• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.457-474
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• 2019

Since 1966 when the Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography was founded, more than 1,200 scientific papers have been published. Among them, papers for the biological oceanography constitute the largest portion of 37%, followed by the physical oceanography with 25%, and then the geological oceanography with about 17%. Papers on the chemical oceanography (CO) accounts for about 20% with around 250 papers. The field of the chemical oceanography generally occupied more than 20% since the first issue, but it declined down to 10% from the 1980s to the 1990s, and has regained to more than 20% since the late 1990s. Most of the CO research sites were at Korean coastal area, and 1/3 of the papers were on the South Sea, 1/4 on the Yellow Sea and another 1/4 on the East Sea. Nearly 60% of the CO papers were on seawater studies and about 30% on sediment studies. The main topic of the CO research was nutrients, followed by metals, isotopes, environmental pollution, organic pollution, organic matter, and gases. Most of the first authors belonged to the university, but the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (including the whole body) was the affiliation with the single largest group of the first authors.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.360-368
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• 2009

Tributyltin (TBT) use has been prohibited by the IMO (International Maritime Organization), as well as Korea, since 2003. This prohibition has affected a gradual reduction in TBT use in maritime environs (seawater, sediment, and biosamples) in several countries. In this study, Crassostrea gigas (oyster) and Tapes philippinarum (manila clam) were chosen and measured for butyltin compound concentrations to verify TBT pollution levels since its 2003 ban. Specimens were taken directly from farms for concentration measurement, where Crassostrea gigas and Tapes philippinarum are cultivated, as well as prevalent locations predicted to have been polluted. Concentrations of MBT, DBT, and TBT of Crassostrea gigas were measured to be N.D -N.D., N.D. -N.D., and N.D. -60.21 ng Sn $g^{-1}$ (wet wt), respectively. Regarding Tapes philippinarum, MBT, DBT, and TBT were N.D. -12.27 ng Sn $g^{-1}$ (wet wt), N.D. -45.95 ng Sn $g^{-1}$ (wet wt), and N.D.-7.30 ng Sn $g^{-1}$ (wet wt), respectively. For this research, a correlative study was conducted to determine butyltin compound concentration in Crassostrea gigas at the locations where measurements were made in 1994 to determine to what extent TBT pollution level decreased. A decrease in all 7 sites was observed. In 4 of the 7 samples, butyltin compounds were measured to be below the detection limit, while that of the Tapes philippinarum did not appear high compared to foreign research data.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.23 no.2 s.58
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• pp.191-199
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• 2005

The community structure, vertical distribution and harpacticoids composition of the meiofauna community were observed from five stations in Marian Cove, King George Island and one station on the northeastern side of Nelson Island. Sample was taken by a free-fall corer in December 2002. Generally, 11 taxa of meiofauna were found, and meiofauna abundance ranged from 322 to 1575 indiv. $10cm^{-2}$ (mean 781 indiv. $10cm^{-2}$). Nematodes were the most dominant group, making up $89\%$ of total meiofauna, followed by harpacticoids $(6.8\%)$. Benthic harpacticoids appeared 19 species of nine families at all the stations, and most various taxa appeared at station B (13 species of seven families). For vertical distribution, more than $70\%$ of meiofauna was concentrated in the upper $0\~2cm$ sediment layers, and the density abruptly decreased with depth in all the stations. Total biomass of meiofauna varied between 41 and $360{\mu}gC\;10cm^{-2}$, and overall mean biomass was $205{\mu}gC\;10cm^{-2}$. Also nematodes had the highest percentage of total maiofauna biomass $(62.4\%)$. The analysis results of Canonical Correspondence Analysis between meiofauna community and sediment grain size showed that polychaets, oligochaets and cumaceans were influenced by silt&cray, and sand, granule and pebble had a influence on harpacticoids, kinorhynchs and ostracods respectively. But nematodes were not affected by sediment grain size.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 2001

The community structure of macrobenthos was investigated around Sorido Island, southern coast of Korea between August 1996 and April 1997. Triplicate macrobenthic samples were taken seasonally at twelve stations in August and November 1996 and fourteen stations in February and April 19n by van Veen grab ($0.1m^2$). A total of 217 macrobenthic species were identified during study Period: 80 species were from polychaetes, 60 species from crustaceans, and 46 species from mollusks. The mean density of macrobenthos estimated $1,068 ind/m^2$, and polychaetes comprised $85\%$ of total density. The mean biomass was $110.2 g/m^2$, and echinoderms contributed to more than a half of the biomass. Major dominant species based on abundance were three polychaetes Tharyx sp., Lumbrineris longifolia, and Magelona japonica, which frequently occur in the coastal area enriched by organic pollution. The densities of the species were $582 ind/m^2$, $72 ind/m^2$, and $41 ind/m^2$, respectively. These species showed very low density in the offshore area. The study area was classified into four regions each sustaining specific macrofaunal assemblages by Bray-Curtis cluster analysis: a station group adjacent to the Kwangyang Bay and Yosu harbour and three station groups around Sorido Island. There were negative correlations between the concentration of PAHs in sediments and the abundance of Ampeliscidae spp. and Amphipoda. These results were discussed in terms of both environmental factors and distribution of benthic community.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.210-224
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• 2003

Sulfate reduction is a microbiological process which occurs ubiquitously in anaerobic marine environment. Sulfate reducing bacteria play a significant role in anaerobic decomposition of organic matter and regeneration of inorganic nutrients which supports the primary production in the water column (i.e., benthic-pelagic coupling) and, in special case, could be responsible for the harmful algal bloom in the coastal marine environment. Summary of the sulfate reduction rates reported in various marine sedimentary environments revealed that supply of organic substrates and presence of various electron acceptors (i.e., $O_2$, NO$_{3}$$^{[-10]}$ , Fe(III) and Mn(IV), etc.) for other aerobic and anaerobic respiration directly affect the sulfate reduction rate and relative significance of sulfate reduction in organic matter mineralization. Significance of temperature, macrophytes and bioturbation is discussed as factors controlling supply of organic substrates and distribution of electron acceptors. Finally, we suggest studies on the anaerobic microbiological processes associated with biogeochemical element cycles in the coastal environments of Korea where massive operation of organic enriched fish cage farm, frequent occurrence of toxic algal bloom and hypoxia and conservation of tidal flat are of major environmental issues.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 2016

An ecological study on subtidal macrobenthic fauna was conducted off the Namhaedo Island, south coast of Korea from July 2012 to April 2013. A total of 247 species of macrobenthos occurred with a mean density of $1,027ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $148.7g/m^2$. Polychaetes was the richest and most abundant faunal group that comprised 37% in both total species number and density whereas echinoderms were biomass-dominant faunal group that accounted for 44% of the mean biomass. There was a seasonal variation in the species richness and abundance of macrobenthos with more species in winter and higher density in spring. Mean faunal density was relatively high at the stations near Namhaedo Island, but gradually decreased toward offshore stations. The most dominant species in terms of density was an amphipod species, Eriopisella sechellensis which occurred as a top ranker during three seasons except spring recorded the fourth rank. E. sechellensis showed its high density at the near shore stations of Namhaedo Island, but this species did not occur around the entrance of Gwangyang and Saryang Bays where Theora fragilis and Lumbrineris longifolia showed high densities. In particular, Tharyx sp., recorded high density between Gwangyang Bay entrance and offshore after Sea Prince oil spill, did not occur in the same area during this study period. The bottom temperature and sorting value of the surface sediments were highly correlated to the spatial distribution of macrobenthic fauna from the Bio-Env analysis. From the cluster analysis, the study area has five station groups with more similar faunal affinities from inner area toward offshore area. Based on the SIMPER analysis T. fragilis, Magelona japonica, E. sechellensis, L. longifolia and Paraprionospio cordifolia were mainly contributed to the classification of station groups. From the BPI, benthic communities in the entrance of Gwangyang Bay and Saryang Bay were considered to be in a slightly polluted condition in contrast to the normal healthy community at the offshore of Namhaedo Island. These results suggested that the benthic community of this area should be regularly monitored to assess the health status of this benthic ecosystem.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.103-125
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• 2022

This study aims to identify the community characteristics of meiofauna inhabiting the Yellow Sea continental shelf. To this end an annual survey was conducted considering the seasons from 2018 to 2020 at 13 stations with a depth of 18~90 m of the Yellow Sea located at latitudes 35, 36 and 37 degrees north latitude. The survey was conducted in three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn at 5 stations in October 2018, 9 stations in April 2019, and 6 stations in August 2020 was used to collect 3 repetitions at each station. The habitat density of meiobenthos in the surveyed area was in the range of 45~1029 inds./10 cm², which was similar to the previous studies conducted in the Yellow Sea. The density of meiobenthos according to the seasons was 800±69 inds./10 cm² in autumn, the highest, and the lowest at 260±48 inds./10 cm² in summer. A total of 19 taxa appeared in meiobenthos, and the average value showed the number of nine taxa. Among the appearing taxa, the most dominant taxon was nematodes, accounting for 80.8% of the total density, followed by benthic copepods (8.8%) and benthic foraminifers (4.7%). As for the size distribution of medium benthic animals, the density of organisms corresponding to the size of 63~125 ㎛ was the highest, and 1~0.5 mm was the lowest. As for the vertical distribution in the sediments of medium benthic animals, the habitat density gradually decreased as the depth increased in the sediment surface layer. As a result of analysis of the N/C ratio, MPI, and ITD index using medium-sized benthic animals to identify the benthic environment, there were differences by season, but no values indicating pollution overall.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2014

We reviewed investigation status on turbidity plume in the statement of marine environmental survey(2008 to 2012) associated with marine sand extraction projects. The survey statement from seven marine sand extraction sites (extraction area of Southern EEZ, extraction area of Western EEZ, relocation zone in the Western EEZ, sea area under jurisdiction of Taean-gun, sea area under jurisdiction of Ansan City, and two discrete sea areas under jurisdiction of Ongjin-gun) in the nearshore and offshore of Korea showed that in situ observations were carried out for the dispersion and transport of suspended sediments on two areas (One is a extraction area in the EEZs, the other is an area of coastal sites). However, sampling station and range have not been selected considering physical, geographical factors (tide, wave, stratification, water depth, etc.) and weather conditions (wind direction and velocity, fetch, duration, etc). Especially turbidity plumes originating from three sources, which include suspended sediments in overflow(or overspill) discharged from spillways and reject chutes of dredging vessel, and resuspended sediments from draghead at the seabed, may be transported to a far greater distance outside the boundary of the extraction site and have undesirable impacts on the marine environment and ecosystem. We address that behaviour of environmental pollutants such as suspended solids, nutrients, and metals should be extensively monitored and diagnosed during the dispersion and transport of the plume. Finally we suggest the necessity to supplement the current system of the sea area utilization consultation and establish the combined guidelines on marine sand extraction to collect basic data, to monitor cumulative effects, and to minimize environmental damages incurred by the aftermath of sand extraction.