Epibenthic invertebrate fauna in the southern coast of the East Sea, Korea

This study surveyed epibenthic invertebrate fauna in the southern coast of the East Sea, Korea. Benthic invertebrate samples were collected seasonally between 2005 and 2008 using a demersal trawl. In total, 76 invertebrate species belonging to six phyla (Cnidaria, Sipuncula, Mollusca, Annelida, Arthropoda, and Echinodermata) were collected for the study, with four species being added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The number of species, abundance, species diversity, richness, and evenness varied with season. The peaks in the species number and abundance were recorded in spring and summer, whereas the catch rates were relatively low in autumn and winter. Species diversity, richness, and evenness tended to be low in summer than other seasons.