In this study, the community structure of marine benthic invertebrates was examined to evaluate the differences between the west, south, and east coasts of Korea and to identify the indicator species representing each region. Acrylic attachment plate sets were installed in Jeongok, Mokpo, Tongyeong, Yangpo, and Gangreung, and the invertebrate fauna thus captured were identified. Monitoring was performed in each area from March 2017 to May 2018. Water depth, temperature, and salinity at each location were measured to determine the potential influence of abiotic factors on the community structure. As a result, the mean depth of plates installed and the water temperature were significantly different in each area. A total of 32 invertebrate species were identified in all localities, and the most significant difference in the species compositions was found between Mokpo and Gangreung. The community structure differed significantly with a change in the plate depth, and a larger number of indicator species appeared on shallower plates. Finally, we determined the community structure of benthic invertebrates in different geographical regions of the Korean ocean by characterizing the dominant invertebrate taxa and the indicator species at each site.

Analysis of benthic micro-invertebrate community structure from the Pyeonghwaui Dam was investigated from May 2006 to October 2008. Total taxa of benthic micro-invertebrates were 5 phylum, 8 class, 15 order, 44 family, and 97 species in 2006, and 5 phylum, 7 class, 15 order, 48 family, 103 species in 2008. Mean dominance index at St. 1 to St. 5 were 0.36, 038, 0.38, 0.21 and 0.29. Mean species diversity at St. 1 to St. 5 were 3.84, 3.34, 3.13, 4.84 and 4.28. Although the dominance index of Lentic area was higher than Lotic, but the diversity was lower than Lotic area.

We have studied characteristics of community structure on the benthic macro-invertebrates at twelve selected sites in upstream, midstream and downstream of Paemsagol, Piagol, Chilseongol and Daeseonggol, major streams of Jirisan Mountain, for three years from April 2008 to September 2010. As a result, 2 phyla, 3 classes, 11 orders, 41 families, 119 species and 4,449 individuals of benthic macro-invertebrates have been collected and classified in this study. Among them EPT group (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera), commonly appearing taxa in clean stream ecosystem, was found most frequently. The highest species number of benthic macro-invertebrates were collected in 2008, the year with lower climatic influence including heavy rain. In almost all of survey sites 80% or over of EPT group were counted, and St. 1 scored highest rate of EPT group at 92.59%. Most dominant species was Ecdyonurus kibumensis at 12.83% of dominance index, and subdominant species was Goerodes KUb at 6.81% of dominance index. The investigation of the feeding function group indicated that gathering-collectors were dominant with 26 species and 1,334 individuals, while the number of filtering-collectors was lowest with 11 species and 230 individuals. This result represents that the feeding function group of Jirisan Mountain is mountainous stream-specific one. Both diversity index and richness index were lowest at the midstream of Chilseongol (St. 5), while the midstreams of Daeseonggol (St. 11) and Piagol (St. 8) were highest in diversity and richness indices respectively. The analyses of linear regression and correlation were performed in order to investigate and to predict the appearance aspect of EPT group by altitude. The results showed that the ratio of Plecopteran species number has increased by the elevation of the altitude at 0.05 significance level. Cluster analysis was also carried out for evaluating environmental similarities among survey sites. As a result, upper regions of Paemsagol (St. 1) and Piagol have clustered as most similar sites each other, while the midstream of Piagol (St. 8) has separated with lower similarity value than other sites in species composition.

Chronic effects such as reproduction and population dynamics with elevated CO2 concentration were evaluated using two representative marine benthic species, copepod (Tisbe sp.) and amphipod (Monocorophium acherusicum) adopting long-term exposure. Juvenile copepod and amphipod individuals were cultivated in the seawater equilibrated with control air (0.395 mmol CO2/air mol) and high CO2 air having 0.998, to 3.03, 10.3, and 30.1 mmol CO2/air mol during 20 and 46 days, respectively. After the exposure period, the number of benthic invertebrate was counted with separate larval and juvenile stage such as naupliar, copepodid and adult for copepod, or neonate and adult for amphipod, respectively. The individual number of both test species at each life-stage was significantly decreased in seawater with 10.3 mmol CO2/air mol or higher. Recently, the technology of marine CO2 sequestration has been developed for the reduction of CO2 emission, which may cause climate change. However, under various scenarios of CO2 leaks during the injection process or sequestrated CO2 in marine geological structure, the potential risk to organism including various invertebrates can be expected to exposure. So the results of this study suggested that the detailed consideration on the adverse effect with marine ecosystem can be prerequisite for the marine CO2 sequestration projects.