• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.80-88
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• 2016

In order to reconstruct a benthic foodweb structure and assess the role of benthic microalgaes as a diet source for benthos, we analyzed the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of diverse benthos (bivalves, crustaceans, gastropods and fishes) and potential diets (particulate organic matter, sedimentary organic matter, benthic microalgae, seagrass, and macroalgaes) in the intertidal mudflat surrounding Yeongheung Island. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of the diets indicated wide ranges (- 26.5‰ to - 8.4‰) while benthos showed a small range of ${\delta}^{13}C$ values (-12.1‰ to - 17.8‰), although they were in the same range. Except for green algaes among the macroalgaes as well as sedimentary organic matter, ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of the diet candidates ($5.7{\pm}1.0$‰) were lighter in comparison to those of the benthos ($11.8{\pm}1.9$‰). Based on the ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ data, the benthos were classified into 3 groups, indicating a different diet and trophic position. But benthic microalgae is the most important diet source for all three benthos groups based on their stable isotope ratios, suggesting benthic microalgae should be a main diet to the intertidal ecosystem. Hence this study highlights that the biomass of benthic microalgae as biological resource should be evaluated for the management of the intertidal ecosystem of Yeongheung Island.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.263-276
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• 2021

Marine benthic organisms have been used as the indicators for the environment assessment and recently considered as a very important component in the biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. In Korean waters, the quantitative data on marine benthos was used as one of major components for the marine pollution assessment for 50 years since 1970s. The species identification which is an important factor for the quantitative biological data was mainly performed by the marine benthic ecologists. This leads to the deterioration of the data quality on marine benthos from the misidentication of major taxonomic groups due to the lack of taxonomic expertise in Korea. This taxonomic problem has not been solved until now and remains in most data from national research projects on the marine ecosystems in Korean waters. Here we introduce the quality assurance and control (QA/QC) system for the marine biological data in UK, that is, NMBAQC (Northeast Atlantic Marine Biological Analytic and Quality Control) Scheme which has been performed by private companies to solve similar species identification problems in UK. This scheme asks for all marine laboratories which want to participate to any national monitoring programs in UK to keep their identification potency at high level by the internal quality assurance systems and provides a series of taxonomic workshops and literature to increase their capability. They also performs the external quality control for the marine laboratories by performing the Ring Test using standard specimens on various faunal groups. In the case of Korea, there are few taxonomic expertise in two existing national institutions and so they can't solve the taxonomic problems in marine benthic fauna data. We would like to provide a few necessary suggestions to solve the taxonomic problems in Korean marine biological data in short-terms and long-terms: (1) the identification of all dominant species in marine biological data should be confirmed by taxonomic expertise, (2) all the national research programs should include taxonomic experts, and (3) establishing a private company, like the Korea marine organism identification association (KMOIA), which can perform the QA/QC system on the marine organisms and support all Korean marine laboratories by providing taxonomic literature and species identification workshops to enhance their potency. The last suggestion needs more efforts and time for the establishment of that taxonomic company by gathering the detailed contents and related opinions from diverse stakeholders in Korea.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.463-466
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• 2006

During Mid October of 2005 a mass mortality of the corals occurred surrounding Con Dao Islands (South Vietnam) where is the recognized as one of the most famous marine parks of Vietnam. Results from the field survey in October 2005 showed that the mass mortality of corals and benthos focused only on the North-West of the islands whereas there was almost no death recorded in the South - East parts. Based on field data it was assumed that an overlap between high water temperature ($>30^{\circ}C$) and low salinity (<25%o) during short term was the impact causing the situation. In this paper, we try to explain this phenomenon based on the hydrographical view together with analyzing ocean colour images. A coral bleaching warning system also is proposed for Condao site.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.750-763
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• 2018

This study conducted 10 sampling sites survey 4 times to determine the trophic structure and energy flow of marine ecosystems for Uljin marine ranching area, Korean East Sea from March to October 2013. Based on the ecological characteristics of biological species, one used the non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling method based on the similarity of species. A total of 19 classified species groups formed categories including, top predators, seabirds, large pelagic fishes, small pelagic fishes, rockfishes, pleuronectiformes, benthic fishes, semi-benthic fishes, cephalopods, benthic feeders, epifauna, bivalves, abalone, Cnidaria, zooplankton, benthic algae, microalgae, phytoplankton and detritus. The biomass, production/biomass, consumption/biomass, diet composition data of each species groups to input data used in Ecopath mode estimated the trophic structure and energy flow of marine ecosystems in the Uljin marine ranching area. One estimated each species groups on the trophic level from 1 to 5.687. The sum of all consumption was estimated at $229.7t/km^2/yr$ and the sum of all exports was as estimated $3,432.4t/km^2/yr$. Total system throughput was at $6,796.2t/km^2/yr$, and the sum of all production was estimated at $3,613.1t/km^2/yr$. Net system production according to these results was estimated at $3,490.3t/km^2/yr$ and total biomass (excluding detritus) was estimated at $167.3t/km^2/yr$ in the Uljin marine ranching area.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.113-122
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• 1998

The requisite numbers of sample replicates for the population study of soft-bottom benthos were estimated from survey data on the Songdo tidal flat and subtidal zone in Youngil Bay, Korea. Large numbers of samples were taken; two-hundred-fifty 0.02 m$^2$ box corers and fifty 0.1m$^2$ van Veen grabs were taken on the Songdo tidal flat and in Youngil Bay, respectively. The effect of sampler size on sampling efforts was investigated by pooling the unit samples in pairs, fours, eights, etc. The requisite number of sample replicates (n$_r$) was determined by sample variance (s$^2$) and mean (m) function (n$_r$:s$^2$/P$^2$m$^2$), at P=0.2 level, in which s$^2$ and m were calculated from the counts of individuals collected. For example, seven samples of 0.02 m$^2$ corer for the intertidal and two samples of 0.1 m$^2$ van Veen grab for subtidal fauna were required to estimate the total density of community. The smaller sampler size was more efficient than larger ones when sampling costs were compared on the basis of the total sampling area. The requisite number of sample replicates was also predicted ($\^{n}$n$_r$) by substituting $\^{s}$$^2$ obtained from the regression of s$^2$ against m using the Taylor's power law ($\^{s}$$^2$:am$^b$). The regression line of survey data on s$^2$ and m plotted on log scale was well fitted to the Taylor's power law (r$^2$${\geq}$0.95, p<;0.001) over the whole range of m. The exponent b was, however, varied when it was estimated from m which was categorized into classes by its scale. The fitted exponent b was large when both density class and the sampler size were large. The number of sample replicates, therefore, could be more significantly estimated, if regression coefficients (a and b) would be calculated from sample variance and mean categorized into density classes.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.235-247
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• 2022

A marine protected area (MPA) is a spatially designated section of the ocean where the biodiversity is high. Munseom MPA has a unique underwater landscape including soft coral, subtropical fish, and benthos, attracting many scuba divers. This paper intends to evaluate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the scuba diving management policy in the Munseom MPA. As a stated preference valuation method, a choice experiment was applied to assess divers' preferences with economic values for the policy. The attributes used in the study included zoning (temporal closure), conservation education, daily permit, soft coral area, and diving fee. We collected 333 questionnaires through online and field surveys and used 296 after excluding incomplete responses for the final data analysis. Study results show that a six-month closure, a decrease in soft coral habitat, and the diving fee were statistically significant. A positive coefficient with regard to the six-month closure variable indicates that divers preferred the policy, and the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) was estimated to be KRW 8,637 per person per dive. The aggregate WTP of KRW 233 million was obtained by multiplying the MWTP by the number of visiting divers per year. When comparing the levels of recreation specialization, more skilled divers preferred the management option. The results of this study will help predict the priority of management measures and the levels of acceptability among divers when diving management is implemented in Korea in the future. This study suggests that marine environmental policies need to consider divers as one of the important stakeholders for marine conservation.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.123-135
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• 2010

Around Tongyeong coasts which located in southern coast of Korea composed to the complex coastal line and scattered by small islands. It also has been distributed to a complicated bathymetric structure by several types of channels. This study carried to analyze the spatial characteristics of macrobenthic community and benthic environmental variance on sub-tidal area based on multivariate statistics tools. Sediment composition varied from muddy sand to mud, and along the channels, it composed to a heterogeneous bottoms mixed by shell fragment, cobbles and mud. Organic contents on the surface sediment varied 1.1-3.9%. Total of 272 species, $33,349\;ind./m^2$ of macrobenthos identified in all of sample area. Polychaetes also prevailed among the specimen. L. longifolia, P. pinnata dominated based on density. Considering on the biomass, echinoderm S. lacunosa, A. tricoides listed. Closer to the coastal area, the density and diversity were higher. Community structure based on cluster analysis was discriminated into three groups. Each group was also characterized by geographical state such as depth, sediment composition. In addition, when applied to the bathymetric data, the channel, which composed to the mixed sediment, made a role of limited factor which characterized to benthic community. Because the specimen around the channel have been affected on the diverse sediment mixture. Most of benthic studies in the southern coast of Korea focused to the condition of benthic organic pollution spatially, because along the coast, it also developed a aquaculture ground and industrial complex. But, as results, most of the area, it turn out the less polluted areas nevertheless similar environment situation. It supposed that benthic community affect to the bottom sediment composition by physical characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.411-422
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• 1986

Diets of the rock trout, Agrammus agrammus, in the shore area of Tongbaeksom, Pusan over the period of July 1981 to June 1982 were studied. Specimens were sampled by angling. Stomach analysis showed that the rock trout fed mainly on epibenthic food in the littoral zone along the coast of Tongbaeksom. The food organisms of the enviornment were studied by means of underwater sampling around the angling area for this study. Although the food items of the fish changed slightly with season and age-group, main food items were Amphipoda (Gammaridae, Caprellidae) and Isopoda (Sphaeromidae, Idotheidae). This suggests that the diets of A. agrammus mainly comprised epibenthic food. Food diversity increased with age. The fish almost consummed on smaller food in size, but had selective predation according to food size, i. e. on larger food as age increases. These data provide additional support for the importance of the detritus-benthos-consummer type food chain.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2007

In this work, we compared the characteristics of three benthic biotic indices (BPI, AMBI, BIBI) which indicates the health condition of benthic communities in Masan Bay, Korea where anthropogenic impacts have been concentrated. Also we evaluated the usefulness of these benthic indices and some problems if they were applied to the Korean coastal waters. For this we used the macrozoobenthos data collected using van Veen grab ($0.1\;m^2$) at 21 sites in Masan Bay in February and August 2004. Based on the BPI values, two stations in the inner bay were found in a very hard polluted condition and three stations in the middle bay were also in a highly polluted condition. Only one station located in the bay mouth was in a normal condition. The inner bay stations showed very high AMBI values (${\geq}5.0$), indicating a highly polluted condition. The bay mouth station was assessed in a moderately polluted condition. The overall BIBI values in Masan Bay were in the range between 1.0 and 3.0. The inner bay stations showed low BIBI values (${\leq}2.0$) in the severely degraded condition. The bay mouth station with high BIBI value over 3.0 was assessed as a normal condition. All three benthos indices showed that macrozoobenthic communities in the inner bay were in a seriously polluted condition all year round, and macrobenthic faunas in the bay mouth seemed in a bad healthy condition (slightly polluted) based on AMBI during summer season. These three benthic biotic indices showed the similar assessment result, and thus we consider that each of them is a useful tool for the assessment of coastal benthic ecosystems under the organic enrichment in sediment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2018

In this study, the distribution of sedimentary environment and benthic macro-fauna in habitats and non-habitats of Zostera marina were investigated. The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data about the sedimentary environment and benthic macro-fauna in the habitats and non-habitats of Z. marina. Sand was dominant within habitat environments, whereas the non-habitats were predominantly composed of silt. As a result, the habitats of Z. marina have a different grain size and organic matter content compared to the non-habitats. These differences in the sedimentary environment were expected to influence the species composition of benthic animals. Benthic communities in the habitats of Z. marina showed a higher density and a greater number of species than in the non-habitats. As a result of an ecological index evaluation, the species diversity index (H') was $3.44{\pm}0.10$ for the habitat; the non-habitat was analyzed as $2.34{\pm}0.35$. It was also found that the stability of community in the habitats was higher than that in the non-habitats. The cluster analysis also clearly showed that habitats and non-habitats of Z. marina have distinct characteristics.