Hyung Seop Kim1, Bora Jang1, Mih Ryeong Oh1, Wonho Yih1,2
1Department of Marine Biology, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, Republic of Korea
2GeoSystem Research Corporation, Gunpo, Republic of Korea
We estimated the abundances of the Gambierdiscus spp. (GAMBI) and Ostreopsis spp. (OSTRE) from bimonthly macro-algal samples collected at 6 stations in Jeju for one year. GAMBI and OSTRE were quite contrasting in their substrate preference. Epiphytic dinoflagellates were observed in 72 of 81 species of substrate macroalgae when a total of 520 substrate samples was examined. GAMBI and OSTRE inhabited 20 and 58 of the 72 substrate species, with mean abundance of 601 and 596 cells g-1 wwt (CGT), respectively. Highest mean abundance of GAMBI (4730 CGT) and OSTRE (9870 CGT) was met at a brown alga Hydroclathrus clathratus and a red alga Wrangelia tanegana, respectively. Brown algae (Dictyota coriacea, Padina arborescens, Chordaria flagelliformis, and Galaxaura falcata) were among the top six substrates with high GAMBI abundance while red algae (Polysiphonia sp., Hypnea sp., Anotrichium tenue, and Chondrophycus cartilaginea) were with high OSTRE abundance. The contrasted substrate preference of GAMBI and OSTRE evokes further reasoning on their optimal adaptation to favorable biotic and abiotic habitat environments.