Community structures of the benthic macrofaunal assemblages in Kyonggi Bay and Han Estuary, Korea

The species composition and distribution patterns of the subtidal benthic faunal assemblage in Sokmo and Yomha Channels and Kyonggi Bay were studied in spring and fall of 1989 and correlated to some environmental variables: temperature, salinity and substrate type. For both seasons, a total of 7,779 organisms were counted belonging to 244 species. Of these, 3,647 organisms in 185 species were counted for spring (March 1989) and 4,132 in 189 species for fall (September 1989). The oyster, Cressostrea gigas and the tellinidean bivalve, Moerella rutilla were the two most abundant species in the spring, constituting 17.22%and 6.47% of the total abundance respectively. While in the fall, the barnacle, Balanus reticulatus and macrura, Ogyrides orientalis dominated comprising 13.72% and 6.87 % of the total number of individuals. Community structure analysis revealed good correlations with the variations of salinity in Yomha and Sokmo Channels and sedimentary facies in Kyonggi Bay, Korea.