Macrobenthic Community in the Soft Bottom around Sorido Island, Southern Coast of Korea

The community structure of macrobenthos was investigated around Sorido Island, southern coast of Korea between August 1996 and April 1997. Triplicate macrobenthic samples were taken seasonally at twelve stations in August and November 1996 and fourteen stations in February and April 19n by van Veen grab (). A total of 217 macrobenthic species were identified during study Period: 80 species were from polychaetes, 60 species from crustaceans, and 46 species from mollusks. The mean density of macrobenthos estimated , and polychaetes comprised of total density. The mean biomass was , and echinoderms contributed to more than a half of the biomass. Major dominant species based on abundance were three polychaetes Tharyx sp., Lumbrineris longifolia, and Magelona japonica, which frequently occur in the coastal area enriched by organic pollution. The densities of the species were , , and , respectively. These species showed very low density in the offshore area. The study area was classified into four regions each sustaining specific macrofaunal assemblages by Bray-Curtis cluster analysis: a station group adjacent to the Kwangyang Bay and Yosu harbour and three station groups around Sorido Island. There were negative correlations between the concentration of PAHs in sediments and the abundance of Ampeliscidae spp. and Amphipoda. These results were discussed in terms of both environmental factors and distribution of benthic community.