• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.112-123
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• 2022

To assess the influence of environmental factors on the phytoplankton community structure and total phytoplankton biomass during four seasons in 2014, we investigated the abiotic and biotic factors at 25 stations in the Busan coastal region. The phytoplankton community and total phytoplankton biomass were strongly dependent on the discharge from the Nakdong River, and the high density of phytoplankton was related with the introduction of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), particularly in the thermohaline fronts of the fall season. The relationship between the salinity and nutrient (Dissolved inorganic nitrogen=DIN: R²=0.72, p<0.001 and Dissolved inorganic silicon=DSi: R²=0.78, p<0.001) highly correlated with the river discharge, implying that those nutrients have played a crucial role in the growth of diatom and cryptophyta. The total phytoplankton biomass was highest in the summer followed by autumn, spring, and winter. Diatom and cryptophyta species were dominant species during the four seasons. Additionally, there were strong positive correlations between Chlorophyll a and total phytoplankton biomass (R²=0.84, p<0.001), cryptophyta (R²=0.76, p<0.001) and diatom (R²=0.50, p<0.001), respectively. In particular, we found that there were significant differences in the nutrients, phytoplankton community compositions, and total phytoplankton biomass between the inner and the outer coastal region of Busan, depending on the amount of river discharge from the Nakdong River, particularly during rainy seasons. Therefore, the seasonal change of TWC and river discharge from the Nakdong River serve an important role in determining phytoplankton population dynamics in the Busan coastal region.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1155-1167
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• 2008

Chlorophyll a (chl a) has been used as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass in pelagic ecosystems due to the relative ease of measurement and selectivity for autotrophs in mixed plankton assemblages. However, the use of chi a as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass is restricted due to its inability to resolve taxonomic differences of phytoplankton and the highly variable relationship of chi a with phytoplankton. Here, we describe the analysis of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) photosynthetic pigment data using CHEMTAX, which is a matrix factorization program that uses chemical taxonomic indices (phytoplankton carotenoids) to quantify the abundance of phytoplankton groups. Compared to direct microscopic counting that can distinguish species within broad groups, the resolution of taxonomic groups by CHEMTAX is generally coarse. It can only distinguish between diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, prasinophytes, and haptophytes. However, CHEMTAX analysis is much faster and less expensive than microscopic counting methods. HPLC pigment observations were taken in the spring, summer, fall, and winter in$ 2005\sim2006$ within Gamak Bay, South Korea. CHEMTAX results revealed that diatoms were the dominant taxonomic group in Gamak Bay. In inner Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $75\sim80%$, and the ratio between dinoflagellates and cryptophytes was $10\sim15%$. In outer Gamak Bay, the ratio between diatoms and cryptophytes was $85\sim90%$, and the ratio between dinflagellates and cryptophytes was only $1\sim5%$. The population structure was seasonal. Relative diatom populations were less in the summer than the winter season.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.169-170
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• 2000

Phytoplankton communities are generally dominated by diatoms in spring and changed to nano- and picoplankton or dinoflagellates groups in summer (Anderson et al., 1994). Many phytoplankton investigators have been used to chlorophyll a as a phytoplankton biomass, as all the phytoplankton contain (Cullen, 1982). The studies of population compositions, primary productivity, chlorophyll a of phytoplankton in the Yellow Sea have been conducted mainly in bays and estuaries with a few studies in the central area of Yellow Sea. This study is to understand the relationship between the environmental factors and cholrophyll a concentration of phytoplnakton in terms of the area and depth in the Yellow Sea and also to identify the characteristics of phytoplankton populations occurring at the most productive periods throughout the yera.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.287-298
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• 2004

As a part of Korea Deep Ocean Study program, we investigated the distribution of planktonic protists in the upper 200 m of the northeast Pacific from $5^{\circ}N$ to $17^{\circ}N$, along $131^{\circ}30'W$. Area of divergence was formed at $9^{\circ}N$ which is boundaries of the north equatorial counter current (NECC) and the north equatorial current (NEC) during this cruise. Chlorophyll-a concentration was higher in NECC than in NEC area. Pico chl-a(<$2\;{\mu}m$) to total chl-a accounted for average 89% in the study area. The contribution of pico chl-a to total chl-a was relatively high in NEC area than in NECC area. Biomass of planktonic protists, ranging from 635.3 to $1077.3\;mgC\;m^{-2}$(average $810\;mgC\;m^{-2}$), was most enhanced in NECC area and showed distinct latitudinal variation. Biomass of HNF ranged from 88.7 to $208.3\;mgC\;m^{-2}$ and comprised 15% of planktonic protists. Biomass of ciliates ranged from 123.6 to $393.0\;mgC\;m^{-2}$ and comprised 25% of planktonic protists. Biomass of HDF ranged from 407.2 to $607.8\;mgC\;m^{-2}$ and comprised 60% of planktonic protists. HDF was the most dominant component in both NECC and NEC areas. Nano-protist biomass accounted for more than 50% of total protists in the both areas. The contribution of nanoprotist to total protists biomass was relatively higher in NEC area than in NECC. The biomass of planktonic protists was significantly correlated with phytoplankton biomass in this study area. The size structure of phytoplankton biomass coincided with that of planktonic protists. This suggested that the structure of the planktonic protists community and the microbial food web were dependent on the size structure of the phytoplankton biomass. However, biomass and size structure of planktonic protist communities might be significantly influenced by physical characteristics of the water column and food concentration in this study area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2008

The seasonality of phytoplankton in Dongbok lake was analysed from March to November 2003. The concentrations of TN and TP showed nearly constant level except high concentrations in May at dam site of Dongbok lake. Chlorophyll ${\alpha}$ concentration was highest at dam site in May with 225.3 ${\mu}g$ L$^{-1}$ and high in spring and fall and low in summer at upper and central regions of Dongbok lake. A total of 108 phytoplankton species was identified as an algal flora of Dongbok lake. They were 54 Chlorophyceae, 30 Bacillariophyceae, 12 Cyanophyceae, and 12 species of other taxa. Total cell biomass of phytoplankton showed peaks in May$\sim$June and August$\sim$September, and low biomass in July at dam site. However, upper and central regions of Dongbok lake showed no clear patterns in cell biomass. Maximum biomass was 7,158 cells mL$^{-1}$ at dam site in May with the blooms of Peridinium bipes f. occulatum. The general seasonality of phytoplankton in Dongbok lake was Bacillariophyceae-Dinophyceae/Bacillariophyceae-Cyanophyceae/Chlorophyceae/Bacillariophyceae-Bacillariophyceae in 2003.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.691-702
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• 2020

Carbon biomass of plankton community, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Chlorophyll a (chl.a) concentration were examined in the SeoNakdong river from January to December in 2014, to assess composition of phyto- and zoo-plankton variation, to certify the correlation between chl.a and TOC and to determine the level of contribution of plankton carbon content to TOC in the reservoir-river ecosystem. The correlation level between TOC and chl.a was low in the year 2014 but exceptionally was highly correlated only during the period with cyanobacterial bloom. The high level of contribution of plankton carbon content to TOC was attributed to cyanobacterial carbon biomass from May to November and to Cladocera carbon biomass from March to May, November and December despite of its low abundance. These results suggest that there were inter-relationships between phytoplankton, zooplankton and TOC and also subtle consistency of their properties through the year. These patterns should be discussed in relation to the physiochemical and biological characteristics of the environment, as well as to allochthonous organic matters from non-point pollution sources.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4 s.114
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• pp.445-453
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• 2005

Relative importance between bottom-up and top-down controls on phytoplankton dynamics was investigated in the Juam Reservoir, Chonnam based on the results from statistical analyses including regression and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. Effects of nutrients on size-structured phytoplankton dynamics were explored by simple linear regression analysis and relative importance between bottom-up and top-down controls was estimated based on results from the artificial neural network analyses. Although there is a limitation in determining direct grazing effects since chlorophyll a : pheopigments ratios, indirect index for grazing activity rather than grazing rates or herbivores biomass were used, the results from regression analysis showed that nutrients especially orthophosphates were positively correlated with the phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a : pheopigments ratios were also positively correlated with the phytoplankton biomass at lower coefficient of determination ($r^2$) compared to orthophosphates. The simulation results from ANN suggested that the bottom-up mechanisms including water temperature and availability of nutrients, especially orthophosphates were more important than top-down mechanisms such as grazing in the phytoplankton dynamics.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2018

Phytoplankton community was studied in relation to a typhoon at Bok-gyo Bridge area in Juam Lake, Korea. In August 31, 2000, a typhoon (Prapiroon) was passed by Juam Lake with great power enough to destroy summer stratification of Juam Lake. Destratification resulted in temporal mixing of the whole water column and changed the physical and chemical properties of water bodies, and caused the changes of the biological properties. The transparency decreased from 195 cm before the typhoon to 84 cm after the typhoon with the resuspension of the bottom sediment. In the vertical distribution of the phytoplankton population, the maximum population was measured at depth of 2 m before the typhoon. However, immediately after the typhoon, the population distributed evenly throughout the entire water layers. The carbon biomass of the phytoplankton was also highest at the depth of 2 m before the typhoon, but immediately after the typhoon, it was uniformly distributed throughout the whole water layers. The vertical profiles of the concentrations of chlorophyll a, however, did not show a significant difference before and after the typhoon. The typhoon induced destratification and restratification altered the taxa of the phytoplankton. The major dominant phytoplankton taxa before the typhoon was diatoms including Aulacoseira granulata, but the green algae overwhelmed the diatoms in cell number and biomass after the typhoon. The chlorophycean dominance was replaced by cyanophycean dominance with the heavy rain and descent of water temperture at the end of September.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.308-319
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• 2008

Temporal variations in plankton assemblages and environmental factors in Asan Bay and their relationships were examined with the data collected from February till early June, 2005. Seawater temperatures showed typical pattern of temporal change observed in temperate waters. Salinity variation was minor. Phytoplankton biomass showed two peaks, one in February only in the inner part of the bay and the other in May in the whole bay. Phytoplankton succession was clearly shown with the increase of seawater temperatures. Diatom (Bacillariophyceae) dominated in February, diatom and cryptomonads (Cryptophyceae) prevailed in May, and dinoflagellates (Dinophyceae) was most abundant in June. Spring bloom in Asan Bay occurred about one month earlier than those observed in temperate seas. Among the inorganic nutrients (N, P and Si), only silicate concentration showed a significant negative correlation with phytoplankton biomass, indicating the sink of this nutrient in the bay to be the uptake by phytoplankton. Nitrate concentration seemed to be a limiting factor in this bay during the study period. Mesozooplankton abundances showed a significant positive correlation with seawater temperatures and a significant negative correlation with phytoplankton biomass. Increase of mesozooplankton abundance followed phytoplankton increase with the time lag of about two months. This increase of zooplankton seemed to be the result of increased seawater temperatures and food.

• 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.