• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.181-195
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• 2005

To study the effects of aquaculture activity of marine cage fish farms on marine environment, field researches including hydrography, sediment, benthos and trap experiment at the marine cage fish farms(Site A) around estuaries of Tongyeong city were carried out during June $26\~27$, 2003. A simulation using numerical model-DEPOMOD was conducted to predict the solid deposition from fish cage and to assess the probable solid deposition, and the efficiency of environmental management of marine cage fish farms was studied. The marine cage fish farms cultured mainly common sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus), red seabream (Pagrus major), striped breakperch (Oplegnathus fasciatus) and black rockfish(Sebastes schlegeli), and total amount of cultured fish of the Site A were 23.1MT. The amount of husbandry fish by unit area(and volume) of the fish cage was $43.0kg\;m^{-2}(6.1kg\;m^{-3})$. The daily mean amounts of food fed by unit biomass and cage area were $30.8g\;kg^{-1}day^{-1},\;1.32kg\;m^{-2}day^{-1},$ respectively, at the Site A. The concentration of ORP of the sediment below the center at the Site A was -334.6 mV and the concentrations of AVS, COD, Carbon and Nitrogen were $0.43mg\;g^{-1}dry,\;17.75mg\;g^{-1}dry,\;10.19mg\;g^{-1}dry\;and\;3.49mg\;g^{-1}dry$, respectively. Capitella capitata was dominant benthic species which occupied $57.8\%$ of total species, and the Infaunal Trophical Index(ITI) was marked below 20 within 20 m distance from the edge of the Site A. The result of trap experiment, the solid deposition from the Site A was $34,485g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at 0 m from the center of the cage and $18,915g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at 42 m. From a model simulation, it was estimated that using a model simulation, the proportion of unfed food was $40\%$ at the Site A and the annual total amount of solid deposition was 63,401 accounting for $24.4\%$ of the annual total food fed at the Site A. The area solid deposition settled was estimated to be $8,450m^2$, which was about 16 times of the total area of fish cage at the Site A. And concerning ITI and abundance of benthos, the model predicted that sustainable solid flux at the Site A was below $10,000gm^{-2}yr^{-1}$. The percentage of food wasted was main element of solid deposition at the marine cage fish farms, and for minimizing solid deposition it is necessary to increase the efficiency of the food uptake. Based on the result of the model simulation, if the percentage of food wasted decreases to $10\%$ from the current $40\%$, then the solid deposition could decrease to a half. In addition, it was predicted that if farmers use EP pellets as food fed instead of MP and fish trash, solid deposition could decrease by $57\%$. Also this study proposes that the cage facility ratio of the licensed area be decreased to less than $5\%$ to minimize the sediment pollution.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 1990

Various chemical constituents were measured from April to August 1988 at the down-ward 20 stations of Keum River, which is located in the Midwest of Korea, to understand the characteristics of water quality with respect to spatio-temporal variations of each constituent. The 24-hrs continuous measurements with 2-hrs interval were made simultaneously at station 2 near the estuary weir and station 9(Ganggyeong) of 35 km upstream from the weir in April. By the results observed for one day in April at station 2, salinity has a range of $7.88\~22.14\%_{\circ}$ and its temporal variability is identical to the pattern of tidal cycle in the neigh-bouring Kunsan Harbor. However, turbidity shows relatively high values only at an interval of 4~5 hours after the lowest salinity time, though hourly fluctuation of pH is very small. Silicate and dissolved inorganic nitrogen have inversively linear correlationships with salinity, implying the concentration of the two nutrients strongly regulated by estuarine mixing of sea and river waters. In contrast, phosphate sustains roughly a constant level over a wide salinity range and distinctly lower values than those corresponding to nitrate in the oceans. Such distributions of phosphate have been observed in some estuaries, and interpreted as driven by removal of dissolved phosphate into bottom sediments and the bufforing of phosphate by particulate matter. COD values at station 2 are relatively high in day-time(particularly afternoon) and in high-salinity periods. At station 9, saltwater intrusion was never found but water level changed to the extent of 2.5 m for one day. Although each parameter at this station exhibits very slight variations in their abundance for 24 hours compared with station 2, the contents of COD, silicate and ammonia are significantly higher than at station 2. Concentration of suspended matter is relatively high in the brackish water region up to $\~20$ km above the river mouth, probably due to strong tidal stirring of the bottom de-posits. Also, relatively high pH, COD and $O_2$ saturation at the upward stations of $40\~50$ km from the weir are presumably attributable to active photosynthesis of plants in the region. In general, COD and nutrients except phosphate are higher values at the upper stations than in the estuary zone, and show the highest abundances in July nearly at all stations. Finally, in the estuarine region tidal mixing of sea-river waters seems to be an important factor controlling the distributions of turbidity, COD, silicate and nitrate as well as salinity. However, water quality in the upward fresh-water zone is remarkably variable according to months or seasons.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.200-209
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• 2008

Particle fluxes were measured with a time-series sediment trap from July 2003 to June 2005 at the St. KOMO(KOMO; Korea Deep-Sea Environmental Study Long-Term Monitoring Station, $10^{\circ}30'N,\;131^{\circ}20'W$) in the northeastern Pacific. Total mass fluxes at a depth of 4,960 m showed distinct seasonal variations with high values in the winter(December-February) and spring(March-May) and low values in the summer(June-August) and fall(September-November). Biogenic origin fluxes also displayed distinct seasonal variations similar to total mass fluxes. Particularly, calcium carbonate fluxes in winter and spring were more than two times greater than those in summer and fall. The prominent seasonal variations of total mass and biogenic fluxes were closely related with the seasonal changes of primary production in the surface waters; in winter and spring, primary production increased due to the enhanced supply of nutrients below the surface mixed layer by strong wind and less stratification, whereas it decreased as a result of the less supply of nutrient by reduced wind speed and strong stratification in summer and fall. The seasonal variations of total mass and biogenic fluxes in this study were higher than the differences of total mass and biogenic fluxes caused by the environmental changes such as El $Ni\tilde{n}o$ and La $Ni\tilde{n}a$ events in the previous studies. In order to understand the effects of El $Ni\tilde{n}o$ and La $Ni\tilde{n}a$ on the particle flux, therefore, the seasonal variation of particle flux in the northeastern equatorial Pacific needs to be well defined.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.407-421
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• 2014

The benthic environmental impact experiment addresses environmental impacts at a specific site related to deep-sea mineral resource development. We have acquired several tens of multi- or box core samples at 31 sites within the Benthic environmental Impact Site (BIS) since 2010, aiming to examine the basic properties of surficial deep-sea sediment as a potential source for deep-water plumes. In this study, we present the geochemical properties such as major elements, rare earth elements (REEs), and heavy metal contents at the BIS. Such proxies vary distinctly according to the Facies association. The lithology of all core sediments in the BIS corresponds to both Association Ib and Association IIIb. The vertical profiles of some major elements ($SiO_2$, $Fe_2O_3$, CaO, $P_2O_5$, MgO, MnO) show noticeable differences between Association Ib and IIIb, while others ($Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$, $Na_2O$, and $K_2O$) do not vary between Association Ib and IIIb. REEs are also distinctly different for Associations Ib and IIIb; in Association Ib, REY and HREE/LREE are uniform through the sediment section, while they increase downward in Association IIIb like the major elements; below a depth of 8 cm, REY is over 500 ppm. The metal enrichment factor (EF) evaluates the anthropogenic influences of some metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cd) in marine sediments. In both Associations, the EF for Cu is over 1.5, the EF for Ni and Pb ranges from 0.5 to 1.5, and the EF for Zn and Cd are less than 0.5, indicating Cu is enriched but Zn and Cd are relatively depleted in the BIS. The vertical variations of geochemical properties between Association Ib and IIIb are shown to be clearly different, which seems to be related to the global climate changes such as the shift of Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.64-79
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• 2015

We investigated the tidal current, hydrographic data, and benthic environment of major sea cucumber (Holothuroidea, de Blainville, 1834) habitats in Baengnyeongdo, Jindo and Uljin to understand the optimal environmental or ecological habitat for sea cucumbers. The three study areas were characterized by a cold-water mass of temperatures ranging $12{\sim}18^{\circ}C$, with an active circulation between the surface and deep waters. According to an analysis of the tidal current map, a strong flow velocity of $100{\sim}120cm\;s^{-1}$ appeared in Baengnyeongdo and Jindo. The three sea cucumber habitats showed the common characters of a bottom sediment composed of sand-silt, a diverse seaweed colony and benthic organisms, and boulders and rocks which provide a hideout for the organisms. We aimed to draw the optimal habitat condition for sea cucumbers in Korea, and the result showed that the low water temperature, rapid water flow, active vertical mixing between surface and deep waters, bottom composed by sand-silt, large rocks, and diverse seaweed colony and benthic organism were important factors. The optimal habitat for Juvenile sea cucumbers was the intertidal areas characterized by a muddy bottom, reef, and seaweed. The optimal habitat for adult sea cucumbers was characterized by a place where sand and mud are mixed, and the body size of the sea cucumber was proportional to water depth, and the relatively large boulders and rocks compared to the intertidal area.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2009

In order to understand the impacts of the construction of artificial sea dikes on carbon cycle in Samangeum area being a closed environment after April, 2006, we had measured suspended particulate matters, particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the surface water of inner Saemangeum dike from 2003 to 2006. The significant inputs of suspended particulate matter and organic carbon were mainly occurred during the wet season which suggests that most organic matter loading is concentrated within a short period of time inside the dike. The concentrations of particulate matter and organic carbon have gradually increasing every year inside of dike from the Mangyeong river estuary to Saemangeum dike, which has been closed since 2003 after the construction of the 4th dike. The particulate organic carbon increased due to the phytoplankton blooms by eutrophication. If the large portion of particulate organic matter produced in the surface water sink to the bottom sediment, this will cause the anoxic condition in this closed environment.

• 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.24 no.3
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• pp.400-421
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• 2019

This study was conducted to find out the seasonal distribution characteristics of meiobenthic communities to understand the benthic ecosystem of Gwangyang Bay, one of the representative bays in the southern coast of Korea. The faunal sampling was conducted eight times seasonally at 20 stations from 2010 to 2011. Among the meiobenthic fauna that appeared during the study period, the nematodes and harpacticoids were the most dominant. In the summer of 2011, the lowest density ($13ind.10m^{-2}$) was seen at station 10 on the inner part of the bay. In the winter of 2011, the highest density ($3,109ind.10m^{-2}$) was seen at station 4 on the inner part of the bay. Although the trend of seasonal changes in density was not clear, the meiobenthic community was seen to be affected more by the environmental factors in each season. Particularly, while the density of the harpacticoids, a dominant faunal group, showed negative correlations with the organic content and average particle size in the summer sediments (p<0.05, p<0.01), the density of the nematodes showed no significant correlation with the environmental factors except with the winter average particle size and the bottom layer's water temperature. The density change of meiobenthos showed irregular changes in Gwangyang Bay, instead of a general trend showing a low density in winter due to low water temperature but an increased density in spring and summer when the water temperature rises and a decreased one again in fall. Considering such a seasonal trend, it seems that the benthic ecosystem of Gwangyang Bay is affected more by artificial environmental factors than by natural environmental ones.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2018

Phytoplankton community was studied in relation to a typhoon at Bok-gyo Bridge area in Juam Lake, Korea. In August 31, 2000, a typhoon (Prapiroon) was passed by Juam Lake with great power enough to destroy summer stratification of Juam Lake. Destratification resulted in temporal mixing of the whole water column and changed the physical and chemical properties of water bodies, and caused the changes of the biological properties. The transparency decreased from 195 cm before the typhoon to 84 cm after the typhoon with the resuspension of the bottom sediment. In the vertical distribution of the phytoplankton population, the maximum population was measured at depth of 2 m before the typhoon. However, immediately after the typhoon, the population distributed evenly throughout the entire water layers. The carbon biomass of the phytoplankton was also highest at the depth of 2 m before the typhoon, but immediately after the typhoon, it was uniformly distributed throughout the whole water layers. The vertical profiles of the concentrations of chlorophyll a, however, did not show a significant difference before and after the typhoon. The typhoon induced destratification and restratification altered the taxa of the phytoplankton. The major dominant phytoplankton taxa before the typhoon was diatoms including Aulacoseira granulata, but the green algae overwhelmed the diatoms in cell number and biomass after the typhoon. The chlorophycean dominance was replaced by cyanophycean dominance with the heavy rain and descent of water temperture at the end of September.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.357-368
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• 2003

Time-series CTDT (Conductivity/Temperature/Depth/Transmissivity) were obtained at one point near tidewater glacier of Marian Cove (King George Islands, Antarctica) to present water column properties and SPM (suspended particulate matter) dispersal pattern in relation with tide, current, meteorological data, and SPM concentration. Four layers were divided from the water column characteristics measured in the interval of an hour for about 2 days: 1) cold, fresh, and turbid surface mixed layer between 0-20 m in water depth, 2) warm, saline, and relatively clean Maxwell Bay inflow between 20-40 m in water depth, 3) turbid/cold tongue of subglacial discharges compared with the ambient waters between 40-70 m in water depth, and 4) cold, saline, and clean bottom water beneath 70 m in water depth. Surface plume, turbid freshwater at coastal/cliff area in late summer (early February), had the characteristic temperature and SPM concentration according to morphology, glacial condition, and composition of sediments. The restrict dispersion only over the input source of meltwater discharges was due to calm wether condition. Due to strong wind-induced surface turbulence, fresh and turbid surface plume, englacial upwelling cold water, glacier-contact meltwater, and Maxwell Bay inflow was mixing at ice-proximal zone and the consequent mixed layer deepened at the surface. Large amount of precipitation, the major controlling factor for increasing short-term glacial discharges, was accompanied by the apparent development of subglacial discharge that resulted in the rapid drop of salinity below the mid depth. Although amount of subglacial discharge and englacial upwelling may be large, however, their low SPM concentration would have small influence on bottom deposition of terrigenous sediments.