본 연구는 독도에서 식수원으로 이용되었던 담수 환경인 물골 생태계를 소개하고자 하였다. 물골 유출수의 염분도는 2.0 psu 이하이었고, 부착조류 생물량이 25.9 ${mu}g$ chl-a/$cm^2$수준으로 대량 번성하여 과영양 환경을 유지하였다. 수중 영양염 중에서 질소는 $NH_4$의 농도가 비교적 높았고, SRP는 117.3 ${mu}g$ P/l SRSi는 4,104.6 ${mu}g$ Si/l로서 N성분에 비해 매우 높은 농도를 보였다. 그 결과, N/P비는 1.0이하로서 강한 N 제한 상태를 나타냈다. 물골에서 높은 무기 영양염 농도와 부착조류 생물량은 교란이 적은 생태계로서 자연적 오염의 영향으로 볼 수 있었으나, 본 연구를 통해 완전한 규명은 어려웠으며, 향후 이에 대한 학술적 후속 연구가 요구된다.
This study was conducted to introduce the characteristics of the freshwater environment of Mulkol, considering that it is less known area about the ecosystem of the Tok Island. The salinity of freshwater in the Mulkol was less than 2.0 psu, while its periphytic algal biomass was thriving with 25.9 ${mu}g;chl-a/cm^2$. As for the nutrients in water, the content of $NH_4$ was higher than the rest of inorganic nitrogen components, and SRP and SRSi were much higher as 117.3 ${mu}$g P/l and 4,104.6 ${mu}$g Si/l respectively, than nitrogen components. Also, the ratio of N/P was found less than 1.0, revealing the condition that N was greatly limited. The high level of nutrient concentration and periphytic algal biomass at the Mulkol ecosystem could be explained as a result of natural pollution, but no full explanation was made in this study. It is a question that needs additional research in the future.
