• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.46-56
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• 2017

The Youngsan River estuary was physically changed by the construction of a sea embankment at near the mouth of estuary. Weirs were also constructed recently in the freshwater zone and it was reported that algal blooms occur more frequently. The freshwater introduced into saltwater zone from sluice gates of the embankment affects water quality but it has not been addressed that how the freshwater inputs influence the health of marine ecosystem. In this study, we used the data of water properties and phytoplankton communities collected at three stations for 4 days including before the freshwater discharge, during the discharge and after 1 and 2 days of discharge events. WQI(water quality index), TRIX (trophic status index) and P-IBI(phytoplankton index of biotic integrity) were used to evaluate the ecosystem health and long-term data were also utilized to determine the criteria for P-IBI. The results showed that grades of the ecosystem health assessed by the indices were low at the station near the gates and increased as downstream. However, the temporal pattern of grades was different depending on methods. Grades of WQI and TRIX decreased during the discharge and restored after the discharge whereas the grades of P-IBI decreased slightly even after the discharge. This suggests that P-IBI is more applicable to estuarine systems where experience extreme change of water properties than WQI and TRIX since P-IBI includes phytoplankton that can respond quickly to the change.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.4 s.118
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• pp.471-480
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• 2006

The field scale experiment was performed to examine the performance of the constructed wetland for nonpoint source (NPS) pollution loading reduction. Four sets (each set of 0.88 ha) of wetland (0.8 ha) and pond (0.08 ha) systems were used. Water flowing into the Seokmoon estuarine reservoir from the Dangjin stream was pumped into wetland systems. Water depth was maintained at 0.3-0.5 m and hydraulic retention time was managed to about 2-5 days; emergent plants were allowed to grow in the wetland. The wetland effluent concentrations of $BOD_5$, TSS, and T-N were higher in winter than in the growing season excepting the T-P, and effluent $BOD_5$ concentration was higher than influents in winter. Mass retention of T-N and T-P was stable throughout the year, whereas mass retention of $BOD_5$ and TSS was decreased in winter. $BOD_5$, TSS, T-N, and T-P performance of the experi-mental system was compared with the existing database (North American Treatment Wetland Database), and was within the range of general system performance. From the first-order analysis, T-P was virtually not temperature dependent, and $BOD_5$ and TSS were more temperature dependent than T-N. Overall, the wetland system was found to be an adequate alternative for treating polluted stream water with stable removal efficiency and recommended as a NPS control measures.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2010

Nutrient limitation and light limitation was examined for the Youngsan Lake by collecting chlorophyll $\alpha$ and other properties including light intensity, nutrient concentrations, pheopigment ratio monthly from March, 2003 to April, 2004 (except for November-January). Chlorophyll $\alpha$ was fractionated into net-(>$20\;{\mu}m$) and nano-size(<$20\;{\mu}$). Light and nutrient limitation index was calculated based on the equations incorporating the mechanisms of limitation of light and nutrients from the literature. Phytoplankton population (chlorophyll $\alpha$) was low during the wet season especially in August and increased in short-period during other seasons. Photoperiod was short during the wet season but long during the dry season. Nutrients such as phosphate and ammonium were rapidly increased in spring, 2004. Light limitation index was minimum (0.01) in August during the wet season and nutrient limitation index was relatively high (>0.4) except for May and September. Light limitation may affect phytoplankton growth rather than nutrient limitation considering that nutrient levels are high in the Youngsan Lake. Results of correlation analyses showed a negative correlation between light and nutrient limitation indices and net-pheopigment index, and a positive correlation between the indices and nano-pheopigment index. These results suggest that phytoplankton response to change of light and nutrient may be size-dependant.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2000

The ecology of estuarine bacteria in terms of bactenal production and biomass was investigated in Naktong embayment. Intrusion of eutrophic freshwater was one of the major factors affecting on the ecosystem of Naktong embayment. Total bacterial number varied from $2.2{\times}10^5 cells/ml to 9.8{\times}10^5 $ cellslml, and the variation ranges of the bacterial biovolume and biomass were 0.023-0.201TEX>$\mu$$m^3$/cell and 0.010-0.140 TEX>$\mu$g-Clml, respectively, and there was a reciprocal relationship between bacterial number and biomass. Pool size of thymidine varied from 12.93 nM to 44.56 nM. The pool during summer was supposed to be composed of easily utilizable form than the typical one of winter, which suggests thal bacterial productivity measured in summer may be underestimated. Bactenal production varied from 0.12 TEX>$\mu$g-Cllh to 22.38 TEX>$\mu$g-Clllh, and the values were low in winter and increased from spring and reached the highest in summer. The variations of bacterial production showed high correlations with temperature, chlorophyll a, and bacterial biomass. These results suggested that the main source of organic matters which influence the bacterial production in Naktong embayment may be the photosynthetic excretory products of phytoplanktons.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.291-302
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• 2021

The phytoplankton community in the estuarine system is affected by changes of physicochemical factors easily. The present study analyzed phytoplankton community distribution and similarity, in addition to exploring factors influencing variations in phytoplankton community structure in three lakes located in the Yeongsan River estuary from March 2014 to November 2017. We carried out non-multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and random forest analysis (RF) for comparing the pattern of phytoplankton distribution and the relationship between phytoplankton distribution and environmental variables. Similarity Percentage (SIMPER) and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) were performed to figure out the similarity of phytoplankton community at each site of three lakes. From NMDS, Phytoplankton community distribution differed between Yeongsan and Gumho lakes, and the factors influencing the distribution of phytoplankton communities across the three lakes were water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen (T-N), nitrate-N (NO₃-N), and conductivity. NO₃-N was a key factor influencing phytoplankton community structure in the three lakes based on RF. A total of 24 species were identified as indicator species in the three lakes studied, with the highest species numbers observed in Yeongsan Lake (13) and the lowest observed in Yeongam Lake (2). According to SIMPER and ANOSIM results, the phytoplankton community in Yeongsan and Yeongam lakes were similar, and they differed from those in Gumho Lake. In addition, the phytoplankton community structure varied across the study sites in the three lakes, indicating that water channels across the lakes a minor influence phytoplankton community distribution.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2022

Total of 325 estuaries in Korea were surveyed to analyze the effect of presence of sluice gate on the estuary environment and fish community from 2016 to 2018. Fish community in closed and open estuaries showed differences generally, and the relative abundance (RA) of primary freshwater species in the closed and migratory species in the open estuaries were high. The result of classifying species by habitat characteristics in closed and open estuaries showed similar tendencies at the estuaries of south sea and west sea. The relative abundances of primary freshwater species in the closed estuaries at the estuaries of south sea and west sea were the highest, but estuarine and migratory species were high in both closed and open estuaries at the estuaries of east sea. Primary freshwater species showed higher abundances in the closed estuaries with reduced salinity due to blocking of seawater since they are not resistant to salt. However, primary freshwater species in open estuaries at east sea was higher than that of the closed estuaries, which is considered to be the result of reflecting the characteristics (tide, sand bar, etc.) of the east sea. Korea Estuary Fish Assessment Index (KEFAI) was showed to be higher at open estuaries than closed in all sea areas (T-test, P<0.001), the highest KEFAI was observed in closed estuaries at south sea, and open estuaries in east sea. Fish community of closed and open estuaries in each sea areas showed statistically significant differences (PERMANOVA, East, Pseudo-F=3.0198, P=0.002; South, Pseudo-F=22.00, P=0.001; West, Pseudo-F=14.067, P=0.001). Fish assemblage similarity by sea areas showed a significant differences on fish community in closed and open estuaries at east sea, south sea, and west sea (SIMPER, Group dissimilarity, 85.85%, 88.36%, and 88.05%). This study provided information on the characteristics and distribution of fish community according to the types of estuaries. The results of this study can be used as a reference for establishing appropriate management plans according to the sea areas and type in the management and restoration of estuaries for future.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.204-212
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• 2005

Recognition has emerged that nutrient inputs from the submarine discharge of fresh, brackish, and marine groundwaters into the coastal ocean are comparable to the inputs via river discharge. The coastal areas of the Korea peninsula and adjacent seas exhibit particular importance in the role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), in terms of the magnitude of SGD and associated continental material fluxes. For example, in the southern sea of Korea, SGD transports excess nutrients into the coastal regions and thus appears to influence ecosystem changes such as the outbreak of red tides. Around volcanic island, Jeju, which is composed of high permeability rocks, the amount of SGD is higher by orders of magnitude relative to the eastern coast of North America where extensive SGD studies have been conducted. In particular, nutrient discharge through SGD exerts a significant control on coastal ecosystem changes and results in benthic eutrophication in semi-enclosed Bang-du bay, Jeju. In the entire area of the Yellow Sea, tile submarine discharge of brackish groundwater and associated nutrients are found to rival the river discharges into the Yellow Sea, including those through Yangtze River, Han River, etc. In the eastern coast of the Korea peninsula, SGD is significantly higher during summer than winter due to high hydraulic gradients and due to wide distribution of high permeability sandy zones, faults, and fractures. On the other hand, in the estuarine water, downstream construction of the dam in the Nakdong River, SGD was highest when the river discharge was lowest (but water level of the dam was highest). This suggests that even though there is no visible freshwater discharge into this estuary, the discharge of chemical species is significant through SGD. On the basis of the results obtained from the coastal areas of the Korea peninsula, SGD is considered to be an important pathway of continental contaminants influencing tidal-flat ecosystems, red tides, and coral ecology. Thus, future costal management should pay great attention to the impact of SGD on coastal pollution and eutrophication.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.327-336
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• 2011

Temporal and spatial variations of primary productivity were investigated in the estuary of Youngsan River and Mokpo coastal areas in 2009. After heavy rain, concentrations of ammonium, phosphate, and silicate increased at six stations in August. The torrential rainfall may cause an increase in nutrient concentrations during summer. There is no limitation of nutrients (except for February at the mid-Youngsan estuarine region YS2) but a potential phosphate limitation was apparent at all stations. Silicate depletion was observed at YS2 in February due to a massive diatom bloom. The trophic status of the Youngsan estuary and Mokpo coastal areas were inferred from an assessment of the primary productivity. In February and May, YS1 (upper Youngsan estuary site) and YS2, YS3 (near the Youngsan river estuary barrage), MP1 (upper Mokpo coastal region site) were appropriately assigned to the mesotrophic category. MP2 (mid-Mokpo coastal region site) and MP3 (outer site of Mokpo coastal region) were assigned to the oligotrophic category. All stations were classified to the oligotrophic status in November. In August, after heavy rain, Youngsan estuary stations maintained mesotrophic status. On the other hand, MP1 and MP2 were classified in the eutrophic category and MP3 to mesotrophic status. In particular, primary productivities of MP1 and MP2 were 9 and 7 times higher respectively than the standard of eutrophic status ($1,000-mgC\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$). These results suggest that a massive freshwater discharge from the Youngsan River estuary should be considered a main factor in the occurrence of phytoplankton bloom in Mokpo coastal areas during summer. Seasonal variations of primary productivity are closely related with depth-integrated Chl. a.