• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.647-658
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to investigate the seasonal changes of phytoplankton communities based on the environmental changes in a dense oyster farming area (Hansan-Geoje Island) from June to December 2016. The water temperature varied from $14^{\circ}C$ to $28.8^{\circ}C$ and its salinity ranged from 29.4 to 34.2 psu. Nitrate+nitrite was kept at c.a. $3.0{\mu}M$ on the surface layer from June to July, below the concentration limit in August and early September, and then gradually increased from late September. Ammonia was high on July 20 and August 10, and its seasonal characteristics were not clear. Phosphate ranged from 0.01 to $0.7{\mu}M$ on the surface layer, and its seasonal changes were similar to those of nitrate+nitrite. Mean silicate concentrations were $10.7{\mu}M$ on the surface and $15.7{\mu}M$ in the bottom layer, and it was not acted as a limiting factor for the growth of phytoplankton. Among the phytoplankton community, Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae and Cryptophyceae was 61.2%, 22.5%, and 13.6%, respectively. In late June, dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense was dominant in the outer waters(St. T1), later on, Cryptomonas spp. and Chaetoceros spp. were dominant, respectively. From late September to October, diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and Chaetoceros spp. were stimulated under non-stratified condition after the typhoon. In December, A. sanguinea was found to be $1.7{\times}10^5cells\;L^{-1}$. Seasonally, relative high phytoplankton biomass may be favorable to maintain high production of filter feeder oyster in the dense oyster farming areas of Hansan and Geoje Island.