Salinity Effects on the Survival of the Metazooplankton in the Coastal Waters off the Seamankeum Areas

Abstract

A huge freshwater reservoir (ca. 12,000 ha) will be created when the construction of a 33­km dike on a huge mud flat of the Saemankeum areas is established. A large quantity of freshwater will emerge to the adjacent sea from the reservoir through two big gates. Marine organisms outside the dike are expected to frequently experience low salinity waters. To investigate the salinity effects on the dominant metazooplankton in the coastal waters off Saemankeum areas, we measured the survival (Survival 1H and Survival 24H) of 11 different taxa (the copepods Acartia omorii, A. pacifica, Calanus sinicus, Centropages abdominalis, Paracalanus indicus, Pseudodiaptomus inopinus, Tortanus forcipatus, and a hydromedusa, and barnacle nauplius, polychaeta larva, and a chaetognath Sagitta sp.) at salinities of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 psu when the organisms were exposed for 1 and 24 h, respectively. Survival 1Hs of P. inopinus and barnacle nauplius were 100% between 5 and 35 psu, while they were 0% at salinities of 0 and 40 psu. Survival 1Hs of A. omorii and A. pacifica, P. indicus, T. forcipatus, and polychaeta larva were 100% at salinities≥10 psu, while they were 0% at lower salinities. Survival 1Hs of a hydromedusa and Sagitta sp. were 100% at salinities≥15 psu, while they were 0% at lower salinities. Survival 1H of C. abdominalis and C. sinicus was 100% at salinities≥20 psu, while they were 0% at lower salinities. Survival 24Hs of A. omorii, A. pacifica, C. abdominalis, barnacle nauplius, and polychaeta larva were the same as Survival 1 Hs at the same salinity, while those of the other metazooplankton were lower than Survival 1Hs. The results of the present study suggest that low salinity water emerging from big gates may cause the death of the metazooplankton, but the salinities at which death of the metazooplankton occurs may differ by species.