Diversity of Fungi in Brackish Water in Korea

Abstract

We investigated the distribution and diversity of fungi in brackish water and soil from the Eulsukdo Island, Geumgang Estuary Bank, Suncheon Bay, Dae-ho Tide Embankment and coastal sand dune in Sinduri and Bu-nam Tide Embankment, Korea. Fungi were isolated from water samples by hand-pumped filtration, and soil samples were collected and diluted. The isolated fungi were incubated in potato dextrose agar at 25℃. A total of 173 fungal strains were isolated from brackish water and identified according to their respective internal transcribed spacer via phylogenetic analysis. The diversity of all fungal strains was analyzed according to diversity indices. The fungal strains belonged to any of 18 taxonomic orders: Pleosporales, Eurotiales, Capnodiales, Hypocreales, Polyporales, Saccharomycetales, Agaricales, Glomerellales, Mucorales, Dothideales, Russulales, Xylariales, Sordariales, Myrmecridiales, Tubeufiales, Onygenales, Cantharellales, and Amphisphaeriales. Cladosporium spp. (20%), Penicillium spp. (19%), and Fusarium sp. (5%) comprised majority of the identified strains. Two species from the fungal isolates were newly identified in Korea: Sarocladium kiliense NNIBRFG3280 and Fusicolla merismoides NNIBRFG23708.

Keywords

• brackish water
• fusicolla merismoides
• halophilic
• halotolerant
• sarocladium kiliense