Community structure of macrobenthos around the thermal discharge area of the uljin nuclear power plant in the East Sea, Korea

Abstract

This study analyzed the community structure of macrobenthic organisms in the subtidal area suffering under the influence of thermal discharge from the Uljin nuclear power plant during 2012-2013 and reviewed the temporal change in the faunal composition of the macrobenthic community using data from previous studies since the start of the plant operation in 1989. A total of 319 species were collected in 2012-2013, with a mean density of 3,330 ind./m2 and a mean biomass of 131.96 g/m2. These results were similar to those obtained in 2006-2007. The dominant species were not different from each other before and after the power plant operations began, but the faunal density near the power plant drainage port was significantly higher compared to those densities obtained from other stations. Spiophanes bombyx and Polydora sp., which is known as a pollution indicator species, was dominant only in the drainage port area. The study area consisted of two subregions with different macrobenthic communities depending on the water depth, which was similar to the results of the 2006-2007 survey. The macrobenthic community structures before and after the operation of the power plant in the coastal area were not changed, but there were seasonal differences in the long-term macrobenthic community structure which were strongly related to the thermal discharge from the power plant. © 2017, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute. All rights reserved.