Comparison of Fish Species Composition by Trammel Net at the Intake and Discharge of Weolseong Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

We investigated fish species composition seasonally at the intake and discharge of Weolseong Nuclear Power Plant (WS-NPP) from February to November 2008 using a trammel net. At the intake, 121 individuals belonging to 28 species were collected, and 157 fish from 34 species were sampled at the WS-NPP discharge. Dominant species at the intake were Chelidonichthys spinosus (17.2%), Scomber japonicus (11.5%) and Ditrema temminckii (8.2%) at the intake, while Sillago japonica (18.5%), Chelidonichthys spinosus (13.4%) and Konosirus punctatus (8.3%) dominated at the discharge. The species count and diversity index at the discharge were highest during winter, whereas those at the intake were highest during spring, perhaps due to warm seawater at the discharge site. This study is the first to reveal an effect of effluent water on the aggregation of warm water fish species during winter.