• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.355-370
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• 2020

We conducted a field survey to analyze the ecological structure and spatial distribution of microplankton (phytoplankton and ciliates) in relation to water masses at 21 stations on the surface and chlorophyll-a maximum layers (CML) in the Northern East China Sea (nECS; 32°-33°N; 124°00'-127°30'E) from August 3 to August 6, 2019. The results showed that the water masses were divided into Chinese Coastal Waters (CCW) and the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). The CCW showed the environmental characteristics of high temperature and low salinity, and the TWC showed high temperature and high salinity. The characteristics of the phytoplankton community in the CCW showed various community structures related to the nutrients supplied from the large rivers of the Chinese continent. However, the TWC had simple community structures because it originated near the equator and moved northward. The standing crops of phytoplankton and ciliates were very high in the CCW but showed low at the TWC. In particular, from the higher standing crops of protozoa than plant plankton at the TWC, the energy flow at the lower tropic levels caused by the microbial loop that fed on heterotrophic bacteria played an important role in the production of resource organisms. In other words, the marine ecological structure of the nECS in summer could be estimated as a bottom-up system at the CCW and a top-down system at the TWC.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6388-6398
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• 2014

To understand size fractioned chlorophyll a and material cycle characteristics in Jeju marine ranching area (JMRA), 4 times of survey were conducted from April to November 2008. Picoplankton on the surface in JMRA was on average, $0.30{\mu}g/L$(annual mean(M):17.3%) in the $0.03{\sim}0.84{\mu}g/L$ range, accounting for 17.3%. Nannoplankton and picoplankton was on average, $1.35{\mu}g/L$(M:78.0%) in the $0.22{\sim}3.93{\mu}g/L$ range, and $1.73{\mu}g/L$(M:4.7%) in the nd ~ 0.24 range, respectively. The 10m layer was similar to the surface. The measured values changed according to the measurement times but the nanoplankton composition ratio was higher throughout the year. In addition, the size fractioned chlorophyll a distribution in JMRA was similar to that of tropical sea area affected by the Monsoon rather than South Korean offshore coast geographically adjacent to the East China Sea and Japan coastal waters affected by the Kuroshio/Tsushima warm currents. That is, the material cycle of JMRA consists of a microbial food web rather than traditional food chain at a lower trophic levels. Primary production is deemed to have a higher possibility of being adjusted by top-down dynamics, such as micro-zooplankton grazing pressure rather than nutrients supply.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.219-229
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• 1984

Physical and chemical survey on western channel of the Korea Strait was made using oceanographic data from July 25 to July 31, 1983. Four water types were distinguished at western channel: runoff of the Nakdong River, Tsushima Current Waters, Keoje Coastal Waters, and Ulsan Coastal Waters. Influence of the Nakdong River was greater at Southern East Coast near Yeong-Do Island in Pusan than at Keoje Coast. General characteristics of these four water types were as follows : For runoff of the Nakdong River, transparency was within 3 m, water colour chinese yellow (number 11), surface temperature $18{\sim}19^{\circ}C$, salinity less than $31\%0$, surface dissolved oxygen (D.O.) $4.5{\sim}5.0ml/l$, contents of phosphate $0.25{\sim}0.5{\mu}g-at./l$ ; these values were the highest among these four water types. For Tsushima Current waters, transparency was greater than 15 m, waters color blue (number $2{\sim}4$), surface temperature about $23^{\circ}C$, salinity $32{\sim}33\%0$, and surface D.O. greater than 5,0 ml/l. Phosphate, nitrate and silicate were less than 0.25, 2.0, and $2.5{\mu}g-at./l$, respectively; these values were the lowest among these four water types. Keoje Coastal Waters had low temperature ranging $20{\sim}21^{\circ}C$ at surface, and high salinity greater than $33\%0$. D.O. was less than 5.0 ml/l, phoshpate, $0.5{\mu}g-at./l$ nitrate and silicate were less than $3.5{\mu}g-at./l$. Ulsan Coastal Waters had the lowest surface temperature among these four types; surface temperature was less than $16^{\circ}C$, salinity greater than $33.5\%0$, and D.O., phosphate and nitrate had very high values. It seems that these high values resulted from upwelling phenomena.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2019

To investigate the characteristics of seasonal environment and phytoplankton community structure in the coastal area of Dokdo, a survey of Dokdo around waters was conducted during the four seasons. Phytoplankton of 4 phylum 72 species in four seasons were collected in Dokdo around water. The seasonal mean abundance of phytoplankton were $3.32{\times}10^4cells\;L^{-1}$ in winter, $1.04{\times}10^4cells\;L^{-1}$ in spring, $0.28{\times}10^4cells\;L^{-1}$ in summer, and $4.86{\times}10^4cells\;L^{-1}$ in autumn in Dokdo around water. During winter, the diatoms Chaetoceros spp. had dominated. During spring, when the nutrients in the euphotic layer were depleted, the nano-flagellates and Cryptomonas appeared at surface layer. In summer, the abundance of phytoplankton was relatively low, which lead to occurrence of diatoms such as genus of Chaetoceros, Rhizosolenia, and Skeletonema. In autumn, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. was the most dominant species and tropical species such as Amphisolenia sp. and Ornithocercus magnificus were observed, implying that they may have introduced within warm water current such as Kurosiwo Current. Therefore, although natural phytoplankton communities in the vicinity water of Dokdo are mainly influenced by Tsushima Warm Current branched Kurosiwo Current, their population dynamics was affected on the spatio-temporal change of physicochemical factors by short-term wind events, namely "island effect". Long-term survey research is needed to facilitate food-web response in marine ecosystem associated with phytoplankton biomass and physicochemical factors including the warm water current in oligotrophic offshore water of Dokdo, which may have significant role for sustainable use of Dokdo.