of chlorophyll-a were $2.1{\times}10^6\;cells\;mL^{-1}$ and $9.8{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Heterotrophic protists consisted of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, heterotrophic nanoflagellates(excluding dinoflagellates) and ciliates, and their abundances were means of $7.9{\times}10^4\;cells\;L^{-1}$, $1.2[\times}10^3\;cells\;mL^{-1}$, and $4.0{\times}10^4\;cells\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Generally, the chlorophyll-a concentra+CZ14tions and the abundances of heterotrophic bacteria and protists were higher in the inner zone of the bay, where there are high concentrations of organic matters, than in the middle and outer zones. Using the grazing rates of heterotrophic nanoflagellates on bacteria previously reported in this area, it can be calculated that about 69% of bacterial producton was removed by HNF grazing activity. About 24% of initial chlorophyll-a concentration was removed by microzooplankton grazing activity. In conclusion, this study suggests that in Masan Bay heterotrophic protists control the growth of bacteria and phytoplankton, and heterotrophic protists represent an important link of bacterial & microalgal biomass to higher trophic levels.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.858-868
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• 2009

The abundance, biomass, size distribution, and taxonomic composition of bacterial and protistan (heterotrophic and autotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates) communities were investigated in six lakes of Masurian Lake District (north-eastern Poland) differing in trophic state. Samples were taken from the trophogenic water layer during summer stratification periods. Image analysis techniques with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) as well as [$^3H$]-methyl-thymidine incorporation methods were applied to analyze differences in the composition and activity of bacterial communities. The greatest differences in trophic parameters were found between the humic lake and remaining non-humic ones. The same bacterial and heterotrophic nanoflagellate (HNF) cell size classes dominated in all the studied lakes. However, distinct increases in the contributions of large bacterial (>$1.0{\mu}m$) and HNF (>$10{\mu}m$) cells were observed in eutrophic lakes. The bacterial community was dominated by the ${\beta}$-Proteohacteria group, which accounted for 27% of total DAPI counts. Ciliate communities were largely composed of Oligotrichida. Positive correlations between bacteria and protists, as well as between nanoflagellates (both heterotrophic and autotrophic) and ciliates, suggest that concentrations of food sources may be important in determining the abundance of protists in the studied lakes.

• 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.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.567-579
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• 2004

To investigate the spatial distribution and community structure of heterotrophic protists, we collected water samples at 23 stations of central Barents Sea in August, 2003. This study area was divided into three area with physico-chemical and chi-a distribution characteristics: Area I of warm Atlantic water mass, Area III of cold Arctic water mass and Area II of mixed water mass. Chl-a concentration ranged from 0.18 to $1.04{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ and was highest in Area I. The nano-sized chi-a accounted fur more than 80% of the total chi-a biomass in this study area. The contribution of nano-sized chi-a to total chi-a was higher in Area I than in Area II. Communities of heterotrophic protists were classified into three groups such as heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF), ciliates and heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HDF). During the study periods, carbon biomass of heterotrophic protists range from 11.3 to $38.7{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ (average $21.0{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$), and were highest in Area I and were lowest in Area III. The biomass of ciliates ranged from 4.2 to $19.3{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ and contributed 31.5-66.9% (average 48.1%) to the biomass of heterotrophic protists. Ciliates to heterotrophic protists biomass accounted fur more than 50% in Area I. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates biomass ranged from 5.7 to $18.4{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ and contributed 27.1 to 56.3% (average 42.8%) of heterotrophic protists. Heterotrophic dinoflakellates to heterotrophic protists biomass accounted fur about 50% in Area III. Heterotrophic nanoflageltate biomass ranged from 0.5 to $3.4{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ and contributed 3.2 to 19.6% (average 9.2%) of heterotrophic protists. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates to heterotrophic protists biomass accounted fur more than 10% in Area III. These results indicate that the relative importance and structure of heterotrophic protists may vary according to water mass. Heterotrophic protists and phytoplankton biomass showed strong positive correlation in the study area The results suggest that heterotrophic protists are important consumers of phytoplankton, and protists might play a pivotal role in organic carbon cycling In the pelagic ecosystem of this study area during the study period.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.289-301
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• 2008

Community structure of heterotrophic protists and their grazing impact on phytoplankton were studied in Northwest Pacific Ocean during October, 2007. The study area was divided into four regions based on physical properties (temperature and salinity) and chlorophyll-a distribution. They were Region I of North Equatorial Currents, Region II of Kuroshio waters, Region III of shelf mixed water, and Region IV of Tsushima warm current from East China Sea. The distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations and community structure of heterotrophic protists were significantly affected by physical properties of the water column. The lowest concentration of chlorophyll-a was identified in Region I and II, where pico-sized chlorophyll-a was most dominant (>80% of total chlorophyll-a). Biomass of heterotrophic protists was also low in Region I and II. However, Region III was characterized by low salinity and temperature and high chlorophyll-a concentration, with relatively lower pico-sized chlorophyll-a dominance. The Highest biomass of heterotrophic protists appeared in Region III, along with the relatively less important nanoprotists. In Region I, II and IV, heterotrophic dinoflagellates were dominant among the protists, while ciliates were dominant in Region III. Community structure varied with physical(salinity and temperature) and biological (chlorophyll-a) properties. Biomass of heterotrophic protists correlated well with chlorophyll-a concentration in the study area ($r^2=0.66$, p<0.0001). The potential effect of grazing activity on phytoplankton is relatively high in Region I and II. Our result suggest that biomass and size structure of heterotrophic protists might be significantly influenced by phytoplankton size and concentration.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2017

We explored feeding by the mixotrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum, heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs), and small ciliates (<$30{\mu}m$ in cell length) on natural populations of heterotrophic bacteria in Masan Bay, Keum River Estuary, and in the coastal waters of the Saemankeum area, Korea when M. rubrum red tides occurred. We also measured ingestion rates of M. rubrum on cultured heterotrophic bacteria as a function of bacterial concentration in the laboratory. The ingestion rates of M. rubrum on natural populations of heterotrophic bacteria (2.3-16.8 bacteria $grazer^{-1}h^{-1}$) were comparable to or lower than those of co-occurring HNFs (10.7-41.7 bacteria $grazer^{-1}h^{-1}$), but much lower than those of co-occurring small ciliates (76.0-462.2 bacteria $grazer^{-1}h^{-1}$). However, the maximum grazing coefficient of M. rubrum ($0.245d^{-1}$) on natural populations of heterotrophic bacteria was much higher than that of small ciliates ($0.089d^{-1}}$), and slightly higher than that of HNFs ($0.204d^{-1}$). With increasing bacterial concentrations, ingestion rates of M. rubrum on cultured heterotrophic bacteria continuously increased, but became saturated at higher prey concentrations over $1-5{\times}10^6cells\;mL^{-1}$. The maximum ingestion rate of M. rubrum on cultured heterotrophic bacteria was 34.4 bacteria $grazer^{-1}h^{-1}$. Based on the present study, it is suggested that M. rubrum may be an important grazer of heterotrophic bacteria and sometimes have considerable grazing impact on natural populations of heterotrophic bacteria.