Study on Characteristics of Harmful Algal Blooms in the South Sea of Korea by using Satellite and In-Situ Data

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), caused by Cochlodinium polykrikoides that causative fishery mortality, impact on aquaculture and economic loss appear particularly in summer and fall seasons in the Korean seas. It was studied on characteristics of HABs in the South Sea of Korea by using satellite and in-situ data. The in-situ data encompassed oceanic and meteorological data from July to October 2002-2008 and satellite data from July to October 2002-2006. Chlorophyll concentrations were calculated using Seaviewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor images by an Ocean Color (OC4) algorithm, and HABs were estimated using the Red tide index Chlorophyll Algorithm (RCA). The HAB occurrences were dominant when water temperature was $22.6-28^{\circ}C$ in August. The frequency of the individual numbers during 2002-2008, the HABs more than 1000 cells/ml (alert condition), were 73.57 %. In meteorological data from July to September during 2002-2008, the average precipitation, the mean air temperature, the mean wind speed and direction, and the sunshine were 9.31 mm/day, $24.07^{\circ}C$, 2.34 m/s and easterly, and 1-11 h, respectively. Our results suggest that the upwelling is caused by southwesterly wind in summer season and the Tsushima Warm Current which have influenced on the dispersion and moving of HAB (chlorophyll). In addition, the fresh water from Nakdong River, as the source of nutrients, also influences the occurrence of HABs.