Seasonal Variation of Phytoplankton Assemblages Related to Surface Water Mass in the Eastern Part of the South Sea in Korea

• DOI: 10.4217/opr.2013.35.2.157
• Publication Date: 2013-08-07T04:02:28Z
• Authors: Pung-Guk Jang; Bonggil Hyun; Hyung-Gon Cha; Han-Sik Chung; Min-Chul Jang; Kyoungsoon Shin
• Keywords: Chaetoceros; Bloom; Seasonality; Red tide; Spring bloom

We investigated the seasonal succession of phytoplankton assemblages in eastern part South Sea Korea relation to surface water masses. The study areas are under direct influence Tsushima Warm Current (TCW) throughout whole year, with its strength known be seasonally variable. region is also influenced by coastal waters (CW) driven from and East China Sea, particularly summer, as indicated low salinity water. Nutrient property TCW can reveals whether origin nutrient-rich Kuroshio or oligotropic Taiwan Current. Surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations displayed a large variation for all stations, high values found spring autumn summer winter. At station M (offshore) P (intermediate location between R), Chl-a October were higher than those March, when bloom normally occurs. This may related deeper mixed layer depths October. Diatoms dominated conditions nutrient supply which Chaetoceros spp. Skeletonema costatum-like abundant. S. at stations R (onshore station) December there was greater supply, especially phosphate. Flagellates dinoflagellates three after diatoms blooms. Dominant species Scrippsiella trochoid April Ceratium furca R, Gyrodinium Gymnodinium during effect strong. Redundancy analysis showed clear successions community environmental conditions, both principal components 1 2 accounted 69.6% total variance. Our results suggested that seemed determined relative masses CW, affect growth compositions area.