• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.327-337
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• 2007

Plankton communities have close relationships with environmental changes in water columns. Thus, the use of plankton as a biological tool for assessing the marine ecosystem health may be effective. Major issue regarding coastal pollution has been usually recognized as phytoplankton blooms or red tides caused by the eutrophication, an increase in concentration of inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, in order to understand the effects of the overall pollution on marine ecosystem, the organic pollutants as well as the inorganic nutrients should be also considered. For understanding the effects of the organic pollution, among the planktonic organisms, heterotrophic bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates should be investigated. Generally, there are three approaches for assessing the marine ecosystem health using the plankton taxa or plankton communities. The first one is a community-based approach such as diversity index and chlorophyll a concentration which are common in analysis of the plankton communities. The second is an indiviual-based approach which is to monitor the pollution indicative species. This approach needs one's ability to identify the plankton to species level. The last approach is a bioassay of toxicity, which can be applied to the plankton. A pilot study in Masan Bay was conducted to assess the effects of the inorganic and organic pollution. In this article, a new approach using plankton communities was tentatively presented as a biological tool for assessing the ecosystem health of Masan Bay.

• 환경생물
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.303-312
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• 2007

통영 바다목장 해역에서 식물플랑크톤 군집에 미치는 물리 화학적 환경요인을 파악하기 위하여 2000년 4월부터 2007년 1월까지 10개 정점의 표.저층에서 계절별 조사를 원칙으로 총 24회 조사하였다. 수온은 각 계절별 차이가 뚜렷한 전형적인 온대성 기후의 영향을 받고 있었으며, 염분은 쿠로시오 난류의 영향에 따른 고염분과 여름철 장마와 폭우에 따라 낮은 염분농도를 보였다. 부유물질은 표층보다 저층이 높은 농도를 보였으며, 투명도는 계절별로 여름철에 6.0 m이상의 높은 값을 보였다. 영양염류 중 용존무기질소, 인산염, 규산염의 각각 평균 21.75 ${\mu}M$, 0.90 ${\mu}M$, 14.38 ${\mu}M$을 보여 중영양 해역으로 판단된다. 따라서 통영바다목장해역에서 분석된 요인들에 대해 정점별 차이가 거의 없어 동일 해역으로 판단되었으며, 표.저층간은 암모니아를 제외한 모든 항목이 차이를 보였고, 계절별로도 구별되었다. 식물플랑크톤 현존량은 가을철에 $4.36\times10^5$ cells $L^{-1}$로 가장 높았으며, 다른 계절에는 평균 $1.13\times10^5$ cells $L^{-1}$로 유사하였다. 일반적으로 온대 연안 해역에서는 봄철과 가을철에 증가를 보이는 bimodal pattern이 발생되나, 본 해역에서는 가을철에만 증가를 보이는 unimodal pattern을 나타내었다. 엽록소 a는 식물플랑크톤 현존량과 변화양상과 유사하였으며, 다른 계절에 비해 가을철에만 높은 농도를 보였다. 본 해역에서 조사된 자료를 이용하여 회귀분석한 결과 식물플랑크톤 현존량에 크게 영향을 미치는 중요 환경요인들은 수온 및 염분이며 영양염류 중 규소와 인이 성장 제한요인으로 작용하여 식물플랑크톤 군집에 영향을 미치는 것으로 파악되었다.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.165-175
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• 2010

Dietary lipid biomarkers (fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and sterols) in adult specimens were analyzed to compare and understand the feeding ecology of the euphausiid, Euphausia pacifica, from three geographically and environmentally diverse Korean waters (Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and East Sea). Total lipid content of E. pacifica from Korean waters was about 10% dry weight (DW) with a dominance of phospholipids (>46.9% of total lipid content), which are known as membrane components. A saturated fatty acid, C16:0, a monounsaturated fatty acid, C18:1(n-9), and two polyunsaturated fatty acids, C20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3), were most abundant (>60% of total fatty acids) in the fatty acid composition. Some of the fatty acids showed slight differences among regions although no significant compositional changes of fatty acids were detected between these regions. Phytol, originating from the side chain of chlorophyll and indicative of active feeding on phytoplankton, was detected all samples. Trace amounts of various fatty alcohols were also detected in E. pacifica. Specifically, krill from the Yellow Sea showed relatively high amounts of longchain monounsaturated fatty alcohols (i.e. 20:1 and 22:1), generally found in herbivorous copepods. Three different kinds of sterols were detected in E. pacifica. The most dominant of these sterols was cholest-5-en-$3{\beta}$-ol (cholesterol). The lipid compositions and ratios of fatty acid trophic markers are indicative of herbivory in E. pacifica from the Yellow Sea and East Sea (mainly feeding on dinoflagellates and diatoms, respectively). The lipid compositions and ratios of fatty acid trophic markers are indicative of carnivory or omnivory in E. pacifica from the East China Sea, mainly feeding on microzooplankton such as protozoa. In conclusion, lipid biomarkers provide useful information about krill feeding type. However, further analyses and experiments (i.e. gut content analysis, in situ grazing experiment, etc.) are needed to better understand the feeding ecology of E. pacifica in various marine environments.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

Harmful algal blooms (HABs or red tides), caused by uncontrolled proliferation of marine phytoplankton, impose a severe environmental problem and occasionally threaten even public health. We sequenced the genome of an EPS-producing marine bacterium Hahella chejuensis that produces a red pigment with the lytic activity against red-tide dinoflagellates at parts per billion level. H. chejuensis is the first sequenced species among algicidal bacteria as well as in the order Oceanospirillales. Sequence analysis indicated a distant relationship to the Pseudomonas group. Its 7.2-megabase genome encodes basic metabolic functions and a large number of proteins involved in regulation or transport. One of the prominent features of the H. chejuensis genome is a multitude of genes of functional equivalence or of possible foreign origin. A significant proportion (${\sim}23%$) of the genome appears to be of foreign origin, i.e. genomic islands, which encode genes for biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides, toxins, polyketides or non-ribosomal peptides, iron utilization, motility, type III protein secretion and pigment production. Molecular structure of the algicidal pigment was determined to be prodigiosin by LC-ESI-MS/MS and NMR analyses. The genomics-based research on H. chejuensis opens a new possibility for controlling algal blooms by exploiting biotic interactions in the natural environment and provides a model in marine bioprospecting through genome research.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.135-145
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• 2019

We investigated the mass occurrence of the salp Salpa fusiformis during spring in the southern waters of Korea and the northern East China Sea. Abundance of S. fusiformis and dominant taxonomic groups including copepods, ostracods, euphausiids, and appendicularian was examined along with environmental factors (e.g., temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a concentration). The abundance of S. fusiformis at 27 stations ranged from 0 to $183\;inds\;m^{-3}$. Both aggregate and solitary forms of S. fusiformis occurred with a mean abundance of $62\;inds\;m^{-3}$ and $4\;inds\;m^{-3}$, and mean body length of 6.5 mm and 15.4 mm, respectively. Redundancy analysis showed that the abundance of S. fusiformis was negatively correlated with chlorophyll-a concentration, indicating the intensive grazing impact of S. fusiformis on phytoplankton. While the abundance of S. fusiformis increased, the species diversity of zooplankton community decreased. The abundances of total copepods and the dominant copepod species (e.g., adults and/or copepodites of Paracalansus parvus s.l., Calanus sinicus, Oithona similis, and Corycaeus affinis) also decreased with the increase of S. fusiformis abundance. However, the abundance of ostracods, euphausiids, and appendicularians was not affected by the mass occurrence of the salps. These results suggest that the mass occurrence of S. fusiformis in spring could negatively affect ecosystem conditions by changing trophodynamics in the zooplankton community.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.31-43
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• 2021

To understand the temporal variation of prokaryotic communities in a temperate coastal area, prokaryotic abundance, activity, and community composition were investigated every week for over a year at a coastal monitoring station of Yeong-do, Busan. The prokaryotic abundances fluctuated about 10 times, ranging from 2.0 to 20.1 × 10⁵ cells mL^-1 and tended to be high in spring when phytoplankton bloom occurred. The prokaryotic thymidine incorporation rates (TTI) varied in a low range between 0.2 and 11.5 pmol L^-1 h^-1 in winter. However, in summer, TTI were increased up to a range of 8.3 to 17.4 pmol L^-1 h^-1, showing an increasing pattern in summer. During the study period, Alphaproteobacteria was the most dominant class for most of the year, followed by Flavobacteria. While the seasonal variation of prokaryotic composition was not apparent at the class level, many prokaryotic species showed a distinct temporal or seasonal variation for the year. In the coastal site, prokaryotic biomass and activity did not show significant correlations with temperature and chlorophyll-a, which are well known to regulate prokaryotic growth in marine environments, suggesting that the study area may be affected by diverse sources of organic matter for their growth.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.401-410
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• 2007

국내에서 해양원생동물의 연구는 1990년대 초반에 본격적으로 시작되어 주로 원생동물의 분포와 섭식 등에 관한 연구가 진행되어왔다. 본 논문에서는 마산만 표영 환경에서의 박테리아와 원생동물의 분포, 박테리아와 원생동물의 상호작용과 원생동물과 식물플랑크톤의 상호작용의 특성에 대해 알아보고 앞으로의 연구방향에 대해 토의하였다. 마산만에서 종속영양 미소편모류의 현존량은 평균 $1.2{\times}10^3\;cells\;mL^{-1}$, 종속영양 와편모류는 평균 $7.9{\times}10^4\;cells\;mL^{-1}$, 섬모충류는 평균 $4.0{\times}10^4\;cells\;L^{-1}$로 나타났으며 전반적으로 엽록소-a 농도, 박테리아와 원생동물의 현존량은 유기물 유입이 많은 내만 정점에서 높게 나타났다. 종속영양 미소편모류는 박테리아 이차생산의 약 69%를 제거하는 것으로 나타나 박테리아 생물량을 조절할 것으로 판단되며 소형부유동물은 미소조류 및 박테리아와 양의 상관관계를 보였고 식물플랑크톤에 대한 섭식율(평균 24%)로 인해 이들 생물군집들에게 영향을 주었을 것으로 추정된다. 따라서 마산만에서 원생동물은 박테리아와 미소조류의 성장을 조절하고 이들의 생물량을 상위영양단계로 직접 전달하는 것으로 사료된다. 특히 종속영양 미소편모류는 마산만에서 박테리아의 주 포식자일 것으로 추정된다. 또한 마산만은 후생동물 먹이망보다 미세생물 먹이망이 상당히 잘 발달된 곳으로 추정된다.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제26권2호
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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.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.379-399
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• 2008

Spatial-temporal variations in physiochemical water qualities (temperature, salinity, DO, SPM, POC and nutrients) of surface and bottom waters were investigated along the mid-western coastal area (Taean Peninsula to Gomso Bay) of Korea. Spatial distribution patterns of temperature and salinity were mostly controlled by the physical mixing process of freshwater from Geum River and/or Gyunggi Bay with nearby coastal water. A strong tidal front is formed off Taean Peninsula during spring and summer. Seasonal variations in nutrient concentrations, lower in spring and summer and higher in fall and winter, are primarily regulated by magnitude of phytoplankton occurrence rather than freshwater loadings into the bay. Based on seasonal and spatial variability of physicochemical parameters, water quality of the study area can be divided into four water masses; Gyunggi Bay-influenced Water Mass (GBWM), Geum River-influenced Water Mass (GRWM), Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water Mass (YSBCWM) and Cheonsu Bay Water Mass (CBWM). Water quality of the GBWM (Taean Peninsula coastal area), which has relatively low salinity and high concentrations of nutrients, is strongly controlled by the Gyunggi Bay coastal water, which is under influence of the Han River freshwater. In this water mass, the mixed layer is always developed by strong tidal mixing. As a result, a tidal front is formed along the offshore boundary of the mixed layer. Such tidal fronts probably play an important role in the distribution of phytoplankton communities, SPM and nutrients. The GRWM, with low salinity and high nutrients, especially during the flood summer season, is closely related to physiochemical properties of the Geum River. During the flood season, nutrient-enriched Geum River water mass extends up to 60 km away from the river mouth, potentially causing serious environmental problems such as eutrophication and unusual and/or noxious algal blooms. Offshore (<$30{\sim}40m$ in water depth) of the study area, YSBCWM coupled with a strong thermocline can be identified in spring-summer periods, exhibiting abundant nutrients in association with low temperature and limited biological activity. During spring and summer, a tidal front is formed in a transition zone between the coastal water mass and bottom cold water mass in the Yellow Sea, resulting in intensified upwelling and thereby supplying abundant nutrients to the GBWM and GRWM. Such cold bottom water mass and tidal front formation seems to play an important role in controlling water quality and further regulating physical ecosystem processes along mid-western Korean coastal area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.269-289
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• 2010

In Summer 2008, a multidisciplinary survey was conducted onboard R/V Haeyang 2000 to understand plankton response to the three distinct physico-chemical settings that developed in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. Baseline settings of hydrographic conditions included the presence of the thin (<20 m) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW) on top of the Tsushima Middle Water (TMW). It extends from the Korea Strait to $37^{\circ}N$ along the $130^{\circ}E$ and then turns offshore and encompasses the relatively saline (T>$26^{\circ}C$, S>33.7) Ulleung Warm Eddy surface water centered at $36.5^{\circ}N$ and $131^{\circ}E$. A relatively colder and saline water mass appeared off the southeastern coast of Korea. It was accompanied by higher nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations, suggesting a coastal upwelling. Most of the offshore surface waters support low phytoplankton biomass (0.3 mg chl-a $m^{-3}$). A much denser phytoplankton biomass (1-2.3 mg $m^{-3}$) accumulated at the subsurface layer between 20-50 m depth. The subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum (SCM) layer was closely related to the nutricline, suggesting an active growth of phytoplankton at depth. The SCM developed at shallow depth (20-30 m) near the coast and deepened offshore (50-60 m). A fucoxanthin/zeaxanthin ratio was high in coastal waters while it was low in offshore waters, which indicated that diatoms dominate coastal waters while cyanobacteria dominate offshore waters. The community structure and biomass of phytoplanktonare closely related to nitrogen availability. Zooplankton biomass was higher in the coastal region than in the offshore region while species richness showed an opposite trend. Zooplankton community structure retained a coastal/offshore contrast. These suggest that summer hydrography is a stable structure, lasting long enough to allow a hydrography-specific plankton community to evolve.