• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.213-222
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• 2018

We investigated seasonal variations in the abundance of the adults and the resting eggs of copepods to understand the role of copepod resting eggs for maintaining their population inhabiting the coastal area of Dadaepo, Korea. Adults and resting eggs of copepods were collected bi-monthly with a conical net (45 cm mouth diameter, $330{\mu}m$ mesh size) and van Veen grab ($0.1m^2$ area), respectively, from October 2016 to September 2017. The species of resting eggs were identified using mtCOI gene. The mean abundance of copepods was highest in October ($3686{\pm}1190inds{\cdot}m^{-3}$) and lowest in January ($176{\pm}60inds{\cdot}m^{-3}$) with the dominance of Paracalanus parvus s.l.. Among copepod producing resting eggs, Acartia omorii and Centropages abdominalis were dominant. The mean abundance of resting eggs was the highest in July ($9148{\pm}6787eggs{\cdot}m^{-2}$) and the lowest in October ($530{\pm}348eggs{\cdot}m^{-2}$). Most of the collected resting eggs were identified as A. omorii's. The mean abundances of A. omorii adults and resting eggs were highest in July, and both abundances fluctuated in a similar pattern except in September. In September, A. omorii adults were observed in a state of low abundance, while their resting eggs occurred in a state of high abundance. These results suggest that A. omorii maintain their population by producing a large quantity of resting eggs, particularly diapause eggs, before the seawater temperature rises. These eggs would hatch and be newly recruited to their population when the environmental condition becomes favorable.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2019

Long chain plant waxes (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, and n-alcohols) and their carbon isotopic compositions (${\delta}^{13}C$) in geologic archives are valuable tools for paleovegetation reconstruction. However, the sensitivity of different plant wax constituents to vegetation shift is not well understood. This study explores controls on the variation in ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of long-chain n-alkanes ($C_{27}$ to $C_{33}$) and n-alkanoic acids ($C_{26}-C_{30}$) in the Gulf of Mexico core sediments (ODP 625B) near the Mississippi River delta. n-Alkanoic acids' ${\delta}^{13}C$ values were higher than those of n-alkanes by 1-2‰ on average and such a pattern is the opposite from their isotope fractionation observed in living plants: 1-2‰ smaller in n-alkanes than n-alkanoic acids. We attribute this offset to contributions from aquatic plants or microbes that produce high concentrations of $^{13}C-enriched$ long-chain n-alkanoic acids. The sensitivity of n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids to vegetation and climate varied among chain lengths. The $n-C_{33}$ alkanes were most sensitive to $C_4$ grassland expansion among n-alkane homologues, while no specific trend was observed in n-alkanoic acids. This is due to the similarity in n-alkanoic acid concentrations between $C_3$ and $C_4$ plants by homologues and low terrestrial plant-derived n-alkanoic acid contributions to the sediments. The results of this study suggest that long chain n-alkanoic acids' ${\delta}^{13}C$ values in sediments may be influenced by contributions from different sources such as aquatic plants or microbial inputs and therefore interpretations regarding this matter should be cautiously formulated. We suggest that there is a need for further studies on characterizing long-chain n-alkanoic acids ($C_{26}-C_{34}$) in aquatic plants and microbes from various climates and environments in order to investigate their production and integration into sedimentary archives.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 2018

Zoospore release and germling growth of endophytic Ulvella ramosa were examined under various temperatures (10, 15, 20, $25^{\circ}C$) ${\times}$ irradiances (20, 60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Additional growth experiments were performed at different salinities (15, 25, 35, 45 psu) and daylengths (8, 12, 16 h). Growth of host Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss was estimated under combinations of temperatures (15, 20, 25, $30^{\circ}C$) and irradiances (20, 60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Endophyte effects on the host growth were tested in the two temperatures (20, $30^{\circ}C$) and irradiances (60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Zoospore release was maximal at $20^{\circ}C$ and $20{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$, and germlings grew best under $20^{\circ}C$ and $60{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$. No salinity effect on the growth of endophytes was found but endophyte growth was maximal under the daylength of 12 h. G. vermiculophylla grew better at higher irradiances but no growth differences were found between temperatures of $15-30^{\circ}C$. The growth of host species was significantly inhibited by endophytes under $20^{\circ}C$ and $60{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$, but host G. vermiculophylla grew well in the endophyte inactive culture conditions of $30^{\circ}C$ and $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$. In conclusion, endophyte effects on the production of host G. vermiculophylla could be minimized by controlling cultivation depth and harvest period to inhibit endophyte activity.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.121-133
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• 2019

Natural variability associated with a variety of large-scale climate modes causes regional differences in sea level rise (SLR), which is particularly remarkable in the Pacific Ocean. Because the superposition of the natural variability and the background anthropogenic trend in sea level can potentially threaten to inundate low-lying and heavily populated coastal regions, it is important to quantify sea level variability associated with internal climate variability and understand their interaction when projecting future SLR impacts. This study seeks to identify the dominant modes of sea level variability in the tropical Pacific and quantify how these modes contribute to regional sea level changes, particularly on the two strong El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ events that occurred in the winter of 1997/1998 and 2015/2016. To do so, an adaptive data analysis approach, Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD), was undertaken with regard to two datasets of altimetry-based and in situ-based steric sea levels. Using this EEMD analysis, we identified distinct internal modes associated with El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) varying from 1.5 to 7 years and low-frequency variability with a period of ~12 years that were clearly distinct from the secular trend. The ENSO-scale frequencies strongly impact on an east-west dipole of sea levels across the tropical Pacific, while the low-frequency (i.e., decadal) mode is predominant in the North Pacific with a horseshoe shape connecting tropical and extratropical sea levels. Of particular interest is that the low-frequency mode resulted in different responses in regional SLR to ENSO events. The low-frequency mode contributed to a sharp increase (decrease) of sea level in the eastern (western) tropical Pacific in the 2015/2016 El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ but made a negative contribution to the sea level signals in the 1997/1998 El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$. This indicates that the SLR signals of the ENSO can be amplified or depressed at times of transition in the low-frequency mode in the tropical Pacific.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.127-140
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• 2021

At the estuaries of Bonggang and Miryong streams in the Korean southern coast, the spatiotemporal distribution and habitat environment of a nerite snail, Clithon retropictum (Gastropoda: Neritidae), which has been assigned as a legally protected species of Korea, were explored. Physicochemical environmental factors such as water temperature, salinity, tidal level distribution as well as biotic environments (chlorophyll-a concentration and epilithic microalgae composition) were monitored every month. The relationships between the environmental factors and spatiotemporal distribution of the nerite snail population were analyzed. Water temperature, salinity, and water level varied by season and lunar tidal rhythm. The spatiotemporal distribution of the nerite snail was mostly related to water salinity. Among epilithic algae which were the priority prey of snails, blue-green algae and green algae dominated in summer and autumn, while diatoms predominated during winter and spring. Chlorophyll-a concentration was highly and positively correlated with the population density of the nerite snail. The correlation coefficients were different depending on the taxon (Family) of epilithic algae. The mean population density was 302.2 inds m^-2 and 271.8 inds m^-2 in Bonggang Stream and Miryong Stream, respectively. The egg capsules of the nerite snail in the two habitats were observed from March (in Bonggang Stream) or April (in Miryong Stream) to August, and newly hatched juveniles recruited in the habitats from August were assessed with regard to frequency distributions of shell width. The occurrence of large-sized snails in upper stream reaches of both Bonggang and Miryong indicated the movement of spats from the mouth to the upper reaches during the whole life cycle.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.269-285
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• 2022

The interaction between ocean and ice shelf is a critical physical process in relation to water mass transformations and ice shelf melting/freezing at the ocean-ice interface. However, it remains challenging to thoroughly understand the process due to a lack of observational data with respect to ice shelf cavities. This is the first study to simulate the variability and circulation of water mass both overlying the continental shelf and underneath an ice shelf and an ice tongue in the Terra Nova Bay (TNB), East Antarctica. To explore the properties of water mass and circulation patterns in the TNB and the corresponding effects on sub ice shelf basal melting, we explicitly incorporate the dynamic-thermodynamic processes acting on the ice shelf in the Regional Ocean Modeling System. The simulated water mass formation and circulation in the TNB region agree well with previous studies. The model results show that the TNB circulation is dominated by the geostrophic currents driven by lateral density gradients induced by the releasing of brine or freshwater at the polynya of the TNB. Meanwhile, the circulation dynamics in the cavity under the Nansen Ice shelf (NIS) are different from those in the TNB. The gravity-driven bottom current induced by High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) formed at the TNB polynya flows towards the grounding line, and the buoyance-driven flow associated with glacial meltwater generated by the HSSW emerges from the cavity along the ice base. Both current systems compose the thermohaline overturning circulation in the NIS cavity. This study estimates the NIS basal melting rate to be 0.98 m/a, which is comparable to the previously observed melt rate. However, the melting rate shows a significant variation in space and time.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.297-310
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• 2022

To understand the chemical composition of aerosols in the Cheju-Korea Straits and their contribution to the ocean by deposition, aerosol samples were collected on board R/V Eardo from November 1997 to May 1999. The average concentrations of Al, NO₃^-, non-sea-salt (nss)-SO₄^2-, and NH₄⁺ in aerosols were 2.19, 5.59, 6.16 and 2.08 ㎍ m^-3, respectively. The Al concentration in the high yellow dust period was about 100 times higher than that in the non-yellow dust period. The concentration ratio of NO₃^-/nss-SO₄^2- ranged between 0.47 and 1.5, indicating that the aerosols in the Cheju-Korea Straits are under the effects of NO_x and SO_x emitted from China, Korea and Japan. The equivalent concentration ratio of [NH₄⁺]/[nss-SO₄^2-+ NO₃^-] with the average of 0.58±0.29 indicates that nss-SO₄^2- and NO₃^- are not neutralized by NH₄⁺. A high activity concentration of ²¹⁰Pb with 1.13-1.23 mBq m^-3 was observed during the high yellow dust period, indicating that ²¹⁰Pb is easily adsorbed in the yellow dust originating from the continent of Asia. The distribution of ⁷Be and NH₄⁺ concentrations showed a strong negative linear correlation during the low yellow dust period, April 1998. The total mineral dust flux in the Cheju-Korea Straits was estimated to be 1.21×10⁶ tons yr^-1, accounting for about 12% of the annual sediment discharge via the Nakdong River. The combined annual deposition of NH₄⁺ and NO₃^- was 0.103 mole N m^-2 yr^-1 was estimated to support 4% of the annual primary productivity in the East China Sea.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.355-364
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• 2022

When the 60-ton-class patrol boat '72' of the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) was on duty and she accidentally collided with another patrol boat ('207', 200-ton-class) and sank. A month-long search found a small amount of lost items, but neither the crew nor the ship was found. For the first time in 39 years since the accident, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) searched the boat 72 using the latest integrated geophysical techniques. A number of sonar images presumed to be of a sunken ship was acquired using a combined system of side scan sonar and marine magnetometer, operated at an altitude of approximately 30 m from the seabed. At the same time, a strong magnetic anomaly (100 nT) was detected in one place, indicating the presence of an iron ship. A video survey using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) confirmed the presence of a shielding part of a personal firearm at the stern of the sunken vessel. Based on these comprehensive data, the sunken vessel discovered in this exploration was assumed to be '72'. This result is meaningful in terms of future ocean exploration and underwater archaeology, as the integrated system of various geophysical methods is an efficient means of identifying objects present in the water.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2022

SRFC (Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission) requested to the ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) an advisory opinion relating to the IUU (Illegl, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing (Case No-21 of the ITLOS). Since, in the UNCLOS, there is no article authorizing the jurisdiction of the ITLOS full court's Advisory opinion, so various scholarly opinion wad divided. But ITLOS delivered its Advisory opinion confirming its jurisdictional competence over the Advisory proceedings with its legal opinion about the IUU issues. It opens new possibility of the alternative dispute settlement mechanism of the ITLOS through the advisory procedures. In reality, there has been a view that ICJ (International Court of Justice) could take the part of a kind of dispute settlement through its Advisory procedures. But the advisory procedures of the ITLOS, with no definite clause in UNCLOS about the advisory procedures, which provides more allowances for the function of advisory opinion as the alternative dispute settlement mechanism. ITLOS accepted the requests of the advisory opinion by the State parties through international organization or themselves directly. And the advisory opinion of the ITLOS aims the interpretation and application into the special issues-specially IUU fishing in Case No. 21 of the ITLOS-. Those factors could enable more enhanced role of the ITLOS as an alternative dispute settlement mechanism. But those possibility has contain risk of excessive and unlimited advisory role of the ITLOS. So it is important to focus on the restriction on the role of the State parties in the request of the advisory opinion to the ITLOS. In this regard it is meaningful that the ITLOS has suggested a kind of legal standing in the advisory procedures in that only coastal States could request the Advisory opinion about the IUU in their EEZ. Furthermore the discretionary power of the ITLOS in the Article 138 of the Rules of the Tribunal could curtail the abuse of the Advisory opinion initiated by the States parties of the UNCLOS. Under this framework, Advisory opinion could broaden more alternative option to the disputes between State parties of the UNCLOS in that after being delivered detailed interpretation of the UNCLOS about the specific issues, States parties could devote themselves to searching for flexible solution for the disputes between State parties. It could obtain legal explanation about the dispute under the Article 297 and Article 298 by detouring the jurisdiction limits through advisory procedures.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.141-153
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• 2023

Biological pump processes generated by diatom production in the surface water of the Southern Ocean play an important role in exchanging CO₂ gas between the atmosphere and ocean. In this study, the biogenic opal content of the sediments was measured to elucidate the variation in the primary production of diatoms in the surface water of the Southern Ocean since the last glacial period. A piston core (COR-1bPC) was collected from the Conrad Rise, which is located in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. The sediments were mainly composed of siliceous ooze, and sediment lightness increased and magnetic susceptibility decreased in an upward direction. The biogenic opal content was low (38.9%) during the last glacial period and high (73.4%) during the Holocene, showing a similar variation to that of Antarctic ice core ΔT and CO₂ concentration. In addition, the variation of biogenic opal content in core COR-1bPC is consistent with previous results reported in the Antarctic Zone, south of the Antarctic Polar Front, in the Southern Ocean. The glacial-interglacial biogenic opal production was influenced by the extent of sea ice coverage and degree of water column stability. During the last glacial period, the diatom production was reduced due to the penetration of light being limited in the euphotic zone by the extended sea ice coverage caused by the lowered seawater temperature. In addition, the formation of a strong thermocline in more extensive areas of sea ice coverage led to stronger water column stability, resulting in reduced diatom production due to the reduction in the supply of nutrient-rich subsurface water caused by a decrease in upwelling intensity. Under such environmental circumstances, diatom productivity decreased in the Antarctic Zone during the last glacial period, but the biogenic opal content increased rapidly under warming conditions with the onset of deglaciation.