The study examined overuse of the fishery resource. Influence of fishing activity was estimated by application of Schaefer model's. Fishing efforts that produced the maximum sustainable yield were determined in the model, allowing the effect of overfishing to be assessed. In the model, a wide variety of fish species as well as crustaceans and shellfish were susceptible to overfishing, while mollusks were not. Overfishing by modern techniques exacted a greater toll than more traditional methods. The results of the modeling study suggest that the 'Buy bag' input-control system of fisheries resource management warrants consideration, as does modernization, expansion and strengthening of self-control management of the fishery resource. Finally, more effective efforts in dissemination of policy information and education concerning the fishery resource are needed.

Cobalt-rich manganese crusts on seamounts have received an increasing amount of attention as future resources for Co, Ni, Cu, and Mn. A dearth of detailed information regarding the relevant distribution characteristics, mining technologies, and ore processing technologies, however, has precluded potential evaluations of the technical and economic advantages of these crusts. In the past 4 years, Korea has undertaken a survey of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts in and around the Magellan Seamount and Mid-Pacific Mountains. This paper introduces the preliminary feasibility study of the distribution features and R&D results centered around the development of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts. The evaluation model was developed by modifying the model for the manganese nodules. In addition to considering the geological and geophysical differences between the manganese nodules and the cobalt-rich manganese crusts, an ore dressing subsystem was installed in the model. The mining subsystem is composed of a self-propelled collector--a pipeline with submersible hydraulic pumps for crust lifting. The smelting and chlorine leach method was selected for metallurgical processing. The production scales were established at 2,500t/y of cobalt metal. The production of three metals--cobalt, nickel, and copper--was considered in terms of metallurgical processing. The economic feasibility analyses demonstrated that the payback period was 11.4 years, the NPV was 36M$, and the IRR was 9.6% with the economic factors in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 25/lb. It was also demonstrated in this study that the payback period was 8.6 years, the NPV was 154M$, and the IRR was 14.0% in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 30/lb. This indicates that the approach under consideration appears to offer greater potential given the predicted metal prices.

This study examined the multi-scale variabilities of sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity in the Japan/East Sea (JES) based on statistical analyses of observational data, with a focus on the northwestern part of the sea. The regionality of JES SST variability was estimated for different frequency ranges on semimonthly (11-17 days), monthly to seasonal (30-90 days), quasi-semiannual (157-220 days), and quasi-biennial (1.5-3 years) time scales using cluster analyses of daily gridded SST data for 1996 to 2007 from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Several significant peaks and regional cores were found in each frequency range of the SST anomaly (SSTA) oscillations. Quasi-semiannual SSTA oscillations with high amplitude were found in the south-southwestern part of the Japan Basin ($41-43^{\circ}N$) and were amplified in the area adjacent to Peter the Great Bay. Oscillations with periods of 79 and 55 days also prevailed over the southwest Japan Basin between the Yamato Rise and the continental slope. A similar method was applied to classify SST and the annual cycle of surface salinity using Generalized Digital Environmental Model (GDEM) gridded data. The Tatarskii Strait and adjacent area showed the most specific annual cycles and variability in salinity on interannual to interdecadal time scales. The most significant inverse relationship between surface salinity in the Tatarskii Strait and southern JES areas was found on the interdecadal time scale. Linkages of sea water salinity in the Tatarskii Strait with Amur River discharge and wind velocity over Amurskii Liman were also revealed.

Passive air samplers with polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were employed to determine seasonal gas phase variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air on Anmyeon island from March 2007 to January 2008. Sum of 13 PAHs ranged between $3.5\;ng/m^3$ and $27.6\;ng/m^3$. Total PAHs during the heating season was 6.2 times higher than non-heating season. The dominant PAHs components during sampling periods were low and middle molecular weight PAHs including phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene and chrysene. Gas exchange fluxes of PAHs across the air-water interface of the Yellow Sea were calculated using a modified two-film exchange model. PAHs fluxes ranged from $196\;ng/m^2/d$ net volatilization during summer to $3830\;ng/m^2/d$ net absorption during winter. Passive air sampler provides a convenient and cost-effective tool for measuring averaged gas phase PAHs, which was successfully used for calculation of gas exchange flux of PAHs in the Yellow Sea.

The community structure of meiofauna was surveyed from six stations in sand mining area near around Sungapdo, Taean five times from April-December, 2007. Ten meiofaunal taxa in total, comprising 5-9 taxa per station were recovered. Nematodes were dominant from four stations in April and from five stations in May. In June, copepods were dominant from all stations except station two, from which sarcomastigophorans were predominant. Copepods were also dominant from three stations in October and four stations in December. The mean density of meiofauna per $10\;cm^{-2}$ was the highest in October (130 individuals) and lowest (68 individuals) in April. Meiofauna mean biomass per $100\;cm^{-2}$ was $3.80-75.26{\mu}gC$ from each station, with the monthly mean biomass being lowest in April ($11.97{\mu}gC$) and highest in October ($39.50{\mu}gC$). The highest biomass was recorded at station five in October ($75.26{\mu}gC$). Eleven families of harpacticoid copepods occurred Ameiridae and Ectinosomatidae were the most frequent. The mean diversity index was 1.21 from all the stations, 1.22 from the sand mining stations, and 1.19 from the reference stations. The nematode:copepod (N/C) ratio was 1.57 from the sand mining stations and 1.37 from the reference stations. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis divided the community into group A (station one, non-sand mining and reference area) and groups B and C in the sand mining area. The present study reports similar numbers of taxa but lower density and biomass of meiofauna compared to previous studies in Korean waters. The variability of the diversity index and N/C ratio may indicate large fluctuation of meiofauna depending on temporal and spatial conditions of the environment in the study area.

We examined the intracellular antioxidative effects of 20 Arctic seaweed extracts in Raw 264.7 cells. Each seaweed species was subjected to extraction using acetone/dichloromethane and methanol, respectively, after which the extracts were combined and used as the test sample. The antioxidant ability of all 20 seaweeds extracts was evaluated using four different activity tests, including the degree of occurrence of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), $ONOO^-$, and lipid peroxidation in Raw 264.7 cells, as well as the extent of oxidative damage of genomic DNA purified from Raw 264.7 cells. Crude extracts from Monostroma obscurum, Alaria esculnta, Laminaria digitata, Desmarestia aculeata, Chorda filum, Ptilota seriata, Phycidrys rubens, Devaleraea ramentacea and Palmaria palmata exhibited significant scavenging effects on the generation of intracellular ROS. Among them, Monostroma obscurum and Phycidrys rubens significantly inhibited membrane lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidation. Moreover, Phycidrys rubens exhibited scavenging effects on peroxynitrite generated from SIN-1.

In order to establish annual variations in the marine ecosystem of the East China Sea, suspended solids (SSs) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were extensively investigated in the northern part of the East China Sea from August 2003 to April 2008. Surface SS concentrations showed large spatial variations in spring and fall, but not in summer. Surface SS concentrations in spring were lower than those in summer and fall. In summer, SSs discharged from Changjiang were mostly deposited in the coastal areas and did not reach our study area which was located about 260 km from the river mouth. High SS concentrations were observed near the bottom, which resulted from resuspension of bottom sediments by the bottom currents. Surface POC concentrations did not exhibited large seasonal variations. Phytoplankton biomass was a main factor controlling surface POC concentrations. POC/chlorophyll ratios showed large seasonal variations, with maximum numbers in summer. POC/PON ratios were higher in summer than the Redefied ratio (6.6), while they were lower in spring and fall. In summer, higher POC/chlorophyll and POC/PON ratios were probably attributed to the high phytoplankton mortality caused by nutrient depletion in surface waters.