A crustose red alga, Lithophyllum neo-okamurae A.Kato, D.Basso, Caragnano, Rodondi, V.Peña & M.Baba, is reported a new record from Korea and its biogeographic distributions are extended in Korea. Lithophyllum neo-okamurae has been known as endemic species in Japan. Despite the resemblance between L. neookamurae and L. okamurae, our molecular and morphological analyses have revealed the simultaneous presence of both species in Korea. Although L. neo-okamurae and L. okamurae share morphological similarities, there are notable variations in gene sequences, with a range of 9.1-11.3% in psbA and 14.8-15.3% in rbcL. Specifically, while L. neo-okamurae is distributed throughout the entire coastline of Korea, L. okamurae is predominantly found in southern region. Furthermore, our analyses have revealed their detailed distributions in Korea.

Neoporphyra kitoi Ma. Abe, N. Kikuchi, Tamaki, Tom. Sato, Murase, Fujiyoshi & Mas. Kobayashi has been known as an endemic species in Japan. Its high temperature tolerance suggests that it could be advantageous for cultivation. In this study, we collected it from the Ulleungdo island, Korea and transferred it into Pyropia for a new combination, identified as Pyropia kitoi (Ma. Abe, N. Kikuchi, Tamaki, Tom. Sato, Murase, Fujiyoshi & Mas. Kobayashi) D.J. Kim, T.O. Cho & B.Y. Won comb. nov. based on morphological and molecular analyses. Pyropia kitoi is also reported as a new record species in the list of Korean macroalgal flora. Although we didn’t observe the emergence of new blades from the rhizoidal cells, which is a key character for this species, our molecular analysis of rbcL revealed that our samples from Korea were congruent with “Neoporphyra kitoi” from Japan and were nested within the clade of Pyropia. The gene sequence divergence between the Korean and Japanese samples was 0-0.2%.

The vegetative and reproductive morphology of some parasitic Janczewskia Solms-Laubach species including the type species was examined based on specimens collected from various localities around the world. In J. gardneri Setchell et Guernsey on Osmundea spectabilis (Postels et Ruprecht) Nam from California, secondary pit connections are not found between epidermal cells and vegetative axial cells have two pericentral cells. As its host, J. gardneri also has a typical filament type male structure in an apical urn-shaped pit of branches rather than the trichoblast type in other species including the type J. verruciformis Solms-Laubach and tetrasporangial origin of epidermal cells rather than pericentral cells. These significant differences between the species suggest that J. gardneri should be separated from the genus Janczewskia. Based on this morphological data, the section Heterojanczewskia Setchell including J. gardneri, together with an emendation of the generic delineation of Janczewskia, is elevated to the genus level. Relevant nomenclatural changes for some Janczewskia species are also included here.

The Erythropeltidales are a common group of small, mostly epiphytic, marine red algae. However, they are little known in Korea. Many of the described species of Erythropeltidales differ subtly in morphology, and often the morphological differences are due to the substrate or environmental changes. Integration of molecular data with stan- dardized culture conditions has been recommended to account for these algae. A Madagascaria species was first collected from the western coast of Korea and was identified as Madagascaria erythrocladioides based on the morphological and molecular characteristics. Morphological characteristics conformed well with its original description, and the phylogenetic analysis based on rbcL sequence showed Korean M. erythrocladioides nests in the same clade with the original species described in Japan with a genetic distance of 0.0-0.1%. This species was isolated from a red alga, Pterocladiella capillacea, in laboratory culture. The thallus ontogeny and host preference were examined by a co-culture with 13 different species of algae. Results showed a relatively broad host preference in mono-spore attachment and epiphyte development of Madagascaria erythrocladioides. Mono-spores of M. erythrocladioides attached to most of the red algal hosts’ surfaces but no crustose thalli developed on some of the algal hosts even after one month of co-culture.

A marine red algal species was collected from Honghyeon-ri, Namhae located on the southern coast of Korea during a survey of marine algal flora. This alga shares the generic features of Chondrus, and is characterized by short and thin, canaliculated and crisped fronds as C. retortus. Tetrasporangia are developed from shallow medullary cells on both sides of branches. In a phylogenetic tree based on rbcL sequences, the Korean alga nests in the same clade as C. retortus originally described from Japan. The genetic distance between both sequences within the clade was calculated as 0.0-0.1%. Based on the morphological and molecular data, the alga is identified as Chondrus retortus. This is the first record of C. retortus in Korean marine algal flora.

The morphology, anatomy and reproduction (tetra/bisporic and male) of Lithothamnion japonicum Foslie was studied, using holotype material and materials collected from Korea. Lithothamnion japonicum is characterized based on the presence of encrusting, warty to fruticose thallus, branched or unbranched short and cylindrical protuberances, conical shaped spermatangial conceptacles, branched (dendroid) spermatangial systems formed on floor, walls, and roof of conceptacle chamber, cylindrical shaped spermatangial conceptacle canal, 9-10 cell layered spermatangial conceptacle roof, raised tetra/bisporangial conceptacles without rims, flattened tetra/ bisporangial conceptacle pore plate, 16-50 pores on each pore plate, 6-8 rosette cells surrounded by each pore, pore canal lining filaments composed of tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof, and buried senescent tetra/bisporangial conceptacles completely infilled with relatively large and irregularly arranged calcified sterile cells. In this study, we report a new record of Lithothamnion japonicum from Korean coasts.

본 연구는 방사무늬김(Pyropia yezoensis) 사상체의 생장에 대한 단색광의 영향을 연구하기 위해 blue light(480 ㎚), green light(550 ㎚), yellow light(600 ㎚) and red light(730 ㎚)에서 방사무늬김(P. yezonesis)의 유리 사상체를 배양한 후 colony 직경, chlorphyll a 함량, 각포자낭 형성률을 측정하여 생장특성을 비교 분석하였다. 그 결과, colony 직경과 chlorophyll a 함량이 480(blue light) ㎚에서 각각 2,472.6±27.0 ㎛ and 1.55±0.03 mg g.dw-1로 최대값이 나타났고 각포자낭 형성률 역시 37.87±1.08 %로 blue light에서 최대값으로 확인되었다. 따라서 blue light는 다른 단색광(green, yellow, red light)에 비해 김 사상체의 성장 및 성숙을 촉진하는 데에 효과적으로 작용하며, 본 연구결과 는 향후 김의 실내 양식 기술 개발에 활용될 수 있을 것이라 사료된다

Grateloupia asiatica and G. divaricata are edibile marine red algae that commonly occur on the east coast of Korea: G. asiatica occurs in sheltered locations such as estuaries or tide pools, and G. divaricata usually grows at the depth of 2~5 meters under the sea where freshwater flows. We compared growth pattern of both species in Aninjin, Gyoam, Hosan, and Sacheon in order to find suitable location for mass culture of the Grateloupia species. In case of G. asiatica, vegetative and tetrasporangial thalli were found in Gyoam and Sacheon, while gametophytic thalli were found in Aninjin. Population from Aninjin was the largest on the average length of thalli (20.6 cm) among populations studied. Population of G. divaricata in Sacheon seems to be maintained mostly with sporophytes. However, Aninjin and Hosan populations consisted of gametophytes and sporophytes in summer. Population from Hosan was the largest on the average length of thalli (19.8 cm). Based on our results, G. asiatica and G. divaricata repeat a typical triphasic life history of red algae on the east coast of Korea.

The UV-B sensitivity was tested for the intertidal species Chondrus ocellatus from Korea, by measuring photosynthesis estimated as effective quantum yield (ΦPSII) of photosystem II (PS II), growth and content and composition of photosynthetic pigm