• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2007

Altimeter (Topex/Poseidon) and AVHRR (NOAA) data were used to study the variations and correlations of Sea Level (SL) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the North East Asian Seas from November 1993 to May 1998. This region is influenced simultaneously to continental and oceanic climate as the border of the East Sea (Japan Sea). SL and SST have increased gradually every year because the global warming, and presented usually a strong annual variations in Kuroshio extension region with the influence of bottom topography.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.289-301
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• 2008

Community structure of heterotrophic protists and their grazing impact on phytoplankton were studied in Northwest Pacific Ocean during October, 2007. The study area was divided into four regions based on physical properties (temperature and salinity) and chlorophyll-a distribution. They were Region I of North Equatorial Currents, Region II of Kuroshio waters, Region III of shelf mixed water, and Region IV of Tsushima warm current from East China Sea. The distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations and community structure of heterotrophic protists were significantly affected by physical properties of the water column. The lowest concentration of chlorophyll-a was identified in Region I and II, where pico-sized chlorophyll-a was most dominant (>80% of total chlorophyll-a). Biomass of heterotrophic protists was also low in Region I and II. However, Region III was characterized by low salinity and temperature and high chlorophyll-a concentration, with relatively lower pico-sized chlorophyll-a dominance. The Highest biomass of heterotrophic protists appeared in Region III, along with the relatively less important nanoprotists. In Region I, II and IV, heterotrophic dinoflagellates were dominant among the protists, while ciliates were dominant in Region III. Community structure varied with physical(salinity and temperature) and biological (chlorophyll-a) properties. Biomass of heterotrophic protists correlated well with chlorophyll-a concentration in the study area ($r^2=0.66$, p<0.0001). The potential effect of grazing activity on phytoplankton is relatively high in Region I and II. Our result suggest that biomass and size structure of heterotrophic protists might be significantly influenced by phytoplankton size and concentration.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 1981

A numerical experiment is made in order to clarify the mechanism of the upwelling phenomenon along the coast near the poleward edge of the western boundary current. The possibility of the upwelling is suggested from the analysis of the observational data in the east of Honshu, Japan, and in the south eastern coast of Korean Peninsula. This upwelling phenomenon is very deep and can be traced to the bottom layer. The upwelling phenomenon seems to be a general oceanic feature which characterizes the region along the west coast near the poleward edge of the western boundary current. This experiment is simulating the oceanic condition of the transition region between Kuroshio front and the Oyashio front in the east of Honshu, Japan. The possible explanations of the causes of the upwelling are as follows;In the interior of the modeled ocean the cold heavy water supplied from the north and the warm light water from the south make the north-south gradient of the pressure field and accelerate the eastward current to produce the h-orizontal divergence feld near the west coast. The divergence is compensated by the upwelling near the separation region. Another one is that the upwell-ed cold water strengthen constantly the pressure gradient which is balanced by the northward current and is weakened by the horizontal diffusion.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2005

The distributions of fish larvae and juveniles from the East China Sea, Yellow Sea and near Tsushima Island were investigated in Spring using the Maruchi (1994-1995) and Unagi (1996-1997) nets. A total of 94 species of fish larvae and juveniles belonging to 49 families under 17 orders were identified, of which Engraulis japonicus was dominant in every year except 1995 where Trachurus japonicus was dominant. Cluster analysis based on abundance and species composition by sampling stations (St.) revealed that the similar stations formed an arcuate group from Tsushima Island to southern Jeju Island in 1994, and from the Yellow Sea to southern Jeju Island in 1996. We concluded that these patterns resulted from the influence of the Tsushima Current prevailing in the east, and the Chinese Continental Waters and/or Hwanghae Cold Waters prevailing in the west, with Jeju Island exerting an influence in the centre. The diversity and composition of St. 97-3 and St. 97-5, both located where the Tsushima Current splits from the Kuroshio Current, was greatly different despite their close proximity. However, the former is located on the continental shelf, with the latter on the continental slope. This suggested that both topography and the Kuroshio Current have the most influence on the distribution of fish larvae and juveniles in this region. Furthermore, the weak Hwanghae Cold Waters of 1997 may have also limited the mixing of fish larvae and juveniles between the two stations.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 1972

For the geographical distribution of Primno macropa it was distributed over all stations investigated, except surface tow in East China Sea, through all seasons. It is believed that this species is most cosmopolitan species in the western North Pacific. Veritical distributional range of P. macropa indicates at depths from surface to more than 1,500m and most deeper recored for the vertical occurrence was obtained from depth of 1,650-2,220m in Station 229 $(34^\\circ 44.3'N, 140^\\circ 04.4'E)$, off Nojima-Zaki, Central Japan. For the vertical distributional and migrational pattern it is a typical diurnal migrant in the western North Pacific; at depths from 100m to 500m at night and 400m to 700m at day in Oyashio population, and from surface to 200m at night and from 100m to 300m at day in Kuroshio population. In Kuroshio area, the population of P. macropa was distributed in somewhat shallower layers than in Oyashio area and it is suggested that the populations is different in region and season according to their stages consisting the population.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2012

Time series of ocean climate indices and catch records were used to identify the alternation patterns of pelagic fish populations in relation to climate regime shifts. During 1910-2008, an orderly alternation of dominant pelagic fish groups was observed in the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC; Yellow Sea-East China Sea-East Sea/Japan Sea) and Kuroshio-Oyashio Current (KOC; Northwestern Pacific) regions. After the collapse of herring fishery in the late 1920s, the sardine (A group) dominated in the 1930s, 3 other species (C group; Pacific saury, jack mackerel, and anchovy) dominated in the 1950s-1960s, chub mackerel (B group) dominated in the 1970s, and then sardine (A group) dominated again during cool regime in the 1980s. As sardine biomass decreased in association with the climate regime shift that occurred in the late 1980s, catches of C group immediately increased after the regime shift and remained at high levels during warm regime in the 1990s. Alternations of dominant fish groups occurred 6 times between 1910 and 2008. The dominant period of the 7 species lasted for 10-20 years. The catch of Pacific sardine in the TWC and KOC regions showed a negative correlation with the catch of the other 5 species (Pacific herring, anchovy, jack mackerel, Pacific saury, and common squid), suggesting that the abundance of the 5 species is strongly affected by the abundance of Pacific sardine in relation to the climate regime shifts. The total catch level of the 7 species in the KOC region was generally higher than that in the TWC region before 1991 but was lower after 1992, suggesting that the fish populations in the Pacific side are shifted to the TWC region by zonal oscillation of the oceanic conditions in relation to the climate regime shift in the late 1980s.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.161-169
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• 2000

A seasonal circulation in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea and its possible cause have been studied with CSK data during 1965-1989. Water mass distributions are clear in winter, but not in summer because the upper layer waters are quite influenced by atmosphere. To solve the problem, a water mass analysis by mixing ratio is used for the lower layer waters. The results show that the distribution of Tsushima Warm Current Water expands to the Yellow Sea in winter and retreats to the East China Sea in summer. It means that there is a very slow seasonal circulation between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea: Tsushima Warm Current Water flows into the Yellow Sea in winter and coastal water flows out of the Yellow Sea in summer. By the circulation, the front between Tsushima Warm Current Water and coastal water moves toward the shelf break in summer so that the flow is faster in the deeper region. The process eventually makes the transport in the Korea Strait increase. The Kuroshio does not seem to influence the process. A possible mechanism of the process is the seasonal change of sea surface slope due to different local effects of surface heating and diluting between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.41-47
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• 2002

The surface current in the region from Mara-do to mid of the Pacific has been measured by tracking the position of a buoy. The buoy was accidentally released from its original location, near Mara-do, and it has been drifting following the surface current. The tracking started on 27 December 2001 and continued until 29 June 2002. We combined the trace oi the buoy with the wind data available.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2011

The actiniarian sea anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, and the scleractinian coral, Alveopora japonica, host symbiotic dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Symbiodinium (Freudenthal). We studied the host-symbiont specificity of these two anthozoan hosts in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Symbionts within the two hosts were identified using partial large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and complete internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 rDNA regions. The host, E. quadricolor, was identified using the partial LSU rDNA molecular marker. Genetic analysis showed that E. quadricolor only harbors dinoflagellates belonging to subclade C1/3 of the genus Symbiodinium. Moreover, no genetic variation was detected among the symbionts of E. quadricolor within the study region (Korea and Japan), even though the two distant sites were separated by more than 1000 km, at collection depths of 1 m in shallow and 13-16 m in deep water. Whilst scleractinian corals host multiple Symbiodinium clades in tropical waters, A. japonica, sampled over a wide geographical range (800 km) within the study region, only hosts Symbiodinium sp. clade F3. The high specificity of endosymbionts in E. quadricolor and A. japonica within the northwestern Pacific Ocean could be accounted for because symbiotic dinoflagellates within the host anemones appear to be acquired maternally, and the Kuroshio Current might affect the marine biota of the northwestern Pacific. However, the consistency of the symbiotic relationships between these two anthozoan hosts and their endosymbionts could change after climate change, so this symbiotic specificity should be monitored.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2008

Temporal and spatial variabilities of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) in the northern East China Sea (ECS) are described, using both 8-day composite images of the SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) and in-situ data investigated in August and September during 2000-2005. Ocean color imagery showed that Chl-a concentrations on the continental shelf within the 50 m depth in the ECS were above 10 times higher than those of the Kuroshio area throughout the year. Higher concentrations (above $5mg/m^3$) of yearly mean Chl-a were observed along the western part of the shelf near the coast of China. The standard deviation also showed the characteristics of the spatial variability near $122-124^{\circ}E$, where the western region of the East China Sea was grater than that of the eastern region. Particularly the significant concentration of Chl-a, up to $9mg/m^3$, was found at the western part of $125^{\circ}E$ in the in-situ data of 2002. The higher Chl-a concentrations of in-situ data were consistent with low salinity waters of below 30 psu. It means that there were the close relationship between the horizontal distribution of Chl-a and low salinity water.