The Role of Heterotrophic Protists in the Planktonic Community of Kyeonggi Bay, Korea

In order to understand the role of heterotrophic protists in the coastal waters off Inchon, abiotic and biotic factors were measured from January 1992 to February 1993. Microbial carbon biomass (mean212.9$^{\pm}$119.1 $^{\mu}$gC/1) was composed of 4.2% bacteria, 0.3% cyanobacteria, 12.l% autotrophic nanoflagellates, 6.6% heterotrophic nanoflagellates, 5.8 heterotrophic ciliates and 71.0% diatom and Mesodinium spp. The carbon biomass of heterotrophic protists (heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates) was highest in October 1992 (mean 37.8$^{\pm}$22.5 $^{\mu}$gC/1), and was low in August 1992 (mean 21.2$^{\pm}$10.8 $^{\mu}$gC/1) and in February 1993 (mean 19.5$^{\pm}$6.4 $^{\mu}$gC/1). However, the contribution of heterotrophic protists to total microbial carbon biomass was higher in January 1992 and February 1993 (about 21%) when the phytoplankton was dominated by nanoplankton than in August and October (about 9%) when large diatoms occurred in large numbers. This study suggests that in Kyeonggi Bay heterotrophic protists might play a more important role as prey for zooplankton and as consumers of bacteria & small phytoplankton in less productive seasons (especially winter) than in productive seasons (autumn), and that the classic trophic pathway from diatoms through copepods to fish might be dominant nearly every season.