• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.299-312
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• 2013

This study analyzed the species composition and density of a macrobenthic community according to variations in the thermal discharge volumes of a nuclear power plant before, during, and after the shutdown of the nuclear power plant during two periods. In this study, 369 macrobenthic fauna species were collected, and their mean density was 1,712 ind. $m^{-2}$. The number of species and diversity of macrobenthic fauna decreased with distance from the thermal discharge area, regardless of whether the nuclear plant shutdown or not. Many macrobenthic taxa appeared near the thermal discharge area, but polychaetes species were more prominent in outer areas than at the discharge area. The density of macrobenthic fauna decreased with distance from the thermal discharge area during a plant shutdown in the fall of 2011, but increased, except at two sites, near the discharge area in the winter of 2012. Cluster analysis indicated that the spatial distribution of the macrobenthic community changed in areas near the nuclear power plant after a shutdown period; that is, the station group I, in areas near the nuclear power plant, became narrower after the shutdown, but it recovered to previously occupied areas after the nuclear power plant began operating again. Opportunistic species, such as the polychaetes Lumbrineris longifolia (= Scoletoma longifolia) and Mediomastus californiensis, which were present in high densities near thermal discharge areas, decreased after the shutdown but recovered after the plant re-opened. The number of species and diversity of the macrofauna and the density of dominant species showed a significant correlation with temperature, except in winter periods. The results of this study revealed that changes in the amount of thermal discharge before and after the shutdown of a nuclear power plant could exert an influence on the structure of macrobenthic community within the thermal discharge areas depending on the season.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.303-312
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• 2008

Despite the impacts of the climate changes on the pelagic ecosystem, few studies have examined the pelagic-benthic coupling in the adjacent East China Sea and Korea Strait. Therefore, the species composition and abundance of the macrobenthic community, as well as the potential food sources of benthic fauna were investigated in the present study using stable isotope analysis (${\delta}^{13}C\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N$) for suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM), sedimentary organic matter (SOM), phytoplankton, and zooplankton. A total of 157 macrobenthic fauna were collected, and the density of the macrobenthic fauna ranged from 4 to 434 ind./0.25 $m^2$, with an average density of 149 ind./0.25 $m^2$. The density of the benthic fauna increased moving from offshore shelf sites to coastal sites adjacent to the Korea Strait. Cluster analysis showed that the macrobenthic communities consisted of three distinct groups: group A in the Korea Strait, group B in the East China Sea, and group C near Ieodo. The dominant species in group A were the amphipods Photis japonica and Ampelisca miharaensis, followed by the polychaete Scolotoma longifolia. Environmental variables, such as the temperature of the seawater and sediment, and oxygen, and chlorophyll a levels, appeared to affect the structure of the community, suggesting the importance of coupling with the pelagic system. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SPOM and zooplankton ranged from -22.97 to -23.5% and -19.92 to -21.86%, respectively, showing a relatively narrow range(<1%) between the two components. The difference between the ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of SOM and pelagic organic matter was also within 1%, suggesting that the SOM originated from the pelagic system, which is an important factor controlling the macrobenthic community.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2013

In Korea, more than 300 oil spill accidents occur every year. Despite the frequency, only a small pool of data is available on the initial effect of oil spill on macrobenthic fauna inhabiting rocky shores. The aim of this study was to analyze the variation of macrobenthic fauna composition and community structure on rocky shores, and understand the impact of oil on rocky shore organisms after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Field surveys were carried out in five regions dose to the wreck site in January, April and September 2008. Polluted sites after the Hebei Spirit oil spill showed that biological index consistently decreased for 9 months limited to breeding and recruitment of organisms by spilled oil. Macrobenthic community was subdivided into 3 groups by species elimination and differences between density of major dominant species: enriched biota community under a relatively stable environment, the second with relatively low ecological index and the last with poor community. In this study, species number did not clearly reflect the effect of oil on the rare and mobile species. However, mean density, biomass and community structure showed the effect of oil by considering breeding activity, decline in recruitment and variation pattern with time.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.101-113
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• 2003

The spatial distributional pattern of macrobenthic fauna was investigated to assess the summer benthic environmental conditions in Gwangyang Bay, the southern coast of Korea. The macrobenthic faunal community from 38 sites in Gwangyang Bay comprised 154 species and showed an overall mean density of 1,280 individuals $m^{-2}$. Polychaetes were the most important component of the macrofaunal community in species richness, abundance and biomass. The dominant species in abundance were polychaetes like Tharyx sp. (44.8%), Lumbrineris longifolia (14.0%), Heteromastus filiformis (3.6%), a mussel Mytilus edulis, and an amphipod crustacean Corophium sinense. The abundance and biomass in the western part of the bay were lower than those in the channel regions and mouth of the bay. The community indices showed the same trend in the spatial distribution with the abundance and species richness. All macrobenthic faunas were assigned into a specific functional group according to their ecological responses to the environmental stress. The benthic community health based on the Benthic Pollution Index (BPI) or Biotic Coefficient (BC) seemed to be in the normal to unbalanced er transitional condition, indicated by the dominance of small polychaete worms like Tharyx sp. in the mouth part of the bay.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.421-434
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• 2011

Although thermal effluent from coastal power plants affects marine ecosystems, few studies have examined the spatiotemporal distribution of macrobenthic communities in a coastal area of Korea with thermal discharge. This study analyzed the species composition and abundance of a macrobenthic community in relation to environmental variables for a period of 1 year. In total 334 macrobenthic faunal species were collected; the mean density was 3,221 ind/$m^2$. The number of species and the density of macrobenthic fauna increased with distance from the thermal discharge site. Cluster analysis indicated that the macrobenthic community could be divided into two groups: group I in shallow (< 30 m deep) and group II in the outer areas (> 30 m deep). Group I showed the lowest species density and diversity. Four polychaetes, including Magelona japonica, Spiophanes bombyx, Scolotoma longifolia and Chaetozone setosa, all of which have been dominant species since 1987, exhibited higher mean densities in the area distant from the thermal discharge (the outer and north areas). Conversely, the warm-adapted and opportunistic species, such as the amphipods Urothoe convexa and Mandibulophoxus mai, the bivalve Felaniella sowerbyi, and the polychaete Rhynchospio sp., were more abundant in the thermal discharge region. The results of this study indicate that thermal effluent influences macrobenthic communities in the shallow area, while other environmental variables, such as depth, sediment grain size, and TOC, are more important determinants of the macrobenthic communities in deeper regions (> 30 m deep).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2000

Benthic environments and composition of macrobenthic fauna around the marine fish culture cages were studied to clarify the effect of fish farming near Tongyong from August, 1995 to february, 1996. Sediment grain size and bottom dissolved oxygen under the fish cages were similar to that of a control site, but organic content was higher under the cages. Fewer species were found under the fish cages than under the control site, but conspicuously higher density was obtained under cages. Capitella capitals, Nebalia bipes were dominant infauna, and Asterina pertinifera and Astelias amurensis were dominant epifauna under the fish cage whereas Lumbrineris longifolia and Anphioplus sp. dominated in the control site. Diversity index showed seasonal variation under the fish cages, but showed little variation at the control site. The benthic fauna under the fish cages showed different community structures from the control site. As results, the fish culture cages affected the benthic environment and the community structure of benthic fauna by input of the organic content and biological effects such as dead shells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.124-133
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• 2009

The study was performed to investigate the community structure of macrobenthic fauna during June 2005, in Hallyeohaesang National Park from Korea Strait. A total of 284 macrobenthic fauna were collected. The overall average macrobenthic density and biomass were 2,002 individuals m$^{-2}$ and 154.92 gWWt m$^{-2}$, respectively. Based on the Lebris (1988) index, there were 20 species accounting for approximately 47.64% of total individuals. And the highest densities were found in the polychaetes Scoletoma longifolia, Isolda pulchella, Mediomastus californiensis, Minuspio multibranchia, Tharyx sp. 1 and the bivalve Theora fragilis. On the other hand, the top twenty species made up 70.47% of the total biomass while the three most abundant, the echinoderms Schizaster lacunosus, Amphiura vadicola and the bivalve Fulvia mutica. The conventional multivariate statistics (cluster analysis and non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling) applied to assess spatial variation in macrobenthic assemblages. As a result of cluster analysis and nMDS ordination, this study area was divided into two different groups of stations and species. In case of station, there are two groups: one is a mud dominated station group and the other is dead shell and sand dominated group. And the 2 faunistic groups were established as follows: 1) a group of relatively higher abundances in mud dominated sediment. There were numerically dominated by the polychaetes Magelona japonica, Sternaspis scutata, Paraprionospio pinnata, Tharyx sp. 1 and the amphipods Monocorophium sinense and Eriopisella sechellensis. 2) a group of relatively higher densities dead shell and sand dominated sediment. These groups were characterized by the polychaetes I. pulchella, M. multibranchiata, the amphipods M. acherusicum, Gammaropsis japonicus and the echinoderm A. vadicola.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.503-516
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• 1995

Macrobenthic community was studied in Deukryang Bay, southwestern coast of Korea, in November 1991 and Januavy 1992. Hacrobenthic fauna consisted of 118 species with 20,767 individuals. The number of species and occurrence frequency of the major groups were as follows: 52 polychaetes species $(44.1\%)$, 45 crustaceans species $(38,1\%)$, 14 mollusks species $(11.9\%)$ and 7 other group species $(5.9\%)$. The mean density was $1432.2ind/m^2$. The density of major groups showed that mollusks was 920.4$(ind./m^2)$, polyrhaetes 275.8$(ind./m^2)$, and crustaceans 219.6$(ind./m^2)$. The dominant species were Musculista senhousia (Bivalvia), Eteone longa (Polychaeta), Nippopisella nagatai (Amphipoda) with density, 632.8$ind./m^2$, 37.8$ind./m^2$, and 35.3$ind./m^2$, respectively. This area could be divided into four areas by the cluster analysis based on the species composition.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.635-648
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• 1995

Macrobenthic fauna were collected seasonally using the van Veen Grab $(0,1/m^2)$ to investigate the benthic faunal assemblages on the soft-bottoms around the Youngjong Island during October 1991 to July 1992. A total of 266 species was identified. Of these polychaetes comprised 111 species $(41.7\%)$; crustaceans $75(28.2\%)$ molluscs, $59 (22.2\%)$ and others including echinoderms, $27(7.9\%)$. Mean density and biomass were estimated to be 498 $ind./m^2$ and 54.8$g./m^2$, respectively. Polychaetes were the most dominant faunal group in terms of abundance $(332\;ind./m^2)$ and number of species as well, whereas echinoderms were predominant in biomass $(332\;g./m^2)$. The dominant species were Mediomastus sp., Heteromastus sp., Nipponomysella oblongata, and Nephts polyranchia; the abundance of these species showed seasonal variations. The study area was divided into three regions by cluster analysis based on the similarity of species composition. The first region consisted of intertidal flat (G-I); the second, shallow subtital region of muddy sand (G-II); the third, channel region of mud sediments (G-III). The intertidal flat showed the highest density, and the channel was the lowest density, but the Highest in species diversity. Distribution of macrobenthic faunal assemblages of the study area seemed to be controlled by sedimentary facies and duration of tidal exposure.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2017

This study was carried out to investigate the spatial distributions of the macrobenthic communities in the Seomjin River estuary from May, 2015 to May, 2016. The number of species was 163, the mean density was $1,865ind.m^{-2}$, biomass was $204g{\cdot}wet\;m^{-2}$ during this study period. The highest number of species and density appeared among polychaetes whereas the most biomass was contributed by mollusks due to the presence of Corbicula japonica in every season. The study area was divided into 3 regions with similar benthic fauna responding to the gradient of the salinity. Praxillella praetermissa was the dominant species in regions of over 30 psu during all seasons. C. japonica and Hediste diadroma were dominant in the upper regions of the Seomjin River where the salinity was less than 10 psu. Heteromastus filiformis showed the broadest distributional range and dominated in all seasons except for the most upper stream at st. 7. From the result of the Bio-Env analysis, salinity was the most important environmental factor affecting the formation of macrobenthic communities in the study area, and salinity and TOC were the highest contributors to the macrobenthic communities. From the correlation analysis between major dominant species and environmental factors, C. japonica, Prionospio japonica and H. diadroma showed a negative correlation with salinity, while P. praetermissa and Scolectoma longifolia showed a positive correlation. H. filiformis was little affected by salinity but showed a positive correlation with TOC or silt content of sediment.