First report of blooms of Gonyaulax poly-gramma (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae) in the Yeosu waters of the South Sea of Korea

The aim of this study was to determine the first outbreaks of nontoxic Gonyaulax polygramma Stein in Yeosu waters in place of harmful Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef, which has occurred annually in the same coastal region since 1995. The observation of cellular arrangement and structure by electron microscopy showed that G. polygramma isolated from Yeosu waters had a few spines connecting with mem-branes and prominent longitudinal ridges on the cell surface, with a cingular dis-placement 1.5 times their cell width. Furthermore, the location of the nucleus wasposterior of large oval formation according to electron microscopy. On 6 August, 2004,the first bloom of G. pozygramma occurred, the date of own its disappearance was with a maximum cell density of 8,000 cells ml$^{-1}$ on 21 August, 2004. During the period of this study, the horizontal distribution of sea water temperature and salinity showed a strong coastal front, whereas the front of DIN (Dissolved Inoganic Nitrogen) was significantly different between the occurrence and disappearance of G. polygramma blooms. These results suggested that the process of the breakdown of stratification by wind and a low level of inorganic nitrogen play important roles in the rapid growth of G. polygrmma, which is associated with a greater robustness in growth against DIN than that of C.polykrikoides in nature.