• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.125-148
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• 2017

This study analyzed the community structure of macrobenthic organisms in the subtidal area suffering under the influence of thermal discharge from the Uljin nuclear power plant during 2012-2013 and reviewed the temporal change in the faunal composition of the macrobenthic community using data from previous studies since the start of the plant operation in 1989. A total of 319 species were collected in 2012-2013, with a mean density of $3,330ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $131.96g/m^2$. These results were similar to those obtained in 2006-2007. The dominant species were not different from each other before and after the power plant operations began, but the faunal density near the power plant drainage port was significantly higher compared to those densities obtained from other stations. Spiophanes bombyx and Polydora sp., which is known as a pollution indicator species, was dominant only in the drainage port area. The study area consisted of two subregions with different macrobenthic communities depending on the water depth, which was similar to the results of the 2006-2007 survey. The macrobenthic community structures before and after the operation of the power plant in the coastal area were not changed, but there were seasonal differences in the long-term macrobenthic community structure which were strongly related to the thermal discharge from the power plant.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.16-24
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• 2007

An investigation on the polluted sediments in the Lake Sihwa and the benthos that inhabited on the sediments was conducted. Cost effective remediation alternatives were derived form the results of the investigation. The sediment samples taken from four sampling points out of thirteen showed relatively high heavy metal (particularly copper) concentrations which exceeded the Effects Range Low (ERL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA. The four sampling points were located in front of industrial complexes. Although the heavy metals appeared to have affected the growth of the benthos, the concentration of it did not exceed the criteria of dredging that were developed by Netherlands or the State of Washington, USA. However, contamination by organic matters and sulfur compounds was severe, which exceeded the criteria of dredging that were established in Japan. The sediments taken from the four sampling points which were contaminated with heavy metals showed higher organic matter content in general. The organic matters in the sediments depleted oxygen in summer, which appeared to be fatal to the benthos. A comprehensive analysis on the sediments, benthos, and other environmental impact from the contaminated sediments drew a conclusion that the benthonic environment of the Lake Sihwa needed a stepwise remediation, giving a particular emphasis on the clean up of the sediments upstram of the Lake which could cause odor problems to the nearby residential area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.626-637
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• 2018

In this study, a series of survey were conducted to identify the distribution patterns of macrobenthos at the Bongam sand tidal flat in Masan Bay. We collected macrobenthos at 9 sampling sites twice in June and September of every year from 2012 to 2017 using a box core sampler (collecting area, $0.025m^2$). There was a total of 50 species with a community density of $6,388ind.m^{-2}$ and a biomass of $313.9g\;wet\;m^{-2}$ during the study period. Polychaetes had the highest number of species and density among the macrofauna, but the mollusks had the largest biomass. The number of species ranged from 10 to 25 during study period but increased to over 20 species in 2014. The density which ranged from $1,508ind.m^{-2}$ to $12,008ind.m^{-2}$ rapidly increased in 2015. The dominant species were all polychaetes such as Heteromastus filiformis, Prionospio japonicus, Hediste diadroma, and Neanthes succinea. The mean diversity index ranged from 1.2 to 1.9, richness index from 1.2 to 2.4, and evenness index from 0.5 to 0.9. From the cluster analysis results, there was a spatial difference in the similarity of faunal composition of macrobenthos and this pattern was maintained throughout the study period, that is, the temporal similarities were higher than the spatial similarities. There was a change in community composition from June 2014 to June 2015 in most of the sampling sites. During this time, the dominant species also changed from H. filiformis and N. succinea to H. filiformis and H. diadroma. The density of opportunistic species such as Capitella capitata and Polydora ligni decreased compared to the early 2000s while the population of H. diadroma increased from 2015. There was little ecological information on H. diadroma such as when and where this species occurred.