New Records of the Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) from the Coastal Lagoons in Korea

Abstract

Lagoons are natural bodies of water that are isolated from the sea due to the development of a sand bar or spit. Each lagoon has distinct ecological characteristics, and these sites also serve as popular tourist attractions because they are common habitats for migratory birds and are characterized by beautiful natural scenery. Lagoons also have distinct ecological characteristics from those of their associated estuaries, and there are active research efforts to classify, qualify, and quantify the high biodiversity of lagoons. The lagoons in Korea are primarily distributed in the East Sea, and are represented by Hwajinpo, Yeongrangho, and Gyeongpoho. Here, we report the discovery of 11 unrecorded diatom species (Diploneis didyma, Mastogloia elliptica, Cosmioneis citriformis, Haslea crucigera, Pinnularia bertrandii, Pinnularia nodosa var. percapitata, Gyrosigma sinense, Gomphonema guaraniarum, Gomphonema italicum, Navicula freesei, Trybionella littoralis var. tergestina) among samples collected from the Hwajinpo, Hyangho, Maeho, Gapyeongri wetland, Cheonjinho, and Gyeongpoho lagoons in Korea during a survey from 2018–2020. We present the taxonomic characteristics, ecological information, habitat environmental conditions, and references for these 11 species.