DOI: 10.3391/ai.2026.21.3.199579

Authors: Seongjae Kim, Taekjun Lee, Jeounghee Lee

Abstract: The colonial bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata is a globally distributed non-indigenous species (NIS), posing increasing threats to marine biodiversity and coastal industries through biofouling and competition with native biota. In South Korea, despite its recognition as a harmful marine organism, few studies have addressed its ecological behavior under varying environmental conditions. This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of W. subtorquata percent cover in four Korean harbors—Yangpo, Tongyeong, Bieung, and Jeju—over a 39-month period (April 2021 to July 2024). Standardized acrylic settlement plates and in-situ measurements of water temperature and salinity were used to evaluate percent cover patterns. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) revealed temperature was significantly associated with percent cover across all four harbors, while salinity played a key role in Bieung. A significant interaction effect between temperature and salinity was observed in Jeju. These results provide novel insights into the environmental sensitivity of W. subtorquata, highlighting the importance of multi-regional and long-term monitoring to guide site-specific management of invasive species, while underscoring the need for higher-resolution environmental time series to assess climate-related implications more directly.

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