Dinoflagellate cyst production and flux in Gamak Bay, Korea: A sediment trap study

To develop a better understanding of the species composition and production of dinoflagellate cysts, including the ecological characteristics of Polykrikos species, a sediment trap study was conducted from June 2005 to June 2006 in Gamak Bay, Korea. Thirty-two dinoflagellate cyst taxa were identified in the sediment trap samples, and the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were found to be dominated by cysts of Polykrikos kofoidii, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Protoperidinium spp., Polykrikos schwartzii, Gymnodinium catenatum and Ensiculifera carinata. The flux of dinoflagellate cysts ranged from 0.10 × 105 to 35.97 × 105 cysts m− 2 day− 1, and the highest flux occurred during summer, and was driven completely by the flux in the production of P. kofoidii and P. schwartzii cysts. The timing of the production of cysts of Polykrikos species seemed to be related to the appearance of G. catenatum as prey. The assemblages of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments from Gamak Bay, and their seasonal changes, were very similar to those in the sediment trap samples, which suggested that the monitoring of dinoflagellate cysts in sediment samples can provide information on the environmental conditions in Gamak Bay.

► The sediment trap is a useful tool to clarify the ecological information of dinoflagellate cysts.
► We conducted a study on dinoflagellate cyst flux and production in Gamak Bay, Korea using a sediment trap.
► Results provide the ecological information of some dinoflagellate cyst taxa, especially Polykrikos kofoidii and P. schwartzii.