Ocean and Polar ResearchISSN:2234-7313(Online)한국해양과학기술원

Marine microalgae have different collection methods depending on their habitat. In the case of adhesive microalgae, it is difficult to separate organisms from the substrate surface, and contamination is likely to occur during the sampling process. In this study, we analyzed the collection efficiency of adhesive microalgae using three artificial fiber materials (nylon, blend fabric, and viscose rayon). Each fiber showed different fiber diameter and pore characteristics (nylon 26.09 µm, blend fabric 56.6 µm, viscose rayon 101.3 µm). In addition, attached organisms were collected on the surface of artificial substrates at Bukseong Port in Incheon using each tested fiber material. After that, we investigated the population and species composition. The highest number of cells was found in nylon, which was 8 times higher than in the least collected viscose rayon material. In addition, we identified 24 microalgal species from the substrate, demonstrating that the species composition differed from that of surface water. The number of collected microalgae species varied depending on the fiber materials, with nylon containing all the adhesive microalgae. In contrast, only a few microalgae were observed in other fibers. These results suggest that, of the tested fibers, nylon material may be suitable for collecting adhesive microalgae. As a result, this study may be useful for future research on adhesive microalgae.