• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2005

Samples were collected from five stations in February, May, July, and September 2004 to investigate seasonal variations in the phytoplankton community and the relationship between dominant genera and environmental factors in Asan Bay. In February, microphytoplankton contributed 80% to the total chlorophyll a. Diatom dominated the phytoplankton community, accounting for 85.9% of the total cell number, followed by dinoflagellates (6%). Dominant species were Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira spp. Abundant diatom, including S. costatum and Thalassiosira spp., may be affected by water temperature and silicate at Station 1 and 2 in February 2004. In May, the nanophytoplankton contribution to total phytoplankton was higher than in other seasons. However, abundance of S. costatum and Thalassiosira spp. decreased, since the growth of S. costatum and Thalassiosira spp. might be limited by phosphates (P) resulting from low P concentration and a high DIN:DIP ratio in the outer region. In July, dominant phytoplankton groups were diatom (39%), cryptophyceae (28%), and cyanophyceae (20%). Dominant genera were Oscillatoria spp. and phytoflagellate of a monad type in the inner region (Station 1 and 2), whereas S. costatum was dominant in the outer region (Station 4 and 5). In September, dominant phytoplankton were diatom (69%) and cryptophyceae (28%). Dominant genera were phytoflagellate of the monad type, S. costatum in the inner region, while Chaetoceros spp. was dominant in the outer region.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.277-286
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• 2003

Nitrification performance of fixed film biofilters using coarse sand, loess bead, or styrofoam beads in biofilter columns 1 meter high and 30cm in diameter were studied at different hydraulic and organic matter loading rates. Synthetic wastewater was supplied to the culture tank in order to maintain desired TAN concentrations in inlet water to biofilters. All the biofilters were conditioned 5 months before start of sampling. TAN and $NO_2-N$ conversion rates increased with an increase in the hydraulic loading rate (HLR). However, the improvement in biofilter performance was not linearly correlated to HLR in styrofoam bead filters. This is mainly due to the characteristics of the styrofoam beads used. TAN conversion rates of sand filters increased with the increase of HLR up to $200m^3/m^2$. per day. No increase in the TAN conversion rate was observed at the highest HLR since flooding on the media surface took place. HLR had a significant impact on the TAN conversion rates in loess bead filter up to the highest HLR tested (P<0.05). TAN conversion rates were much less at organic matter loading rates of 9 and 18kg $O_2/m^3$ per day than those without the addition of organic matter in styrofoam bead filters. The addition of glucose resulted in a reduction of the TAN conversion rate from 540 to 284g $TAN/m^3$ per day. No significant difference of TAN conversion rates between the two organic matter loading rates was found (p<0.05). This indicates that the impact of organic matter on nitrification becomes less and less sensitive with an increase in the COD/TAN ratio. At an organic matter loading rate of 9kg $O_2/m^3$. per day, a great reduction of TAN conversion rates was observed in sand filters and loess bead filters. Clearly, organic matter can be one of the most Important Impacting factors on nitrification. $NO_2-N$ conversion rates showed a similar trend for TAN. Based on the TAN and nitrite conversion rates, styrofoam beads showed the best performance among the three filter media tested. Also, the low gravity and price of styrofoam beads make the handling easier and more cost-effective for commercial application. The results obtained at the highest organic matter loading rates can be used in the biofilter design in recirculating aquaculture system.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.315-329
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• 2003

During the 1st Korea-Russia Arctic Expedition from 3 to 26 August, 2000 phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentration were measured in the Barents and Kara Seas. Total of 57 surface samples were collected f3r the phytoplankton related measurements. Chlorophyll a (chi a) concentraitons were measured to investigate the relations between physico-chemical factors and phytoplankton biomass distribution. Chl a values ranged from 0.14 to $2.34mg\;m^{-3}$ (mean of $0.65{\pm}0.42mg\;m^{-3}$) over the surface stations. The elevated values of the chi a concentrations $(1.49{\sim}2.34mg\;m^{-3})$ were found in the southeastern Barents Sea near the Pechora River. Nanoplanktonic $(<20{\mu}m)$ phytoflagellates were the important contributors for the increase of the chi a. The nano-sized phytoflagellates accounted for more than 80% of the total chi a biomass in the study area. Mean chi a concentration in the Barents Sea $(0.72{\pm}0.57 mg\;m^{-3})$ was higher than in the Kan Sea $(0.52{\pm}0.45mg\;m^{-3})$, but there was no big difference between two areas. Surface temperatures and salinities ranged from 4.1 to $11.7^{\circ}C$ (mean of $8.8{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$) and from 23.8 to 32.5psu (mean of $30.3{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$ psu), respectively. The physical factors were not highly correlated with phytoplankton distribution. It is speculated that the insignificant correlation between phytoplankton biomass and physical factor was due to the same current which introduced similar water mass with higher water temperature and lower salinity into the study area. The mean values of major nutrients such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate were $0.42{\pm}0.31{\mu}M,\;0.10{\pm}0.03{\mu}M,\;1.44{\pm}1.03{\mu}M,\;0.35{\pm}0.12{\mu}M,\;10.99{\pm}3.45{\pm}M$, respectively. The relations between phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentration were not close, indicating that the surface nutrient concentrations during the study seem to be controlled by other physical factors such as input of fresh water (i.e. dilution effects).

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-350
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• 2010

This study conducted sedimentological and geophysical surveys for 3 years (2006-2008) in southern Gyeonggi Bay, Korea to elucidate temporal changes in subaqueous dune morphology on a sand ridge trending northeast to southwest that has been excavated by marine sand mining. The sand ridge (~20 m in height, ~2 km in width and 3~4 km in length) has a steep slope on the NW side and a gentle slope on the SE side, creating an asymmetric profile. Large (10~100 m in length) and very large (>100 m in length) dunes occurring on the SE side of the ridge show a northeastward asymmetrical shape, whereas dunes on the NW side destroyed by marine sand mining display a southwestward asymmetry. The comparison between Flemming (1988)'s correlation and the height-length correlation of this study indicates that tidal current and availability of sand sediment are major controlling factors to the development and maintenance of dunes. Depth and sedimentary characteristics (grain size) are not likely to be major controlling factors, but indirectly influence dune growth by hydrological and sedimentary processes. The length and the height of dunes decrease toward the southeastern trough away from the crest of the ridge. These features result from the decrease of tidal current and sediment availability. The length and the height of dunes on the southeast side decrease gradually over time. This is a result of the interaction between tidal current and the decrease in sediment availability due to sediment extraction by marine sand mining. Marine sand mining has destroyed the dunes directly, causing irregular shapes of shorter length and lower height. The coarse fraction of suspended sediments is transported and deposited very close to the sand pit. By contrast, relatively fine sediments are transported by the tidal current and deposited over a wide range by the settling-lag effect, resulting in a decrease of sediment grain size in the area where suspended sediments are deposited. In addition, marine sand mining, decreases the height of dunes. Therefore, morphological and sedimentological characteristics of dunes around the sand pits will be significantly changed by future sand mining activities.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2009

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of water temperature on daily pattern and rate of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion in juvenile dark-banded rockfish Sebastes inermis (mean body weight: $14.8{\pm}0.3g$) under fasting and feeding conditions. Fish were acclimated over 10 days under three different water temperatures (15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$). After 72 hours of starvation, fasting TAN excretion was measured at each temperature. To investigate post-prandial TAN excretion, fish were hand-fed with a commercial diet containing 47.7% crude protein for 7 days, two times daily at 09:00 and 17:00 hr. Water was sampled from both the inlet and outlet of each chamber every 2 hrs over a 24 hr period. Both fasting and post-prandial TAN excretion increased with increase in water temperature (P<0.05). Mean fasting TAN excretion rates at 15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$ were 8.1, 9.0 and 9.2 mg TAN kg $fish^{-1}h^{-1}$, respectively. The value of $15^{\circ}C$ was lower than those of 20 and $25^{\circ}C$ (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between $20^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ (P>0.05). Mean post-prandial TAN excretion rates at 15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$ were 20.1, 22.9 and 23.4 mg TAN kg $fish^{-1}h^{-1}$, respectively. A peak post-prandial TAN excretion rate occurred after 12 hrs from the first feeding at $15^{\circ}C$ (mean 28.7 mg TAN kg $fish^{-1}h^{-1}$), $20^{\circ}C$ (33.7 mg TAN kg $fish^{-1}h{-1}$) and $25^{\circ}C$ (36.8 mg TAN kg $fish^{-1}h{-1}$), respectively. The TAN loss for ingested nitrogen at $15^{\circ}C$ (36.2%) was lower than that of $20^{\circ}C$ (40.8%) and $25^{\circ}C$ (41.7%). Based on overall results, water temperature exerts a profound influence on the nitrogen metabolism of juvenile dark-banded rockfish.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.439-448
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• 2010

General consensus on typical vertical profile of dissolved oxygen in the Ulleung Basin is that dissolved oxygen concentration beyond 300 m decreases with increasing depth. However, the results of our observations in 2005 and 2006 revealed three different dissolved oxygen distribution types in the deep layer of the Ulleung Basin. The first type showed oxygen concentration decreasing with increasing depth (Type-1), the second showed oxygen concentration decreasing very sharply near the bottom boundary layer but constant in the bottom adiabatic layer (Type-2), the final was of the oxygen minimum layer above the bottom boundary layer (Type-3). Type-2 was the most common pattern in the Ulleung Basin. Type-1 was most common close to the Japan Basin, including the Ulleung Interplane Gap, while Type-3 was found around Dok do. Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) at surface sediment estimated using the dissolved oxygen distribution at the bottom boundary layer was $0.2{\sim}5.8\;mmol{\cdot}m^{-2}d^{-1}$, which coincided with OCR from direct sediment incubation. This implies that organic matter decomposition at surface sediment may play an important role in dissolved oxygen distribution patterns at the bottom boundary layer of the Ulleung Basin.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.449-462
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• 2010

Ongoing port baseline surveys are essential for developing ballast water management procedures in order to control unwanted or potentially risky species. Seasonal distributional patterns of marine dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans internationally recognized as harmful species and the related environmental factors were surveyed at Incheon, Gwangyang and Ulsan seaports in Korea from 2007 to 2009. The above three seaports were chosen because of their status as the busiest in Korea and characterized by their different bioregions. Average temperature ranged from $2.08^{\circ}C$ in winter to $26.39^{\circ}C$ in summer at Incheon, $7.22^{\circ}C$ in winter to $25.77^{\circ}C$ in summer at Gwangyang, and $11.59^{\circ}C$ in winter to $21.67^{\circ}C$ in summer at Ulsan during the study period. Average salinity varied from 26.88 in winter to 31.25 in summer at Incheon, 22.83 in winter to 33.41 in summer at Gwangyang, and 30.04 in winter to 33.90 in summer at Ulsan. Noctiluca scintillans appeared consistently at all ports during the study period, indicating its eurythermal and euryhaline nature. The highest abundances (21,813 to 41,753 $inds{\cdot}m^{-3}$) of N. scintillans were observed in May 2008 and 2009 at the outer stations of Incheon port. Abundances of between 10,000 and 30,000 $inds{\cdot}m^{-3}$ were only observed at the innermost station of Ulsan in May, while abundances of between 10,000 and 40,000 $inds{\cdot}m^{-3}$ were frequently observed throughout all stations at Gwangyang during the study period, coinciding with consistently high concentration of chlorophyll-a (hereafter chl-a) ($4.32-8.24\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$) compared to other ports. Spatio-temporal variation of chl-a concentration was not significantly correlated with abundances of N. scintillans (p>0.01). However, relatively high chl-a concentrations were consistently recorded along with high abundances of N. scintillans throughout all stations at Gwangyang compared to other ports. Abundances of N. scintillans observed at the three surveyed ports did not significantly (p>0.01) affect the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the surface mixed layer, indicating that the species abundances were not enough to cause reduction of dissolved oxygen during the study period. Presented results indicated that the Gwangyang seaport may provide the most suitable environment for a wide range of N. scintillans blooming compared to other ports.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.255-276
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• 2014

The dispute between China and Japan regarding $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$ is believed to be quite similar to the controversy surrounding Dokdo in terms of historical and post-war processes except for the point that the phenomena of occupation is different with regard to Dokdo. China's claim to $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$ is based on historical title and continuous use while the basis of Japan's claim is summarized as preoccupancy of ownerless land. Even though Japan acknowledges that China discovered $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$, Japan claims that the act to establish sovereignty over the island from the standpoint of International Law was not taken by China. However, at that time, effective occupation was not an essential prerequisite for the acquisition of a territory. That is to say, from a legal perspective, the legal right for an area could be established based on the discovery of the land, and so it is thought that Japan is applying the current criteria of International Law in a manner that is inappropriate. When we review the post-war process, the San Francisco Peace Treaty does not directly mention $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$. But based on the said treaty, we can note that Japan gave up all rights for the southern area that is north of the boundary line that equates to latitude $29^{\circ}$ and that includes the Ryuku Islands and $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$. Of course, the provisions for the territory in the San Francisco Peace Treaty and its disposal are not the final factor for the judgment regarding dominium of $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$. However, it seems clear that Japan's attitude and interpretation regarding the issues of $Di\grave{a}oy\acute{u}t\acute{a}i$, the Kuril Islands and Dokdo is problematic.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2008

Application of biomarkers for assessing marine environmental health risk is a relatively new field. According to the National Research Council and the World Health Organization, biomarkers can be divided into three classes: biomarkers of exposure, biomarkers of effect, and biomarkers of susceptibility. In order to assess exposure to or effect of the environmental pollutants on marine ecosystem, the following set of biomarkers can be examined: detoxification, oxidative stress, biotransformation products, stress responses, apoptosis, physiological metabolisms, neuromuscular responses, reproductions, steroid hormones, antioxidants, genetic modifications. Since early 1990s, several biomarker research groups have developed health indices of marine organisms to be used for assessing the state of the marine environment. Biomarker indices can be used to interpret data obtained from monitoring biological effects. In this review, we will summarize Health assessment Index, Biomarker Index, Bioeffect Assessment Index and Generalized Linear Model. Measurements of biomarker responses and development of biomarker index in marine organisms from contaminated sites offer great a lot of information, which can be used in environmental monitoring programs, designed for various aspects of ecosystem risk assessment.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.85-106
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• 2017

The Lago Sofia conglomerate in southern Chile is a deep-marine gravelly deposit, which is hundreds of meters thick and kilometers wide and extends laterally for more than 100 km, filling the foredeep trough of the Cretaceous Magallanes Basin. For understanding the depositional processes and environments of this gigantic deep-sea conglomerate, detailed analyses on sedimentary facies, architecture and paleoflow patterns were carried out, highlighting the differences between the northern (Lago Pehoe and Lago Goic areas) and southern (Lago Sofia area) parts of the study area. The conglomerate bodies in the northern part occur as relatively thin (< 100 m thick), multiple units intervened by thick mudstone-dominated sequences. They show paleoflows toward ENE and S to SW, displaying a converging drainage pattern. In the southern part, the conglomerate bodies are vertically interconnected and form a thick (> 400 m thick) conglomerate sequence with rare intervening fine-grained deposits. Paleoflows are toward SW. The north-to-south variations are also distinct in sedimentary facies. The conglomerate bodies in the southern part are mainly composed of clast-supported conglomerate with sandy matrix, which is interpreted to be deposited from highly concentrated bedload layers under turbidity currents. Those in the northern part are dominated by matrix- to clast-supported conglomerate with muddy matrix, which is interpreted as the products of composite mass flows comprising a turbidity current, a gravelly hyperconcentrated flow and a mud-rich debris flow. All these characteristics suggest that the Lago Sofia conglomerate was formed in centripetally converging submarine channels, not in centrifugally diverging channels of submarine fans. The tributaries in the north were dominated by mass flows, probably affected by channel-bank failures or basin-marginal slope instability processes. In contrast, the trunk channel in the south was mostly filled by tractive processes, which resulted in the vertical and lateral accretion of gravel bars, deposition of gravel dunes and filling of scours and channels, similar to deposits of terrestrial gravel-bed rivers. The trunk channel developed along the axis of foredeep trough and its confinement within the trough is probably responsible for the thick, interconnected channel fills. The large-scale architecture of the trunk-channel fills shows an eastward offset stacking pattern, suggesting that the channel migrated eastwards most likely due to the uplift of the Andean Cordillera.