Se Jeong Park, Seung Wook Jung, Young Jae Choi, Seung Yeop Han, Chang Geun Choi
Department of Ecological Engineering, Pukyong National University, 45, Yongso-ro, Nam-gu, Busan 48513, Korea
The purpose of this study was to explore the annual changes and characteristics of marine algal community in Yeongil Bay, East coast of Korea. Thirteen sites were selected in the intertidal zone of Yeongil Bay and seasonal surveys were conducted from August 2021 to July 2022. Samples were collected using a quadrat (50×50 ㎝), and species identification and community characteristics were analyzed in the laboratory. During the survey period, a total of 189 species (28 green, 31 brown, and 130 red algae) were identified. The number of species and mean biomass by season were 114 species, 677.46 g/m2 in summer, 108 species, 556.56 g/m2 in autumn, 129 species, 1065.75 g/m2 in winter, and 113 species, 1030.95 g/m2 in spring, respectively. Therefore, both the number of species and biomass were highest in the winter. Species that appeared in all areas throughout the survey period were Ulva spp. and Ahnfeltiopsis flabelliformis. Based on the mean biomass, Sargassum thunbergii, S. muticum, Ulva australis, Corallina pilulifera, S. yezoense were dominated. Recently, a marine industrial complex is located near Yeongil Bay, and the pollution level of the coast is increasing due to artificial disturbances such as coastal construction (e.g. Yeongil New Port construction) and the inflow of pollutants. The influx of these pollutants showed that the marine algal community of intertidal zone is being changed by human activities and environmental pollution. Therefore, in order to respond to these changes, ecological restoration with the concept of ecological engineering targeting intertidal marine algae communities can be proposed.