Marine Environtmental Characteristics by Distribution of Dinoflagellate Cysts in the Southwestern Coastal Waters of Korea 1. Spatio-temporal Distribution of Dinoflagellate Cysts in Gamak Bay

Spatio-temporal distribution of dinoflagellate cysts was monthly investigated at 6 stations in Gamak Bay, the southern Korea from April 2000 to April 2001. A total of 37 species of dinoflagellate cysts belonging to 22 genera were identified. The temporal changes of species number fluctuated with an annual mean of 8 species, 1 species at Stn. 6 in July in the middle Gamak Bay and 17 species at Stn. 2 in June southern Gamak Bay, but 11 to 20 species occurred in the northwestern Gamak Bay all the year round. The major species were Brigantedinium cariacoense, Brigantedinium simpler, Brigantedinium spp., Protoperidinium americanum, Quinquecusphix concretum, Selenopemphix quanta, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Spiniferites bulloideus, Spiniferites spp., Stelladinium reidii, Votadinium carvum, and Polykrikos sp. of kofoidii. The dominant species of dinoflagellate cysts was not evident in the over-all study areas, but in the northwestern Gamak Bay Brigantedinium spp. and Protoperidinium americanum were dominant $(50.4-76.0\%)$ during the study periods. Abundance of dinoflagellate cysts on the surface sediment in the Gamak Bay ranged from 21 cysts/g dry at Stn. 6 in July to 4,322 cysts/g dry at Stn. 4 in August with an annual mean of 688 cysts/g dry. Especially, the highest value occurred in the northwestern Gamak Bay. Heterotrophic species was more abundant than autotrophic species on the surface sediment. In particular, the former occurred in $75-94\%$ in the northwestern Gamak Bay throughout the year. The northwestern area was very different from other area in species number, dominant species and abundance of dinoflagellate cysts. It is mainly due to water stagnation and eutrophication in the area. And the seasonal abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in Gamak Bay was inversly related to water temperature.