This study was conducted to investigate the current status of seagrass species in the Nakdong River estuary from May to June 2023. To survey the seagrass habitat area, the Nakdong River estuary was divided into seven zones. Aerial photography using drones was conducted to find seagrass areas, GPS tracking was carried out on foot in the intertidal zone and by boat and SCUBA diving in the subtidal zone. To analyze the seagrass status, we measured the morphological characteristics, shoot density, and biomass of representative seagrass species in each zone. Four seagrass species were found in this area: Zostera japonica, Z. marina, Ruppia maritima, and Phyllospadix japonicus. The distribution areas of each species was 338.2 ha, 92.9 ha, 0.9 ha, and 1.4 ha, respectively, with a total area of 432.5 ha. Z. japonica was widely distributed in most of the tidal flats and mudflats of the Nakdong River estuary, while Z. marina was restricted to Nulcha-do, Jinu-do, and Dadae-dong. R. maritima occurred within the habitat of Z. japonica in Eulsukdo and Myeongji mudflats, and P. japonicus inhabited rocky areas in Dadae-dong. The shoot density of each species was 4,575.8±338.3 shoots m-2, 244.8±12.0 shoots m-2, 11,302.1±290.0 shoots m-2, and 2862.5±153.5 shoots m-2, respectively. The biomass of each species was 239.7±18.5 gDW m-2, 362.3±20.5 gDW m-2, 33.3±1.2 gDW m-2, and 1,290.0±37.0 gDW m-2, respectively. The results of this study revealed that Z. japonica was dominant in the Nakdong River estuary. In particular, Z. japonica habitats of Eulsukdo, Daema-deung, and Myeongji mudflats were identified as the largest in Korea. The Nakdong River estuary is an important site of ecological, environmental, and economic value, and will require continuous investigation and management of the native seagrasses.

부산시 천성항 내 훼손이 예상되는 거머리말 서식지의 복원을 위해서 기존 서식지의 현황조사 를 실시하고 인근 두문리 해안에 대체서식지를 조성하여 모니터링을 실시하였다. 2014년 1월 항내 자생하는 거머리말은 수심 1.2∼3.1 m의 범위에서 출현하였고, 수온은 7.4℃, 염분은 29.1 psu, pH는 8.05를 나타냈다. 거머리말의 서식밀도는 167.1±16.4 shoots m-2로 조사되었고, 총길 이 48.5±18.1 cm, 엽초길이 9.1±2.8 cm, 엽폭 4.8±1.1 cm로 조사되었다. 2014년 12월에 이식을 실시한 후 다음해 8월까지 모니터링을 실시하였다. 이식 초기 서식밀도는 감소하여 1월에 8.5 shoots patch-1 값을 나타낸 이후 점차 증가하여 4월에 19.0 shoots patch-1 까지 증가하였다. 총 길이는 73.3±2.9∼121.3±6.1 cm, 엽초길이는 9.6±0.6∼21.0±1.2 cm, 엽폭은 5.7±0.1∼6.8±0.2 mm 로 조사되었고 측정값은 7월까지 꾸준히 증가하다 8월 이후에 감소하는 경향을 나타내었다. 천성항 내 거머리말 서식지와 이식 초기 대체서식지에서 관찰되지 않았던 생식지(flowering shoot)가 2015년 3월부터 나타나기 시작하여 모니터링 기간 동안 계속 관찰되었으며, 2016년 조사 시 생식지의 씨앗에서 발아한 거머리말을 대체서식지에서 관찰할 수 있었다.

Seagrasses, sea flowering plants, comprise approximately 60 species globally and are often called ‘ecosystem engineers’ because they create their own habitats by modifying the surrounding environments, which provide coastal zones with a number of crucial ecosystem services. Zostera marina (the common name ‘eelgrass’) is one of the seagrass beds-forming species distributed widely in northern hemisphere including the Korean coast, which plays a pivotal role in ecosystem as a primary producer and a nursery habitat or refuge for other marine organisms. However, due to global climate change and anthropogenic activities such as reclamation and dredging, there has recently been a drastic decline in population sizes of Z. marina in Korea. In order to develop effective conservation and restoration management programs of Z. marina populations, it would be helpful to consider all biological aspects of this species such as genetic characteristics as well as ecological and physiological features. This study first provides information on genetic diversity and genetic structure of Jeju Island and Namhae populations of Z. marina, which will contribute to the establishment of appropriate conservation and restoration management plans for future persistence of this species. Using six microsatellite markers, we investigated the level of genetic diversity and genetic structure among 10 geographic populations of Z. marina inhabiting Jeju Island (Hamdeok, Tokki-seom, Sungsan, Woljeong, Ojo) and Namhae (Gamak bay, Jindong bay, Nampo, Anggang bay, Geoje) on the southern coast of Korea. The level of genetic diversity within Jeju populations (mean allelic richness [AR]: 1.57 ~ 3.09) was found to be significantly lower than Namhae populations (AR: 3.09 ~ 4.29) (Mann-Whitney U-test, P < 0.05). These findings suggest that effective population sizes (Ne) of Jeju populations are generally smaller than those of Namehae populations. Within Jeju Island, Hamdeok population had the smallest population size (coverage: 138 m2) and the lowest genetic diversity (AR: 1.57), while Ojo population had the largest population size (coverage: 275,736 m2) and the greatest level of genetic diversity (AR: 3.09). Hamdeok population showed evidence of genetic bottleneck. These results again suggest that Ne of Jeju populations is generally low (except Ojo population). Among Jeju populations, all pair-wise comparisons of FST values (i.e., degree of genetic differentiation) were highly significant (FST = 0.0612 ~ 0.7168, P < 0.001) despite Jeju populations that were geographically closely located, indicating that these local populations are genetically divergent, probably due to a lack of gene flow among the populations. The observed strong population structure was substantiated by evidence that five genetic clusters are most likely, based on population assignment test (STRUCTURE). The Mantel test showed a positive relationship between genetic distance (FST) and geographic distance (km) across all the populations sampled (R2 = 0.4118, P < 0.05), suggesting that our data follow Isolation By Distance (IBD) model. Woljeong population revealed the highest level of FST values compared to other populations within Jeju Island in IBD. STRUCTURE and factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) further showed that some Woljeong individuals included genotypes of Namhae populations. Population size of Woljeong (coverage: 310m2) was approximately 50 % smaller than that of Sungsan (coverage: 841m2); however, extent of its genetic diversity (AR: 2.39) was even higher than that of Sungsan population (AR: 1.77). We speculated that Woljeong population underwent a transplantation from Namhae populations with relatively higher level of genetic diversity. FST values within Namhae populations were relatively lower (compared to within Jeju Island) despite the populations that were geographically more distant. It means that level of gene flow is higher among Namhae populations than among Jeju populations. Z. marina is known to have different life histories by water depth. In subtidal zone (deep water depth) populations predominantly undertake sexual reproduction through seeds such as annual life history, whereas those of intertidal zone (shallow water depth) undertake both sexual and asexual reproductions through horizontal rhizomes i.e., perennial life history. STRUCTURE analysis showed no clear differences between shallow and deep populations at Namhae, but some FST values were statistically significantly different despite their low values. For Geoje population sampled in 2005, intertidal and subtidal populations were not significantly different (FST = 0.0045, P = 0.033), but these populations sampled in 2015 showed a significant difference (FST = 0.0328, P < 0.001). It means that genetic structure of Geoje has been changed over the 10 year period between shallow and deep populations. Overall, the Jeju and Namehae populations analyzed in the current study have relatively low levels of genetic diversity and distinct genetic compositions, which warns the message that this ecologically important species should be conserved separately in the local populations and with high priority. We propose that future conservation and restoration plans for seagrasses should consider genetic characteristics particularly because a close relationship between genetic diversity and ecological performance in marine species has been well documented.

제주도와 추자도에 자생하는 보호대상해양생물인 잘피자생지의 서식 현황을 조사하기 위해 2011년 7월 GPS를 활용하여 서식면적을 기록하였고, 직접적인 잠수 조사로 서식 현황을 확인하였다. 잘피가 자생하는 곳은 해수와 퇴적물 공극수의 영양염 분석과 함께 분포 면적, 종조성, 형태적 특성, 밀도와 생물량을 조사하였다. 추자도에는 3종의 거머리말속 잘피(거머리말, 수거머리말, 포기거머리말)가 출현한 것에 비하여 제주도에는 거머리말한 종이 동북연안에서만 서식하고 있었다. 제주도의 거머리말 서식면적은 238,572m2이고, 추자도의 잘피 서식면적은 23,584m2로 수거머리말이 21,216m2, 포기거머리말이 1,870m2, 거머리말이 498m2를 차지하고 있었다. 제주도와 추자도의 거머리말은 조간대부터 조하대 평균 수심 5m까지 출현하였다. 추자도의 포기거머리말과 수거 머리말은 각각 조하대 평균 수심 3~4m와 4~6m에서 출현하였다.

이 연구는 해초에 부착하는 부착생물 군집의 생태학적 특성에 대한 두 번째 연구로서 해초가 서식하는 연안 환경의 물리화학적 요인 변화에 따른 부착조류를 포함한 부착생물의 변화양상을 이해하고자 하는데 목적이 있다. 결과를 살펴보면, 1) 잘피는 수주의 온도와 정상관관계를 보임으로써 잘피의 성장이 온도에 의해 큰 영향을 받고 있음을 알 수 있었으며, 2) 부착생물은 수온과는 상관관계를 보이지 않은 반면 수주의 염분과는 역상관관계를 보였다. 이는 염분 25 이하 범위에서 서식이 용이한 미세규조 종들의 증가로 인한 것으로 보인다. 이는 영양염의 결과와도 일치하였는데, 3) 잘피의 성장과 총질산염 (TN)과는 역상관관계를 보임으로써 수주에 총질산염이 낮을 때 잘피의 성장이 좋았으며, 4) 부착생물의 현존량과 인산염과는 유의성이 나타나지 않은 반면, 수주의 질산염, 아질산염 그리고 총질산염과는 정상관관계를 나타냄으로써 부착생물의 성장에 질산염 계열의 영양염의 영향이 큰 것으로 나타났다. 영양염과 잘피의 성장, 그리고 부착생물의 현존량과의 상관관계 결과들을 종합해 보면 부착생물의 현존량 증가는 영양염의 증가로 인한 것이며, 이는 잘피의 성장을 감소시키는 원인-영향 과정과 깊은 관계가 있음을 나타내고 있다.

본 논문은 잘피의 성장과 부착생물과의 관계, 그리고 부착생물간의 관계를 이해하고자 실시된 연구로서 여수시 돌산읍 율림리에서 1998년 7월에서 1999년 7월까지 총 13개월 동안 실시되었다. 연구 결과를 토대로 다음과 같은 세 가지 결론을 얻을 수 있었다. 1) 잘피 잎의 면적과 부착 생물의 현존량과는 정상관관계를 나타냄으로써 부착가능 면적이 넓어지게 되면 부착생물의 현존량이 증가함을 확인할 수 있었다. 이것은 해초의 외적인 성장이 증가할수록 부착생물