• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.225-238
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• 2008

In order to investigate the effects of intertidal sediments on the nutrient cycle in coastal environments, the benthic fluxes of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and silicate at two stations on the intertidal flat of Keunso Bay were determined during each season. The efflux of ammonium was observed at S1 and resulted from the diffusion of remineralized ammonium and acceleration caused by the bioirrigation of macrofauna. The influx of ammonium at S2 was probably due to nitrification in the water column. The influx of nitrate was observed at both stations during all seasons, indicating that the nitrate in the pore water was removed by denitrification. Vigorous bioirrigation led to the efflux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at S1, whereas the influx of DIN at S2 was predominantly caused by denitrification. Contrary to the diffusive and bio-irrigated release of remineralized phosphate from the sediment at S1, the influx of phosphate was observed at S2, which may be attributable to adsorption onto iron oxides in the aerobic sediment layer. Silicate, which is produced by the dissolution of siliceous material, was mostly released from the sediment by molecular diffusion and bioirrigation. However, the influx of silicate was observed at S2 during spring and winter, which was ascribed to adsorption by particulate matter or assimilation by benthic microphytes. The annual fluxes of DIN were 328 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S1 and -435 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S2. The annual fluxes of phosphate were negative at both sites (-2.8 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S1 and -28.9 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S2), whereas the annual fluxes of silicate were positive at both sites (843 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S1 and 243 mmol $m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at S2).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.700-707
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• 2003

Surface sediments in the mouth area of Jinhae Bay were investigated to evaluate the benthic environment in terms of geochemical criteria and macrobenthos abundance. Characteristics of the surface sediment distribution exhibited muddy sediments in the most part of study area. Some mixed sediments of coarse sand and mud were distributed along the coastal area of Geoje Island and around the Jeo Islands. Organic matter from ignition loss and total organic carbon from CHNS varied between $8.8-1.7\%,\;and\;4.62-0.77\%,$ respectively. The source of organic matter based on the C/S ratio was mixed with in situ biogenic and terrigenous organic matter. The C/S ratio of organic matter also suggested both an anoxic bottom condition in several parts of the study area. The content of hydrogen sulfide in surface sediment was extremely variable and showed spatio-temporal variation from site to site. In several locations, the content of hydrogen sulfide as an index of eutrophication was over the critical value (0.2 mg/g), suggesting that several parts of the study area were not favorable for the habitat of macrobenthos. The relationship among the number of individuals of marcrobenthos, hydrogen sulfide, and organic matter was not clear, but a potential negative relationship between individuals of marcrobenthos and hydrogen sulfide was indicated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.319-325
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• 2012

A new formulae for the estimation of the exposure duration in the inter-tidal zone are developed. The exposure duration is one of the most important factors influencing the habitat distribution of the benthic organisms. The formulae can estimate the exposure duration only using the four major tidal harmonic constants available in almost coastal areas. It is easier than the existing method using the frequency analysis of the hourly tidal elevation data. The estimation results by using the formulae suggested in this study are compared with the value by using the observed tidal elevation data analysis in the west coast, Korea. The mean RMS (root-mean squared) errors ranged form 0.8 to 1.4%. It can be used to simply estimate the accurate exposure duration in the region not having the longterm hourly tidal elevation data.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2002

ATP concentrations far estimating total microbial biomass in the sediment were measured in three different marine sedimentary environments. ATP concentrations were highest in the surface sediment and decreased with increasing sediment depth and distance from the land. The results indicated that the benthic microbial biomass is primarily controlled by nutrient inputs from the overlying water column. Because of the longer residence time and adsorption to the sediment, the variations in organic carbon (OC) contents with sites and depths were not as distinct as that of ATP, and the correlation between OC and ATP was not significant in the coastal sediments. No significant correlation between OC and ATP in the coastal sediments also suggested that microbial biomass in the labile organic-enriched coastal sediment is suppressed by the grazing of higher trophic level such as meiofauna. Overall regional and vertical distribution of ATP indicated that h\`w can be a relevant tool for measuring total microbial biomass in various marine sedimentary environments.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2014

The subject of this study is the Gongchon-cheon which is one of the largest streams in Incheon and is closely related to lives of citizen. Comparative analysis is made on the changes of the environment and the ecological condition of Gongchon-cheon after the stream naturalization construction which is completed in July 2009. From the results of the survey, 32 species in 2004, 22 species in 2009 and 46 species in 2010 have been recorded. The number of the species decreased from 2004 to 2009 due to the disturbance of the river environment, and it increased in a short time from 2009 to 2010 because of the recovery of the environment. It demonstrates the stream naturalization construction providing enough environments (dikes and rapids) for the benthic macro invertebrates. The result of the present study is similar with the river's biology index, ESB index, and KSI index, and also it is similar with the pattern of the appearance, which illustrates that the species decreased during the naturalization construction, and increased after the stabilization since the finish of the naturalization construction, and it has been confirmed that the naturalization construction provides the better environment for the inhabitation of organisms.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.spc2
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• pp.765-776
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to provide the legal and institutional guidelines and standards that can be used in the whole river restoration project and to analyze and evaluate the performance of the river project. We constructed an assessment system of four biological taxa that can represent the river environments, namely, evaluation indexes and standards of vegetation and birds, benthic invertebrates and fishes. Specifically, the assessment indicator and criteria of biological characteristics are summarized, so that in case of vegetation community, vegetation diversity, vegetation complexity, and vegetation naturalness can be quantitatively assessed through the combination of three indices. Based on the scientific basis of the advanced techniques, benthic invertebrates, fishes, and birds were proposed to quantitatively evaluate assessment grades according to the classification of biological data. In order to evaluate biological characteristics, which are a part of river environmental naturalness, we proposed a comprehensive biological index and evaluation grade applying the weight of these four biological taxa, and it clearly reflects the characteristics of river environment in test bed.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.165-165
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• 2003

A borehole core ECSDP-102 (about 68.5 m long) has been investigated to get information on paleoenvironmental changes in response to the sea-level fluctuations during the period of late Quaternary. Several AMS $\^$14/C ages show that the core ECSDP-102 recorded the depositional environments of the northern East China Sea for approximately 60 ka. The Yangtze River discharged huge amounts of sediment into the northern East China Sea during the marine isotope stage (MIS) 3. In particular, $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values reveal that the sedimentary environments of the northern East China Sea, which is similar to the Holocene conditions, have taken place three times during the MIS 3. It is supported by the relatively enriched $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values of -23 to -21$\textperthousand$ during the marine settings of MIS 3 that are characterized by the predominance of marine organic matter akin to the Holocene. Furthermore, we investigated the three Holocene sediment cores, ECSDP-101, ECSDP-101 and YMGR-102, taken from the northern East China Sea off the mouth of the Yangtze River and from the southern Yellow Sea, respectively. Our study was focused primarily on the onset of the post-glacial marine transgression and the reconstructing of paleoenvironmental changes in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea during the Holocene. AMS $\^$14/C ages indicate that the northern East China Sea and the southern Yellow Sea began to have been flooded at about 13.2 ka BP which is in agreement with the initial marine transgression of the central Yellow Sea (core CC-02). $\delta$$\^$18/O and $\delta$$\^$13/C records of benthic foraminifera Ammonia ketienziensis and $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values provide information on paleoenvironmental changes from brackish (estuarine) to modem marine conditions caused by globally rapid sea-level rise since the last deglaciation. Termination 1 (T1) ended at about 9.0-8.7 ka BP in the southern and central Yellow Sea, whereas T1 lasted until about 6.8 ka BP in the northern East China Sea. This time lag between the two seas indicates that the timing of the post-glacial marine transgression seems to have been primarily influenced by the bathymetry. The present marine regimes in the northern East China Sea and the whole Yellow Sea have been contemporaneously established at about 6.0 ka BP. This is strongly supported by remarkably changes in occurrence of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, $\delta$$\^$18/O and $\delta$$\^$13/C compositions of A. ketienziensis, TOC content and $\delta$$\^$13/Corg values. The $\delta$$\^$18/O values of A. ketienziensis show a distinct shift to heavier values of about 1$\textperthousand$ from the northern East China Sea through the southern to central Yellow Sea. The northward shift of $\^$18/O enrichment may reflect gradually decrease of the bottom water temperature in the northern East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 1999

This study was carried out to describe the growth of Ruditapes philippinarum on Chohwa and Toksan tidal flat in Kwangyang Bay, from June 1994 to July 1995. On the Chohwa tidal flat, the mean gran size, organic content and chlorophyll-a of the surface sediment were the range of 2.50-4.46 , 4.99-5.11%, 14.53-19.90 $\mu\textrm{g}$ cm$\^$-3/, and on the Toksan tidal flat, 0.83-1.66 , 2.22-2.34%, 6.20-6.90 $\mu\textrm{g}$ cm$\^$-3/, respectively. The shell length of R. philippinarum increased rapidly from spring to summer, and gently from summer to autumn, and ceased during winter. Fresh weight increased during spring and autumn, and decreased during summer and winter. condition factors also showed the same variations of weights. Synthesized annual growth pattern of 4 year classes in shell length fitted the von Bertalnffy growth model well. The annual growth of weight fitted the Gompertz model relatively well. The values of w, initial shell growth rate, and AGR$\sub$max/, maximum weight growth rate, on the Chohwa tidal flat were lower than those on the Toksan tidal flat. Comparing the growth patterns in the same tidal flat, growth rate was higher on the lover tidal flat than those on the higher tidal flat. In conclusion, the Chohwa tidal flat maintaining higher density showed lover growth rate, because of relatively insufficient food supply and inhabiting space.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Most wetlands worldwide have suffered from extensive human exploitation. Unfortunately they have been less explored compared to river and lake ecosystems despite their ecological importance and economic values. This is the same case in Korea. This study was aimed to estimate the assemblage attributes and distribution characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates for fifty wetlands distributed throughout subtropical Jeju Island in 2021. A total of 133 taxa were identified during survey periods belonging to 53 families, 19 orders, 5 classes and 3 phyla. Taxa richness ranged from 4 to 31 taxa per wetland with an average of 17.5 taxa. Taxa richness and abundance of predatory insect groups such as Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera respectively accounted for 67.7% and 68.2% of the total. Among them Coleoptera were the most diverse and abundant. Taxa richness and abundance did not significantly differ from each wetland type classified in accordance with the National Wetland Classification System. There were three endangered species (Clithon retropictum, Lethocerus deyrolli and Cybister (Cybister) chinensis) and several restrictively distributed species only in Jeju Island. Cluster analysis based on the similarity in the benthic macroinvertebrate composition largely classified 50 wetlands into two major clusters: small wetlands located in lowland areas and medium-sized wetlands in middle mountainous regions. All cluster groups displayed significant differences in wetland area, long axis, percentage of fine particles and macrophyte composition ratio. Indicator Species Analysis selected 19 important indicators with the highest indicator value of Ceriagrion melanurum at 63%, followed by Noterus japonicus (59%) and Polypylis hemisphaerula (58%). Our results are expected to provide fundamental information on the biodiversity and habitat environments for benthic macroinvertebrates in wetland ecosystems, consequently helping to establish conservation and restoration plans for small wetlands relatively vulnerable to human disturbance.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

In this study, we tried to describe the distribution patterns of marine opportunistic mollusks in Korean waters where various environmental stresses have been imposed. Five opportunistic molluscan species were found from four types of disturbed benthic environments around Korea. Theora fragilis, Macoma incongrua, Musculista senhousia were typical dominant species mainly in the coastal area such as harbour regions and semi-enclosed regions where their sediments were enriched with organic matter and summer hypoxia occurred. However, in the waste dumping areas located in the Yellow Sea and southeastern shelf, small size bivalves such as Thyasira tokunagai and Raetellops pulchella were typical opportunistic species.