• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2014

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are aquatic mammals that experienced drastic changes during the transition from terrestrial to aquatic environment. Morphological changes include streamlined body, alterations in the face, transformation of the forelimbs into flippers, disappearance of the hindlimbs and the acquisition of flukes on the tail. For a prolonged diving, cetaceans acquired hypoxia-resistance by developing various anatomical and physiological changes. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations are still limited. CREB-binding protein (CREBBP) is a transcriptional co-activator critical for embryonic development, growth control, metabolic homeostasis and responses to hypoxia. Natural selection analysis of five cetacean CREBBPs compared with those from 15 terrestrial relatives revealed strong purifying selection, supporting the importance of its role in mammals. However, prediction for amino acid changes that elicit functional difference of CREBBP identified three cetacean specific changes localized within a region required for interaction with SRCAP and in proximal regions to KIX domain of CREBBP. Mutations in CREBBP or SRCAP are known to cause craniofacial and skeletal defects in human, and KIX domain of CREBBP serves as a docking site for transcription factors including c-Myb, an essential regulator of haematopoiesis. In these respects, our study provides interesting insights into the functional adaptation of cetacean CREBBP for aquatic lifestyle.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.105-114
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• 2006

Together with the trend of enhancement in domestic industrial development and economic progress due to import and export, the demand for construction of the roads, bridges, especially port facilities, and several coastal protection and ocean structures is increasing rapidly. MOMAF of Korean Government is driving construction of 9 new ports and renovation of the existing fishery ports. Among these structures most of bridge base, wharves, dolphins, quays, and jetties are being newly built of steel or concrete pile. As the base, supporting bulkheads, and piles are underwater after construction, it is difficult to figure out the status of structures and not enough to get maintenance and strengthen the structures. Every year, moreover, these works suck the government budget due to higher incomplete maintenance expense for protection from corrosions of structures and increased underwater construction period. for the purpose of cutting down the government budget, it is necessary to extend the life cycle of the existing structures. We developed a new method for maintenance of submerged structures near the waterline by allowing dry work environment with the floating caisson. The method shows easy to move around the working area and handle. It also showed not only a significant reduction of maintenance expenses and time for anti-corrosion work but also better protection. This will be a milestone to reduce the maintenance and construction expenses for the shore and water structures.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.938-945
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• 2022

National Institute of Fisheries Science conducted a total of 39 sighting surveys for marine mammals over 624 sighting days that covered 20,771 nautical miles in Korean waters during 2011-2020. Marine mammals were detected when 83.9% of the marine environment was less than or equal to three on the Beaufort wind scale. Thirteen species of marine mammals were identified, including two species of pinniped, with a majority of cetacean species. Frequently found species were narrow-ridged finless porpoise, followed by common dolphin, minke whale, Dall's porpoise, and Pacific white-sided dolphin. Narrow-ridged finless porpoises and minke whales were located in and offshore around the Korean peninsula, common and Pacific white-sided dolphins were exclusively found in the East Sea for most seasons. The other marine mammals were spotted in some seas and for limited durations.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.30 no.6 s.112
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• pp.447-455
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• 2006

Together with the trend of enhancement in domestic industrial development and economic progress due to import and export, the demand for construction of the roads, bridges, especially port facilities, and several coastal protection and ocean structures is increasing rapidly. MOMAF of Korean Government is driving construction cf 9 new ports and renovation cf the existing fishery ports. Among these structures most of bridge base, wharves, dolphins, quays, and jetties are being newly built cf steel or concrete pile. As the base, supporting bulkheads, and piles are underwater after construction, it is difficult to figure out the status of structures and not enough to get maintenance and strengthen the structures. Every year, moreover, these works suck the government budget due to higher incomplete maintenance expense for protection from corrosions cf structures and increased underwater construction period. For the purpose cf cutting down the expense cf government budget, it is necessary to extend the life cycle of the existing structures. Therefore, we developed a new method for maintenance of submerged structures near the waterline by allowing dry work environment with the floating caisson. The method shows easy to move around the working area and handle. It also showed not only a significant reduction of maintenance expenses and time for anti-corrosion work but also better protection This will be a milestone to reduce the maintenance and construction expenses for the shore and water structures.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.3-16
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• 1999

The objective of BMP( Barge Mounted Plant) project is to construct plants on mooring floating structures at sea. To analyze the pile behavior under mooring dolphins, generally, axial or lateral behavior of soil-pile system is evaluated by using a nonlinear subgrade reaction method which models the pile as a structural element and the soil as series of nonlinear springs along the depth. As a result, load-displacement curves at pile head can be solved by finite difference method and the equivalent stiffness of bottom boundaries of dolphin structure is evaluated. In this study off-shore site investigation was performed on the marine area of Koje Island and axial and lateral load transfer curves of the ground were modeled with depth. The subgrade reaction analysis was performed for piles under axial or lateral loadings, and the required penetration depth and section of the pile were determined. Subsequently, the spring boundaries under the dolphin structure could be modeled from the calculated load-displacement curve and then the dynamic response of the dolphin structure was analyzed reasonably by considering ground conditions. The analysis considering the stiffness of the soil-pile system has resulted in larger displacement amplitudes than those for rigid foundations. Furthermore, moment distributions of the casing were dependent on the soil-pile system so that deformable foundation induces the larger moment of top section of casing and the smaller moment of pile head.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.133-144
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• 2009

Incheon Bridge, 18.4 km long sea-crossing bridge, will be opened to the traffic in October 2009 and this will be the new landmark of the gearing up north-east Asia as well as the largest & longest bridge of Korea. Incheon Bridge is the integrated set of several special featured bridges including a magnificent cable-stayed girder bridge which has a main span of 800 m width to cross the navigation channel in and out of the Port of Incheon. Incheon Bridge is making an epoch of long-span bridge designs thanks to the fully application of the AASHTO LRFD (load & resistance factor design) to both the superstructures and the substructures. A state-of-the-art of the geotechnologies which were applied to the Incheon Bridge construction project is introduced. The most Large-diameter drilled shafts were penetrated into the bedrock to support the colossal superstructures. The bearing capacity and deformational characteristics of the foundations were verified through the world's largest static pile load test. 8 full-scale pilot piles were tested in both offshore site and onshore area prior to the commencement of constructions. Compressible load beyond 30,000 tonf pressed a single 3 m diameter foundation pile by means of bi-directional loading method including the Osterberg cell techniques. Detailed site investigation to characterize the subsurface properties had been carried out. Geotextile tubes, tied sheet pile walls, and trestles were utilized to overcome the very large tidal difference between ebb and flow at the foreshore site. 44 circular-cell type dolphins surround the piers near the navigation channel to protect the bridge against the collision with aberrant vessels. Each dolphin structure consists of the flat sheet piled wall and infilled aggregates to absorb the collision impact. Geo-centrifugal tests were performed to evaluate the behavior of the dolphin in the seabed and to verify the numerical model for the design. Rip-rap embankments on the seabed are expected to prevent the scouring of the foundation. Prefabricated vertical drains, sand compaction piles, deep cement mixings, horizontal natural-fiber drains, and other subsidiary methods were used to improve the soft ground for the site of abutments, toll plazas, and access roads. Light-weight backfill using EPS blocks helps to reduce the earth pressure behind the abutment on the soft ground. Some kinds of reinforced earth like as MSE using geosynthetics were utilized for the ring wall of the abutment. Soil steel bridges made of corrugated steel plates and engineered backfills were constructed for the open-cut tunnel and the culvert. Diverse experiences of advanced designs and constructions from the Incheon Bridge project have been propagated by relevant engineers and it is strongly expected that significant achievements in geotechnical engineering through this project will contribute to the national development of the longspan bridge technologies remarkably.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2006.06b
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• pp.163-170
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• 2006

Together with the trend of enhancement in domestic industrial development and economic progress due to import and export, the demand for construction of the roads, bridges, especially port facilities, and several coastal protection and ocean structures is increasing rapidly. MOMAF of Korean Government is driving construction of 9 new ports and renovation of the existing fishery ports. Among these structures most of bridge base, wharves, dolphins, quays, and jetties are being newly built of steel or concrete pile. As the base, supporting bulkheads, and piles are underwater after construction, it is difficult to figure out the status of structures and not enough to get maintenance and strengthen the structures. Every year, moreover, these works suck the government budget due to higher incomplete maintenance expense for protection from corrosions of structures and increased underwater construction period. For the purpose of cutting down the expense of government budget, it is necessary to extend the life cycle of the existing structures. Therefore, we developed a new method for maintenance of submerged structures near the waterline by allowing dry work environment with the floating caisson. The method shows easy to move around the working area and handle. It also showed not only a significant reduction maintenance expenses and time for anti-corrosion work but also better protection. This will be a milestone to reduce the maintenance and construction expenses for the shore and water structures.

• Ocean policy research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.183-204
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• 2018

Whaling has been banned in Republic of Korea after the declaration of the moratorium on the commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) since 1986. Korean government followed the moratorium immediately. However whale meat market has been kept by the bycaught whales and dolphins. So Korean government established a rule to control and trace whale meat in the market in 2011. The rule has some loopholes to allow illegally taken whale meat smuggle into the market. This study investigates the flaws in the current rule and recommend the way to overcome that defects. The first step is to prevent the entry of the illegal whale meat into the market. Minor change of the current law would be a solution. The next measure is to increase the sampling rate of the whale DNA that allowed to distribute in the market. The DNA database would be a powerful tools to identify illegal whale meat which is existing in the market. Korean government is operating three kind of food traceability systems. However, because of the legal limitations and the opposition of the non-governmental animal rights organizations, it is difficult to include whale meat to the existing systems. So the last step is to establish a new Traceability System with a state-of-the-art IT technology like as blockchain. The three measures mentioned above would increase the transparency in the whale meat market and prevent the entry of the illegal products.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2011

The impact protection system consists of an arrangement of circular sheet pile cofferdams-denoted dolphin structuredeeply embedded in the seabed, filled with crushed rock and closed at the top with a robust concrete cap. Centrifuge model tests were performed to investigation the behaviors of dolphins in this study. Total 7 quasi-model tests and 11 dynamic model tests were performed. The main experimental results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, The experimental force-displacement results for quasi-static tests show a limited influence on the initial stiffness of the structure from the change in fill density and the related change in the stiffness of the fill. And by comparing the dissipation at the same dolphin displacement it was found that the denser fill increase the dissipation by 16% for the 20m dolphin and by 23% for the 30m dolphin. The larger sensitivity for the large dolphin is explained by a larger contribution to the dissipation from strain in the fill. In low level impacts the dynamic force-response is up to 26~58% larger than the quasi-static and the dissipation response is showed larger in small displacement. Hence, it is concluded conservative to use the quasi-static response characteristics in the approximation of the response, and it is further concluded that the dolphin resistance to low level impacts is demonstrated to be equivalent and even superior to the high level impacts.