Ecological Characteristics of Phytoplankton Communities in the Coastal Waters of Gori, Wulseong, Uljin and Youngwang Ⅰ. Species Composition and Distribution (1992-1996)

Algae > Volume 16(1); 2001 > Article

Algae 2001;16(1): 85-111.

Yeon Shik Kang, Joong Ki Choi

Environmental Research Group, Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Department of Oceanography, Inha University

ABSTRACT

In order to find out the ecological characteristics of phytoplankton communities around the nuclear power plant, the composition and distribution of phytoplankton species were studied in the coastal waters of Gori, Wulseong, Uljin and Youngkwang during 1992-1996. Water temperature vaied from 4.0 to 31.0℃ and salinity varied from 30.5 to 36.5‰ in the study area. All species found in these study areas were 440 and were composed of 338 diatoms, 92 dinoflagellates and 10 others (silicoflagellates, cyanophyceans, chlorophyceans), constituting 76.8%, 20.9% and 2.3%, respectively. Total numbers of species were 328, 356, 352 and 354 in Gori, Wulseong, Uljin and Youngkwang, respectively. The numbers of diatoms were 253, 272, 272 and 283 and those of dinoflagellates were 68, 77, 72 and 63 in Gori, Wulseong, Uljin and Youngkwang, respectively. The highest number of diatoms occurred in Youngkwang and that of dinoflagellates was found in Wulseong. The seasonal mean numbers of diatom species were similar ranged from 126 to 131 species, but dinoflagellates were higher in Summer and Autumn than in Winter and Spring in all study areas. Annual variations of species numbers were large in all study area ranged from 188 species in 1992 to 274 species in 1995. Species numbers of diatom were higher in 1994 than in 1992 and 1996, while recently dinoflagellates were higher in 1994, 1995 and 1996 than those in 1992 and 1993. Among all phytoplankton species observed 68 diatoms, 9 dinoflagellates and 2 silicoflagellates appeared frequently in four study areas. The species ubiquitous to the study area during 1992-1996 were Chaetoceros compressus, C. curvisetus, C. debilis, C. lorenzianus, Coscinodiscus asteromphalus, Ditylum brightwellii, Leptocylindrus danicus, Navicula radiosa, Nitzschia longissima, Pseudo-nitzschia seriata, Skeletonema costatum, Thalassionema frauenfeldii and T. nitzschioides. Genera of high occurrence were genus Chaetoceros (56), Nitzschia (21), Coscinodiscus (20) and Navicula (18) in diatoms and genus Ceratium (23) and Protoperidinium (23) in dinoflagellates.

Key words: diatoms, dinoflagellates, Gori, species composition and distribution, Uljin, Wulseong, Youngkwang