Marine Algal Flora and Community Structure at Gwanmaedo and Yeongsando, Korea

Abstract

Seasonal variations in seaweed communities were examined at Gwanmaedo and Yeongsando, Korea, from May 2014 to February 2015. Eighty-nine species were identified, including 11 green, 20 brown and 58 red algae. Seventy-three and 74 species were identified at Gwanmaedo and at Yeongsando, respectively. Sargassum thunbergii and Myelophycus simplex were the dominant species, comprising 60.89 and 39.50% of total biomass, respectively, and S. fusiforme was subdominant at the two sites. Of six functional seaweed forms, the coarsely-branched form was the most dominant, forming about 43% of the species number at Gwanmaedo and Yeongsando. Seasonal seaweed biomasses ranged between 53.10 and 172.85 g/m 2 (average 93.57 g dry wt./m 2 ) and between 83.11 and 176.20 g (138.21 g/m 2 ) at Gwanmaedo and Yeongsando, respectively. The vertical distribution from the high to low intertidal zone was S. thunbergii and Gloiopeltis furcata; M. simplex and S. thunbergii; and S. fusiforme at Gwanmaedo. Seaweed zonation was distinct at Yeongsando, with S. thunbergii and Gelidiophycus freshwateri; M. simplex and S. thunbergii; and S. thunbergii and S. fusiforme. Seaweed biomass, evenness index (J'), and diversity index (H') values were greater at Yeongsando (138.21 g/m 2 , 0.51, 2.18 respectively) than at Gwanmaedo (93.57 g/m 2 , 0.48, 2.04), indicating that the seaweed community at Yeongsando is more stable than that at Gwanmaedo.

Seaweed resources of Korea

“…No production was recorded after 2007 (Kim et al 2019). A brown seaweed Silvetia siliquosa grew in a wide geographical range in the mid to lower intertidal zones (Han et al 2016;Hwang et al 2015). However, the population of this species has declined from the mid-1990s onward (Lee et al 1997;Song et al 1996).…”

Ecological Evaluation of Marine National Parks Based on Seaweed Community Index

“…87 (Oh et al, 2002), 56 (Yoo et al, 2015), 80 (Song et al, 2011), 89 (Han et al, 2016), 112 (Yoo et al, 2014) . 82 , 102 (Kang and Nam, 2015), 145 (Oh et al, 2015) .…”