Zooplankton Community in the Front Zone of the East Sea of Korea (the Sea of Japan) : 1. Species List, Distribution of Dominant Taxa, and Species Association

Abstract

Zooplankton distribution in the front zone was investigated in the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan). More than 100 taxa appeared in the study area, which was far diverse appearance being compared with those in West (Yellow Sea) and South Sea of Korea. In Nov. 1994, Paracalanus parvus, Oikopleura spp., and Noctiluca scintillans, which preferred warmer environment, predominated at the collection sites in the front zone, especially at warmer surface layer. But in Nov. 1995, when the surface water temperatures were about lower than those of the previous year, cold water species of copepod Metridia lucens, immature forms of Calanus and Sagitta, and crustacean eggs dominated in the collection sites in front zone, which were geographically not Identical with those of the previous year. Vertical distributional patterns were not coincide among the taxa. This suggests that zooplankton has different specific habitat characteristics with temperatures. In general, those taxa with preference of warmer environments showed high probability of co-occurrance with low abundances while those that preferring colder environments showed low probability of co-occurrance with high abundances. It seems that warm water contributes to the high diversity of zooplankton in the front zone while cold water does to the high biomass.