Molecular diversity of phytoplankton in the East China Sea around Jeju Island (Korea), unraveled by pyrosequencing

The East China Sea (ECS) around Jeju Island lies in a transitional region between the temperate and subtropical zones and is influenced by the Kuroshio Current. Hence, this area has been considered an important monitoring site for oceanic ecosystem changes. Herein, we assessed the community structure and diversity of the phytoplankton in the ECS around Jeju Island using small subunit ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing. We analyzed eight samples collected from the surface and at 30 m- and/or 50-m depths from two neritic and oceanic stations each from 24–30 April 2011. Comparisons of 15,498 pyrosequences identified 172 phylotypes of phytoplankton, excluding cyanobacteria, from the four surface stations. These pyrosequences were represented by dinoflagellates (29 %), stramenopiles (31 %), and chlorophytes (>39 %), with minor contributions from cryptophytes, haptophytes, and Telonemia. Phylotypes retrieved at 30- and 50-m depths were very similar to the surface samples. However, phylotype diversity and community structure varied considerably with the stations. Dominant phylotypes included Karlodinium veneficum, Ostreococcus tauri, Skeletonema marinoi, and Thalassiosira curviseriata, and many of the detected phylotypes include new records for the present study area. This study provides a valuable phylotype reference for future phytoplankton community structure and diversity studies with regard to marine environmental changes.