Modern benthic foraminiferal diversity of Jeju Island and initial insights into the total foraminiferal diversity of Korea

Abstract

The diversity of benthic foraminiferal species was investigated around and along a transect of Jeju Island (South Korea). A total of 20 sediment samples were collected from water depths of 44 to 109 m in November 2011. Due to its substrate heterogeneity, position in between temperate and subtropical zones, and the different water masses influencing the location, Jeju Island has been suggested as an area that is able to support high meiobenthos biodiversity. We taxonomically identified a total of 304 benthic foraminiferal species belonging to 142 genera. Among them, 180 species are newly recorded for the Korean coastal water. On the basis of our findings, and taking into account previous publications, it was possible to infer the total benthic foraminiferal diversity of the Korean Peninsula. Accordingly, this new literature survey documents the presence of 818 species belonging to 239 genera, 89 families, and 40 superfamilies. These values are remarkably high and can be readily compared to those reported in area basins and seas like the Gulf of Mexico, the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, New Caledonia and the Aegean Sea. It must, however, be stressed that these figures might be an underestimation of total diversity, which is certain to increase if deep-sea sediments and monothalamids are also taken into account.