Effects of hypoxia caused by mussel farming on benthic foraminifera in semi-closed Gamak Bay, South Korea.
Seawater monitoring and geochemical and benthic foraminiferal analysis of sediments were conducted to identify the effects of hypoxia created by a mussel farm on benthic foraminifera in a semi-closed bay. Extremely polluted reductive conditions with a high content of organic matter (OM) at >12.0% and oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) with dissolved oxygen (DO) <0.4mg∙L(-1) were formed below the mussel farm in the northwest area of Gamak Bay, and gradually diffused toward the south. Highly similar patterns of variation were observed in species diversity, abundance frequency, and benthic foraminiferal assemblage distributed from Elphidium subarcticum-Ammonia beccarii in the northwest area through E. subarcticum-A. beccarii-Trochammina hadai, E. subarcticum-A. beccarii-Elphidiumclavatum, and E. clavatum-Ammonia ketienziensis in the southern area. These phenomena were caused by hydrodynamics in the current water mass. It was thought that E. subarcticum is a bioindicator of organic pollution caused by the mussel farm.
Faculty of Marine Technology, Chonnam National University, 50 Daehak-ro, Yeosu 550-749, South Korea. Electronic address: lyg6342@jnu.ac.kr.
Yeon Gyu
YG
Lee
Faculty of Marine Technology, Chonnam National University, 50 Daehak-ro, Yeosu 550-749, South Korea.
Da Un
DU
Jeong
Department of Aqualife Medicine, Chonnam National University, 50 Daehak-ro, Yeosu 550-749, South Korea.
Jung Sick
JS
Lee
South Sea Fisheries Research Institute, NIFS, Yeosu 556-823, South Korea.
Yang Ho
YH
Choi
Faculty of Marine Technology, Chonnam National University, 50 Daehak-ro, Yeosu 550-749, South Korea.
Moon Ok
MO
Lee
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry*; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000254:growth & development*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005068:Eutrophication; D056908:Foraminifera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen
Benthic foraminifera; Elphidium subarcticum; Gamak Bay; Hypoxia; Mussel farm