Seasonal Variation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Communities in the Coastal Waters off Tongyeong in Korea

Abstract

To investigate the community structures and the their seasonal variation of phytoplankton and Zooplankton, a study was conducted at 6 selected stations during the period from April 1999 to October 2000 in the marine ranching ground off Tongyeong. One hundred ninety species of phytoplankton were identified, including 146 diatoms, 38 dinoflagellates, 4 silicoflagellates and 2 euglenophytes. Phytoplankton standing crops varied extensively by months and stations, ranging from 3.0×104 cells/l to 1.0×106 cells/l. The dominant species varied from the vertical distribution as well as seasonal changes. In April and July 1999, Skeletonema costatum and Ceratium fusus were predominant in both the surface and the bottom water columns. Leptocylindrus danicus was the dominant species in April and June 2000, and Thalassiosira spp. were also predominant in bottom waters in June 2000. Pseudonitzschia pungens and Chaetoceros spp. were the dominant species at both surface and near bottom waters in August and October 2000, respectively. Zooplankton abundance was comparatively high in April and July in 1999, and April, June, and October in 2000, but extremely low in November 1999. The density of dominant zooplankton was higher in 2000 than in 1999. Copepods were the most predominant group except for July 1999 when the bivalve larvae showed extremely high abundance. Acartia omorii and Oithona similis were the dominant or subdominant copepod species mainly in April 2000, and June/July, while O. davisae and O. plumifera had peaks in August and October 2000. Corycaeus affinis and Paracalanus sp. also showed higher peaks in April and June (or July), even though they occurred in all sampling time. Centropages abdominalis occurred abundantly only in April 1999. Oikopleura dioica, a gelatinous zooplankton, was another important zooplankton, showing high density in all samples except in July 1999.