• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.72-80
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• 2020

A sea dike in the Yeongsan River estuary was constructed in 1981 to supply water and reclaim tidal flats for agriculture, separating the estuary into the freshwater and seawater zones. However, the sluice gates are frequently opened and freshwater is discharged in summer when more rainfall is recorded than other seasons, then converting the estuary to brackish water system. In this study, the direct effect of freshwater discharge was investigated by monitoring daily variation in water properties and phytoplankton size structure before and after the freshwater discharge events from 2013 to 2015. Freshwater discharge resulted in a sharp decrease in salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) at surface water whereas it increased the turbidity of water column. However, salinity did not decrease sharply in 2014 when freshwater was discharged one day before the monitoring and salinity remained low prior to the monitoring. Levels of nutrients especially dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) increased after the discharge and this contributed to potential limitation of nutrients such as P or Si rather than N in the estuary. Freshwater discharge also caused the changes in phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) and size structure although their responses were different between years. The changes may affect growth of grazers and thus structure of marine food web by alternating food availability in the Yeongsan River estuary.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.639-643
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• 2002

Water quality, bacterial phase and fish growth rate were analyzed in the process of artificial seed production of flounder (Paralichtys oliraceus) larvae to investigate the water quality in rearing tank using Ultra Filtration System (UES). Sand Filtration System (SFS) and Ultra Filtration System (Ins) were set up in the experimental group. For the analysis of water quality, pH, salinity, DO, SS, COD, $NH_{4}^{+},\;NO_{2}^{-},\;NO^-,\;DIN$ (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and DU (dissolved inorganic phosphate) were measured. There was no data difference between SFS group and UES group in most analysis items, but the UEs group showed low salinity and low 55 values, such that salinity was $33.5\%_{\circ}$ in SES group and $30.2\%_{\circ}$ in WS group and 55 was 15.5 mL/L in SES group and 7.0 mL/L for UPS group. For changes in bacterial phase and TBC (Total Bacterial Counts), in SES group, 6$\times$10^{5}CFU/mL in seawater decreased to the ratio of about 116, and TBC, Genus Vibrio and bacteria in the Genus Acinetobacter and Genus Micrococcus sharply increased after nine days, while stable bacterial phase was maintained low in UES group during the experiment except for Genus Ajteromonas. In the growth of the larvae, fish length was 17.0 mm (SGR 14.0) in the SES group and 18.8 mm (SGR 14.3) in the UFS group. It is concluded that when water is supplied for artificial seed production with WS, stabilization of water quality condition and inhibition of bacterial multiplication are possible. When production environment becomes stable, stable growth of fish becomes possible by reduction of environmental stress.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.112-123
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• 2022

To assess the influence of environmental factors on the phytoplankton community structure and total phytoplankton biomass during four seasons in 2014, we investigated the abiotic and biotic factors at 25 stations in the Busan coastal region. The phytoplankton community and total phytoplankton biomass were strongly dependent on the discharge from the Nakdong River, and the high density of phytoplankton was related with the introduction of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), particularly in the thermohaline fronts of the fall season. The relationship between the salinity and nutrient (Dissolved inorganic nitrogen=DIN: R²=0.72, p<0.001 and Dissolved inorganic silicon=DSi: R²=0.78, p<0.001) highly correlated with the river discharge, implying that those nutrients have played a crucial role in the growth of diatom and cryptophyta. The total phytoplankton biomass was highest in the summer followed by autumn, spring, and winter. Diatom and cryptophyta species were dominant species during the four seasons. Additionally, there were strong positive correlations between Chlorophyll a and total phytoplankton biomass (R²=0.84, p<0.001), cryptophyta (R²=0.76, p<0.001) and diatom (R²=0.50, p<0.001), respectively. In particular, we found that there were significant differences in the nutrients, phytoplankton community compositions, and total phytoplankton biomass between the inner and the outer coastal region of Busan, depending on the amount of river discharge from the Nakdong River, particularly during rainy seasons. Therefore, the seasonal change of TWC and river discharge from the Nakdong River serve an important role in determining phytoplankton population dynamics in the Busan coastal region.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.124-134
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• 2021

Water in the Mulgol pond on Dokdo (island), Korea, was historically used for drinking water, but now it has been no longer used for this purpose due to regionally low water quality. Since 2007, this pond has been covered with a metal lid to protect from pollutants of seabirds, indicating limited light penetration into the Mulgol pond. Here, we investigated water quality in the pond and potential relationships of nitrogen components and microbes in May, June, August, and November 2020. The source salinity ranged from 1.39 to 1.57 psu. Suspended solids (0.8~5.1 mg L^-1) and chlorophyll-a (<0.01~0.49 ㎍ L^-1) remained low. The concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was between 35.9 and 47.2 mg L^-1. Thus, water in the Mulgol pond proves to be brackish water with low chlorophyll-a and high nutrients. This unique environment may be established by limited light intensity, sea fog (or seawater), and fecal pellets from many seabirds. Although the light source (800~8000 lux) was exposed to the four subsamples, chlorophyll-a concentrations were below <0.5 ㎍ L^-1 during the incubation periods. This result suggests that the biomass of phytoplankton does not increase along with an increase in light intensity. Furthermore, the content of nitrate constituted more than 90% of DIN, and a significant negative correlation between nitrate concentration and bacterial abundance was shown in May and June 2020 during the light exposure experiments (R=-0.762, p<0.05). Thus, it is possible that bacteria may be a significant agent to reduce nitrate concentration in the Mulgol pond, the relationship between nitrate concentration and bacterial abundance may vary seasonally.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.691-710
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• 2017

This study was performed to investigate the geochemical and benthic environment of three shellfish farms in Suncheon Bay during the period of September 2014 ~ April 2015. Three sampling stations were selected; St.1 is the shellfish farm of razor clam near Jangsan area. St.2 is the shellfish farm of small ark shell near Hwapo area and St.3 is the shellfish farm of razor clam near Yongdu area. Razor clam was the dominant species at St.1, small ark shell and granulated ark shell were dominant at St.2 and St.3, respectively. Granulated ark shell inhabited St.3, although it is not cultured at that station. This station's exposure to air during the ebb tide and sediment composition likely provides the appropriate habitat for granulated ark shell species. Analysis of the number of different species showed that 8 benthos species were found to be distributed at St.1, 18 species at St.2, and 13 species at St.3. Among three stations, the highest Ignition Loss (IL), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Acid Volatile Sulfide (AVS) values were obtained from the sediment at St.2. The analysis of pore water from St.2 also showed the highest values of Total Organic Carbon (TOC), ammonia ($NH_4^+$), Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) and phosphate ($PO_4^{3-}$). These results are related to the fact that species dominance and richness is the highest in St.2.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2012

We surveyed 23 sites of Jinhae Bay in spring and summer 2010 in order to study the correlation between the variation of environmental factors, including salinity, temperature, and nutrients and the characteristics of phytoplankton community structures in summer stratification. Phytoplankton biomass was high in the surface water in summer; however, it was very low in the bottom water. The results showed a negative correlation between chlorophyll a (chl. a) and nutrients (silicate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and phosphate) or nutrients ratio in summer; however, there was mostly a positive correlation between chl. a and these nutrients in spring. This inconsistent correlation between spring and summer was attributed to the phytoplankton community, because a diverse phytoplankton community has different nutrient uptake abilities. In addition, the results of CCA (canonical correspondence analysis) showed a negative correlation between phosphate and dominant species, including Chaetoceros spp., Skeletonema costatum-like spp., and Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima in summer, but a strong positive correlation between DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and the dominant species, including Cryptomonas spp. and Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata in spring. Consistently, the dominant algal species in summer showed a relatively smaller size cells compared with those in spring, suggested that it may have related with the low nutrient levels at surface layer due to strong stratified water column of summer.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.362-372
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• 2010

In order to understand what leads to the appearance of harmful Chattonella algae in the Yeosu coastal waters of Korea, we measured environmental parameters every week at one station from May to November, 2006, and April to October, 2007. Four species of Chattonella appeared during the monitoring period: C. antiqua, C. globosa, C. marina and C. ovata. The range of water temperature and salinity were $15.0-27.9^{\circ}C$ and 17.6~33.0 psu, respectively, when Chattonella appeared, and their maximum cell density (4,840 cells/L) was at $27.1^{\circ}C$ and 33.0 psu. During the monitoring periods, the range of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphate (DIP) and chlorophyll $\alpha$ (Chl-$\alpha$) concentrations in surface waters were $1.20-52.23\;{\mu}M$ ($8.59{\pm}8.97\;{\mu}M$), $0.03-1.56\;{\mu}M$ ($0.47{\pm}0.31\;{\mu}M$) and $0.45-31.12\;{\mu}g/L$ ($3.58{\pm}4.77\;{\mu}g/L$), respectively. Chattonella occurred at low cell density when the Chl-$\alpha$ concentration increased because of supplied nutrients, whereas their cell density increased during the periods of rapid decrease in Chl-$\alpha$. The results of growth experiments based on batch culture showed that the half saturation constant ($K_s$) of C. antiqua on ammonium (${NH_4}^-$), nitrate (${NO_3}^-$) and phosphate (${PO_4}^{2-}$) were $3.89{\mu}M$, $5.01\;{\mu}M$ and $0.63\;{\mu}M$, respectively. These Ks values are higher than those reported for diatoms and other flagellates at the DIP concentration (average $0.47{\mu}M$) of Yeosu coastal waters. Although the maximum specific growth rate (${\mu}_{max}$) of C. antiqua was lower than diatoms, it was higher than those of other flagellates. Therefore, our results indicate that the DIP level in the study area was too low to support Chattonella blooms, although Chattonella species have physiological characteristics that enable them to grow more rapidly than other flagellates when nutrient levels are higher than their $K_s$.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-309
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• 1990

To provide essential information of the role of marine bacteria on the dinoflagellate blooms, distribution of marine bacterial flora and dinoflagellate species was investigated in Chinhae Bay located in southern part of Korea from August 1989 to April 1990. Two hundred and fifty one strains of marine bacteria were isolated from seawater samples collected from the study area. Among them, Flavobacterium spp. and Acinetobacter spp. were the most dominant in bacterial flora. Another 32 strains which comprised 13 percent of total strains were Erythrobacter spp.. Based on the physiological character, Erythrobacter spp. were identified as Erythrobacter longus, Erythrobacter sp.(J-2) and Erythrobacter sp. (J-8). From the phytoplanktonic community, fourteen genera and twenty nine taxa of dinoflagellate species were identified. Based on the spatio-temporal frequence and abundance Gymnodinium sanguneum, Prorocentrum micans and Prorocentrum minimum were the aestival dominent species. However, Heterocapsa triquetra was appeared as predominant species in April. Cell density of about 2,000 cells/ml was prevailed in the bloom of August, but it developed into more intensive bloom of above 500 cells/ml in September. The water quality showed eutrophic or hypereutrophic condition, which was proved by high concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, ortho-phosphate and chemical oxygen demand. Oxygen deficient water mass was found in the bottom overlying waters in August and September. High relationship between abundant bacterial flora and persistent dinoflagellate blooms in eutrophic condition would be approvable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.708-722
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• 2016

Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) models for nutrient budgets were used to estimate the seasonal capacity of the Youngsan Estuary and Youngam-Geumho Estuary to sink and/or supply nutrients such as dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and nitrogen (DIN) to provide an understanding of the behavior of the coupled biogeochemical cycles of phosphorus and nitrogen in the estuaries (Youngsan Estuary, Youngam-Geumho Estuary) near Mokpo Harbor. During non-stratified periods (May, September, and November, 2008), simple three-box models were applied in each sub-region of the system, while a two-layer box model was applied during on-site observation of stratification development (July, 2008). The resulting mass-balance calculation indicated that even after large discharges from artificial lakes (in May and July), DIP influxes due to a mixing exchange ($V_{X-3}$, or $V_{deep}$) were more than terrigenous loads, indicating the backward transportation of nutrients from a marine source. The model results also indicated that for nutrient loads (DIP and DIN fluxes) in September, an extreme congestion of nutrients occurred around the mouths (sub-region III of the model) of the estuaries, possibly due to an imbalance in physical circulations between the estuaries and offshore locations. In November, the Youngam-Geumho Estuary, into which freshwater was discharged from artificial lakes (Youngam and Geumho Lake), showed nutrient enrichment in the water column, but the Youngsan Estuary showed nutrient depletion. In conclusion, to efficiently control water quality in the estuaries near Mokpo Harbor, integrated environmental management programs should be implemented. I.e., the reduction of nutrient loads from land basins as well as the deposit of nutrient loads into adjacent coastal lines.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.133-142
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• 2009

In order to understand the present environmental condition and future impingement of Changjiang(Yangtze River) outflow upon the adjacent seas after the scheduled completion of the Sanxia (Three Gorges) Dam in 2009, we tried to estimate the mixing ratios among surface waters of three end-members: Changjiang Water (CW), Kuroshio Water (KW), and East China Sea Water (ECSW) using $^{228}Ra/^{226}Ra$ activity ratio and salinity as tracers. Water samples were collected from 32 stations in November 2005 (R/V Tamgu 3), from 20 stations in July 2006 (R/V Ocean 2000) and from 17 stations in August 2006 (R/V Ieodo) in the northern part of the East China Sea. Radium isotopes in ~300 liters of surface seawater were extracted onboard by filtering through manganese impregnated acrylic fibers and following coprecipitation as $Ba(Ra)SO_4$. Activities of radium isotopes were determined by a high purity germanium detector. Results show that the fraction of CW was in the range of 1-23% in the study area, while KW was in the range of 0-30 % and ECSW 58-100 %. The eastward plume of Changjiang outflow, commonly observed in satellite images during summer and also displayed by the eastward-decreasing CW fraction in this study, could be attributed to Ekman transport caused by the SE monsoon prevailing in this region during summer. Results of this study showed that in the drought season, there was a little or no fraction of CW in the study area. Concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) showed strong positive relationship with the fraction of CW, suggesting Changjiang as the major source of nitrogen. The mixing curve of DIN indicates the removal of nitrate by biological uptake during the mixing of CW with ambient seawater in the study area.