• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 1991

We have investigated geographical distribution and physico-chemical properties of water masses or water types at mid-bottom depth in the neighbouring sea of Cheju Island in August 1986. In 50m layer the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water(YSBCW) below $12^{\circ}C$ was observed in the northwestern area of Cheju Island, while the Tsushima Warm Water(TWW) with relatively high temperature$(>16^{\circ}C)$ and salinity more than 34.0 in its southeastern area extended as far as the coast of about 15km. Also, 50m layer at the outside stations of its southwestern area indicated relatively cold water temperature$(11-30^{\circ}C)$, probably due to southward transport of the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water(YSBCW . The Yellow Sea Warm Water(YSWW), the mixed water of the YSBCW and the TWW, ranged $13^{\circ}C$ to $16^{\circ}C$ in water temperature and was appeared mainly in the coastal and intermediate area of Cheju Island. And the relatively cold water in the southwestern area and the Tsushima Warm Water were more extensively distributed in 50m layer than the deeper layer. Horizontal distributions of nitrate and phosphate showed a pattern similar to that of water temperature. As it were, the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water had the highest concentration of nutrients, while southwestern outside stations had the lowest nutrient contents. Especially, the concentration of nitrate in the latter was remarkably low compared with the value at the other stations. It may be attributed to intensive vertical mixing by collision of the northward driven Tn with the southward driven YSBCW. Also, it was particular that the Tsushima Warm Water indicated relatively high silicate content corresponding to that of the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water. Based on the data of $\Delta Si/\Delta P$ ratio, it seems that the mid-bottom waters in this study area are younger than the surface or intermediate water in the Korean East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 1998

Phytoplankton community and primary productivity have been investigated in a fall season in the southern coastal waters of the last Sea, Korea. A strong thermocline formed at the 20\~60\;m$ layer and a cold water mass also existed in the bottom around Yong-il Bay. The offshore of the surveyed area was likely to be influenced by relatively warmer water, whereas the inshore represented Higher primary productivity with lower water temperature and lower salinity. A total of 133 species of phytoplankton occurred, representing 107 spp. of diatom, 23 spp. of dinoflagellate 3 spp. of silicoflagellate. Skeletonema costatum and Asterionellepsis glacialis were most predominant with more than $30\%$ dominance ratio, while Leptocylindrus danicus was also dominant at all transect lines. Standing crops of phytoplankton ranged from $2.7{\times}10^3\;to\;141.6{\times}10^3\;cell^{\ell-1}$. Chlorophyll a concentration varied with stations and layers, but the $30\~50$ m layer showed maximun with about $1.18{\mu}g{\ell}^{-1}$ rather than at the surface layer. It is believed that the maximun in standing crops and chlorophyll of phytoplankton formed at the $20\~50$ m layer above the thermocline during the survey. Phytoplankton primary productivity ranged from 0.32 to 3.04 mgC $m^{-3}\;hr^{-1}$, showing higher at the inshore than at the offshore. The range of integrated primary productivity was $263.3\~1085.5 mgC\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ for the euphotic layer. Photosysthesis rates varied with the range from 0.76 to 8.04 mgC mgChl $\alpha^{-1}\;hr^{-1}$. Phytoplankton photosynthesis at the inshore was saturated at lower irradiance ($15\~35\%$ of surface) and showed higher efficiency, Thus, it revealed that the phytoplankton community probably adapted to the middle of euphotic layer because the depth of mixing layer became thinner due to the formation of thermocline.