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Article

Meiofaunal Biofouling on the Marine Plastic Debris Washed Ashore in Polluted-Hot-Spots of Korea in Summer

하계 해안 쓰레기 밀집 해역 출현 플라스틱 서식 중형저서부착생물 특성

HA KYONG CHOI1
,
MINJU KIM2
,
HYEON KIM34
,
JUNG-HOON KANG56*
최 하경1
,
김 민주2
,
김 현34
,
강 정훈56*
1Assistant Researcher, Risk Assessment Team, Marine Eco-technology Institute (MEI), Busan 48520, Korea
2Full Time Research Scientist, Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Geoje 53201, Korea
3UST Student, Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Geoje 53201, Korea
4Integrated M.S.-Ph.D Student, Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
5Principal Research Scientist, South Sea Research Institute, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Geoje 53201, Korea
6Professor, Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
1해양생태기술연구소 위해성평가실 전임연구원
2한국해양과학기술원 생태위해성연구부 전임기술원
3한국해양과학기술원 생태위해성연구부 UST 학생연구원
4과학기술연합대학원대학교 한국해양과학기술원스쿨 대학원생
5한국해양과학기술원 남해연구소 책임연구원
6과학기술연합대학원대학교 한국해양과학기술원스쿨 해양과학전공 교수
*Corresponding Author
31 May 2025. pp. 101-120
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Abstract

We investigated the meiofaunal biofouling (40-1,000 ㎛) on marine plastic debris (MPD) collected in highly polluted waters during the summer of 2021 (August-September), in order to analyze the MPD related organisms with the collection site specific environment. A total of six shapes of plastic debris (ropes, styrofoam buoys, plastic bottles, plastic containers, plastic bags, and sponges) were collected, categorized into six polymer types (PP, PS, PET, LDPE, HDPE, EPS), and 10 biota were represented. The relationship between the surface area of all plastic litter and the abundance of organisms was not statistically significant (r2=0.02, n=24, p=0.48). However, the highest abundance was observed in PP litter with the smallest surface area (sieve size 40-60 ㎛: 68 inds./0.1 m2, 60-300 ㎛: 376 inds./0.1 m2, 300-1,000 ㎛: 489 inds./0.1 m2). The smallest size group (sieve size 40-60 ㎛) showed a significant difference in abundance by polymer types (F=6.693, p < 0.01), while the other size groups (sieve size 60-300 ㎛ and 300-1,000 ㎛) did not differ (p > 0.05). The main dominant taxa were nematodes in the size group (sieve size 40-60 ㎛) (77.8% on average), while the other size groups (sieve size 60-300 ㎛ and 300-1,000 ㎛) were dominated by bryozoans, foraminiferans, bivalves and gastropods. The mean abundance of all size groups was higher in Myeongji (249 inds./0.1 m2) and Heungnam Beach (482 inds./0.1 m2), which had the lowest salinity (0.2 psu), compared to the other collection sites (65 inds./0.1 m2), but there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the sampling sites. In summary, the abundance of summer meiofaunal biofouling was significantly associated with a specific polymer (PP) rather than litter area, and the size group dominated by nematodes (sieve size 40-60 ㎛) showed polymer-specific differences of abundance, indicating that PP litter may be a favorable habitat for nematodes.

Keywords
Marine plastic debris
Meiofaunal biofouling
Nematodes
Polymer types
Polypropylene (PP)

2021년 하계(8-9월)에 해안 쓰레기 밀집 해역에서 채집한 해양 플라스틱 쓰레기에 서식하는 중형저서부착생물(40-1,000 ㎛)의 부착 특성과 채집지역 간 차이를 조사하였다. 총 6종류의 플라스틱 쓰레기(밧줄, 스티로폼 부이, 페트병, 플라스틱 용기, 플라스틱 봉지, 스폰지)가 채집되어 6가지 재질(PP, PS, PET, LDPE, HDPE, EPS)로 구분되었고, 10개 생물분류군이 출현하였다. 모든 플라스틱 쓰레기의 표면적과 출현한 생물 개체수 간의 관계는 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다(r2=0.02, n=24, p=0.48). 반면, 표면적이 가장 작은 PP재질의 쓰레기에서 가장 높은 개체수가 관찰되었다(체 크기 40-60 ㎛: 68 inds./0.1 ㎡, 60-300 ㎛: 376 inds./0.1 ㎡, 300-1,000 ㎛: 489 inds./0.1 ㎡). 가장 작은 크기그룹(체 크기 40-60 ㎛)의 개체수가 재질별 유의한 차이를 나타낸 반면(F=6.693, p < 0.01), 다른 크기그룹(체 크기 60-300 ㎛ 와 300-1,000 ㎛)의 개체수는 재질별 차이가 없었다(p > 0.05). 주요 우점분류군은 선충류가 가장 작은 크기그룹(체 크기 40-60 ㎛)에서 가장 우점했고(평균 77.8%), 다른 크기그룹(체 크기 60-300 ㎛, 300-1,000 ㎛)에서는 태형동물, 유공충류, 이매패류와 복족류가 우점하였다. 모든 크기그룹에서 출현한 평균 개체수는 염분이 가장 낮은(0.2 psu) 명지(249 inds./0.1 ㎡)와 흥남해수욕장(482 inds./0.1 ㎡)에서 다른 해역(65 inds./0.1 ㎡)에 비해 높았으나, 채집 해역간 유의한 차이는 없었다(p > 0.05). 요약하면, 하계 중형저서부착생물의 출현개체수가 쓰레기의 면적보다 특정 재질(PP)과 관련이 있고, 선충류가 우점한 크기그룹(체 크기 40-60 ㎛)이 재질별 차이를 나타낸 것으로 보아, PP재질의 쓰레기가 선충류의 유리한 서식환경일 수 있음을 시사한다.

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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국해양학회
  • Journal Title :The Sea Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국해양학회지 바다
  • Volume : 30
  • No :2
  • Pages :101-120
  • Received Date : 2025-04-19
  • Revised Date : 2025-05-19
  • Accepted Date : 2025-05-19
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7850/jkso.2025.30.2.101
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