Environmental quality of Korean coasts as determined by modified Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion

The coast of the Korean peninsula experiences a range of human impacts, including pollution, shipping, reclamation, and aquaculture, that have motivated numerous local studies of macrobenthic organisms. In this paper, 1,492 subtidal stations were compiled from 23 studies (areas) to evaluate environmental quality on a broader scale. A common index in biomonitoring, Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion (SEP), could not incorporate azoic or single-species samples. This shortcoming was overcome by developing an inverse function of SEP (ISEP), which was positively correlated with independent measures of water quality available for nine sites and was not biased by the size of the sampling unit. Additionally, at Shihwa Dike, where samples were collected before and after reinstating a tidal connection with the ocean, ISEP values improved over time, as expected. Thus, it is now possible to assign Korean subtidal sites to seven ISEP “grades” and to use their values and trends to guide coastal management.

[1]  D. Pauly,et al.  Measuring ecological stress: Variations on a theme by R.M. Warwick , 1990 .

[2]  S. Weisberg,et al.  Developing and applying a benthic index of estuarine condition for the Virginian Biogeographic Province , 2001 .

[3]  Michael Elliott,et al.  The Estuarine Quality Paradox, Environmental Homeostasis and the difficulty of detecting anthropogenic stress in naturally stressed areas. , 2007, Marine pollution bulletin.

[4]  Ángel Borja,et al.  Assessing the environmental quality status in estuarine and coastal systems: Comparing methodologies and indices , 2008 .

[5]  Mats Blomqvist,et al.  Marine quality assessment by use of benthic species-abundance distributions: a proposed new protocol within the European Union Water Framework Directive. , 2004, Marine pollution bulletin.

[6]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment , 1978 .

[7]  Kyung-Tae Kim,et al.  Distribution and Pollution of Heavy Metals in the Environmental Samples of the Lake Shihwa , 2005 .

[8]  Claude E. Shannon,et al.  The Mathematical Theory of Communication , 1950 .

[9]  Jean-Claude Dauvin,et al.  Paradox of estuarine quality: benthic indicators and indices, consensus or debate for the future. , 2007, Marine pollution bulletin.

[10]  M. Elliott,et al.  The use of environmental integrative indicators to assess seabed disturbance in estuaries and coasts: Application to the Humber Estuary, UK. , 2006, Marine pollution bulletin.

[11]  D. Jeffrey,et al.  Benthic biological pollution indices in estuaries , 1994 .

[12]  Claude E. Shannon,et al.  A mathematical theory of communication , 1948, MOCO.

[13]  A. Afli,et al.  Ecological quality of some Tunisian coast and lagoon locations, by using benthic community parameters and biotic indices , 2008 .

[14]  Yong-Chul Park,et al.  Biogeochemical Study of Dissolved Organic and Inorganic Compounds under Oxic/Anoxic Environment in Lake Shihwa , 1997 .

[15]  S. Weisberg,et al.  The level of agreement among experts applying best professional judgment to assess the condition of benthic infaunal communities , 2008 .

[16]  K. R. Clarke,et al.  Change in marine communities : an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation , 2001 .

[17]  C. Munari,et al.  The performance of benthic indicators of ecological change in Adriatic coastal lagoons: throwing the baby with the water? , 2008, Marine pollution bulletin.

[18]  P. Diaconis,et al.  Computer-Intensive Methods in Statistics , 1983 .

[19]  R. Valente,et al.  A review of approaches for classifying benthic habitats and evaluating habitat quality. , 2004, Journal of environmental management.

[20]  J. Karr.  Assessment of Biotic Integrity Using Fish Communities , 1981 .

[21]  R. W. Frey,et al.  Prevalent lebensspuren on a modern macrotidal flat, Inchon, Korea: ethological and environmental significance , 1987 .

[22]  T. Pearson.  The benthic ecology of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil, a sea-loch system on the west coast of scotland. IV. Changes in the benthic fauna attributable to organic enrichment , 1975 .

[23]  A. Covich,et al.  The Function of Marine Critical Transition Zones and the Importance of Sediment Biodiversity , 2001, Ecosystems.

[24]  D. Rhoads,et al.  Animal-sediment relations in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts I. A transect study , 1971 .

[25]  J. Summers,et al.  Refinement, validation, and application of a benthic condition index for Northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries , 1999 .

[26]  I. Muxika,et al.  The suitability of the marine biotic index (AMBI) to new impact sources along European coasts , 2005 .

[27]  João Carlos Marques,et al.  Evaluation of the applicability of a marine biotic index to characterize the status of estuarine ecosystems: the case of Mondego estuary (Portugal) , 2004 .

[28]  Ángel Borja,et al.  A Marine Biotic Index to Establish the Ecological Quality of Soft-Bottom Benthos Within European Estuarine and Coastal Environments , 2000 .

[29]  K. Kramer.  Biomonitoring of coastal waters and estuaries , 1997 .

[30]  S. Weisberg,et al.  BENTHIC RESPONSE INDEX FOR ASSESSING INFAUNAL COMMUNITIES ON THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MAINLAND SHELF , 2001 .

[31]  Roberto J. Llansó,et al.  Assessing estuarine benthic quality conditions in Chesapeake Bay: A comparison of three indices , 2008 .

[32]  P. Magni.  Biological benthic tools as indicators of coastal marine ecosystems health , 2003 .

[33]  R. Warwick.  A new method for detecting pollution effects on marine macrobenthic communities , 1986 .

[34]  E. Odum.  The strategy of ecosystem development. , 1969, Science.

[35]  박흥식,et al.  Environmental Assessment of the Shihwa Lake by using the Benthic Pollution Index , 2003 .

[36]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Characterization of the ecological quality of the coastal Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean). A comparative approach based on three biotic indices. , 2006, Marine pollution bulletin.

[37]  Hong Jae-Sang,et al.  How are the Spatio-Temporal Distribution Patterns of Benthic Macrofaunal Communities Affected by the Construction of Shihwa Dike in the West Coast of Korea? , 1997 .

[38]  Cheryl Ann Butman,et al.  Animal-sediment relationships revisited: cause versus effect , 1994 .

[39]  H. L. Sanders,et al.  Benthic Studies in Buzzards Bay. I. Animal‐Sediment Relationships1 , 1958 .