Seasonal species composition and biomass of microphytobenthos were examined at the intertidal flats of Jinsanri, Taean, Korea, from April to December 2011. In total, 121 species were identified, including 109 diatoms, 5 bluegreen algae, and 5 dinoflagellates. Seasonal variation in species number ranged from 49 to 56 species (minimum in October and maximal in April), while vertical variation across three different shore levels ranged from 64 to 77 species with maximum at high and minimum at low

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... hore. Species diversity ranged from 3.22 to 3.42 seasonally and from 3.50 to 3.17 across vertical shore levels. Seasonal average values of the normalized difference vegetation index and the vegetation index were 0.06 and 1.14, respectively. Chlorophyll a concentrations were 66.00-120.73 mg/m 2 , with a seasonal minimum and maximum in July and October, respectively, and a vertical shore maximum of 137.35 mg/m 2 at mid shore. Phaeopigment concentrations peaked in October (50.78 mg/m 2 ) and at high shore (61.58 mg/ m 2 ) and were lowest in December (22.53 mg/m 2 ) and at low shore (15.28 mg/m 2 ). The number of microphytobenthos ranged from 78,556 to 287,898 cells/cm 2 , reaching a maximum in April and a minimum in July. The diatoms Paralia sulcata, Navicula sp., and Delphines surirella were dominant at all tidal levels over the study period. Dinoflagellates were dominant in July at low shore, and blue-green algae were abundant between July and October at mid shore. In conclusion, species composition and primary production of microphytobenthos exhibited clear seasonal and vertical patterns.