• Title/Summary/Keyword: Potential risky species

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Potential risky exotic fish species, their ecological impacts and potential reasons for invasion in Korean aquatic ecosystems

  • Atique, Usman;An, Kwang-Guk
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.46 no.1
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    • pp.41-53
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    • 2022
  • Background: Due to the rapidly changing climatic conditions, South Korea faces the grand challenge of exotic species. With the increasing human movement, the influx of alien species to novel regions is prevalent across the globe. The latest research suggests that it is easy to prevent the introduction and establishment of alien species rather than controlling their spread and eradication. Like other countries, the Korean Ministry of Environment released a list (in 2018) of 45 potential risky exotic fish species considered likely to be invasive candidate fish species if they ever succeed in entering the Korean aquatic ecosystems. Results: The investigation into the invasion suitability traits showed that potential risky fish species could utilize those features in becoming invasive once they arrive in the Korean aquatic ecosystems. If the novel species establish viable populations, they are likely to incur higher economic costs, damage the native aquatic fauna and flora, and jeopardize the already perilled species. Furthermore, they can damage the installed infrastructure, decline overall abundance and biodiversity, and disturb the ecosystem services. Here we reviewed the list of fish species concerning their family, native origin, preferred aquatic biomes, main food items, current status in Korea, and potential threats to humans and the ecosystems. Data shows that most species are either already designated as invasive in the neighboring counties, including Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and China, or originate from these countries. Such species have a higher climate match with the Korean territories. Conclusions: Therefore, it is exceptionally essential to study their most critical features and take regulatory measures to restrict their entry. The incoming fish species must be screened before letting them in the country in the future. The regulatory authorities must highlight the threatening traits of such species and strictly monitor their entrance. Detailed research is required to explore the other species, especially targeting the neighboring countries fish biodiversity, having demonstrated invasive features and matching the Korean climate.

Distribution of potential risky species on phytoplankton at ports in Korea (항만 환경에서 식물플랑크톤 잠재적 위해종의 분포)

  • Kwon, Oh Youn;Kang, Jung-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.506-510
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    • 2013
  • This study aimed to understand relationship between potential risky species and environmental factors at ports in Korea. During the study periods, 25 potential risky species (red tide and toxic species) representing 20 red-tide species, 5 toxic species were observed in the all ports. Skeletonema costatum (red-tide species) was predominated in all study area. This species showed positive correlation with pH, while negative correlation with dissolved oxygen (p<0.05) at Busan port. Also, this species showed positive correlation with total suspended solids and pH (p<0.05) at Ulsan port. However, Sk. costatum showed positive correlation with nitrate at Incheon port (p<0.01). Pseudo-nitzschia spp. producing amnesic shellfish poison (domoic acid) showed positive correlation with nitrate and silicate in all study areas (p<0.05). Alexandrium spp. (paralytic shellfish poison) and Dinophysis acuminata (diarrhetic shellfish poison) were affected by chemical oxygen demand (p<0.01). Our results indicated that red-tide species were affected by physical factors, while chemical factors affected toxic species.

Distributional characteristics of risky phytoplankton species at inner and outer sites around Incheon seaport of Korea (인천항 내, 외에서 식물플랑크톤 위해종의 분포특성)

  • Kwon, Oh Youn;Kang, Jung-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.15 no.11
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    • pp.6958-6965
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    • 2014
  • This study examined the occurring pattern of potential risky species and the related abiotic factors for port-specific environmental management considering the control of ballast water-induced foreign species at Incheon seaport. From a total of 62 species observed during the study, 13 red-tide and 7 toxic phytoplankton, normally occurring species in Korean waters, occurred from the seasonal investigation at the inner and outer sites of the Incheon seaport from 2007 to 2009. The number of potential risky phytoplankton was relatively high at the outer site of the port during summer and winter. Red-tide species, such as Skeletonema spp., Thalassiosira nordenskioldii, and Paralia sulcata, dominated the total standing crops at the inner site (avg. 72.4%) and outer site (avg. 77.6%) in spring and summer, being positively correlated with the concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS) and pH (p<0.05). In summer, the red-tide species (Skeletonema spp.) and toxic species (Alexandrium catenella, A. tamarense, Dinophysis acuminata and Pseudo-nitzschia spp.) co-dominated (avg. 74.2%) at the inner site, while Skeletonema spp. and P. sulcata predominated (avg. 67.2%) at the outer site. During the study periods, the toxic species were significantly and positively correlated with the chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved inorganic nitrogen, silicate and phosphate (p < 0.05). The chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration of phytoplankton at the outer site ranged from 1.49 to $5.46{\mu}g/L$ on average, which was 3-5 times higher than that at the inner site in spring, summer and autumn, whereas there was no difference in the concentration between inner (avg. $0.94{\mu}g/L$) and outer (avg. $0.95{\mu}g/L$) sites in winter. In summary, diverse red-tide species dominated and a relatively high chl-a concentration existed at the outer site, whereas a relatively high number of toxic species and low chl-a concentration was observed at the inner site in summer. The potential risky species can outbreak in association with the concentration of nutrients, COD and TSS, suggesting that distinctive management of potential risky species is needed considering the environmental characteristics of Incheon seaport.

Reproductive Pattern of the Epifaunal Amphipod Pontogeneia rostrata (Crustacea) on Dolsando Sandy Shore in Korea

  • Yu, Ok-Hwan;Jeong, Seung-Jin;Suh, Hae-Lip
    • Ocean Science Journal
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    • v.43 no.3
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    • pp.127-133
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    • 2008
  • Reproductive patterns of an epifaunal amphipod, Pontogeneia rostrata, were studied on Dolsando sandy shore in Korea. The life history pattern was iteroparous, with recruitment mainly occurring from winter to spring. The sex ratio was malebiased, especially during breeding periods. The mean body length of females was significantly larger than that of males. Brood size and egg volume were positively related to the body length of ovigerous females. There was no significant difference in brood size between successive breeding periods, but egg volumes were significantly higher in early winter (December) than in late spring breeding (May and June), increasing the probability of survival to hatching. These traits contribute to more reproductive potential in early winter than in late spring breeding. The mean brood size of epifaunal P. rostrata was larger but the mean egg volume smaller than that of infaunal amphipods in this sampling area. We suggest that reproductive effort for epifaunal species may be proportionally greater than for infaunal species in risky environments.

How to Reflect Sustainable Development in Overseas Investment including Equator Principles (해외투자(海外投資)와 지속가능발전 원칙 - 적도원칙(赤道原則)(Equator Principles)을 중심으로 -)

  • Park, Whon-Il
    • 한국무역상무학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2006.06a
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    • pp.45-72
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    • 2006
  • The Equator Principles are a set of voluntary environmental and social guidelines for ethical project finance. These principles commit banks and other signatories to not finance projects that fail to meet these guidelines. The principles were conceived in 2002 on an initiative of the International Finance Corporation and launched in 2003. Since then, dozens of major banks have adopted the Principles, and with these banks among them accounting for more than three quarters of all project loan market volume the Principles have become the de facto standard for all banks and investors on how to deal with potential social and environmental effects of projects to be financed. While regarding the Principles an important initiative, NGOs have criticised the Principles for not producing real changes in financing activities and for allowing projects to go through that should have been screened out by the Principles, such as the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project in Russia. In early 2006, a process of revision of the principles was begun. The Equator Principles state that endorsing banks will only provide loans directly to projects under the following circumstances: - The risk of the project is categorized in accordance with internal guidelines based upon the environmental and social screening criteria of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). - For all medium or high risk projects (Category A and B projects), sponsors complete an Environmental Assessment, the preparation of which must meet certain requirements and satisfactorily address key environmental and social issues. - The Environmental Assessment report addresses baseline environmental and social conditions, requirements under host country laws and regulations, applicable international treaties and agreements, sustainable development and use of renewable natural resources, protection of human health, cultural properties, and biodiversity, including endangered species and sensitive ecosystems, use of dangerous substances, major hazards, occupational health and safety, fire prevention and life safety, socio-economic impacts, land acquisition and land use, involuntary resettlement, impacts on indigenous peoples and communities, cumulative impacts of existing projects, the proposed project, and anticipated future projects, participation of affected parties in the design, review and implementation of the project, consideration of feasible environmentally and socially preferable alternatives, efficient production, delivery and use of energy, pollution prevention and waste minimization, pollution controls (liquid effluents and air emissions) and solid and chemical waste management. - Based on the Environmental Assessment, Equator banks then make agreements with their clients on how they mitigate, monitor and manage those risks through an 'Environmental Management Plan'. Compliance with the plan is required in the covenant. If the borrower doesn't comply with the agreed terms, the bank will take corrective action, which if unsuccessful, could ultimately result in the bank canceling the loan and demanding immediate repayment. - For risky projects, the borrower consults with stakeholders (NGO's and project affected groups) and provides them with information on the risks of the project. - If necessary, an expert is consulted. The Principles only apply to projects over 50 million US dollars, which, according to the Equator Principles website, represent 97% of the total market. In early 2006, the financial institutions behind the Principles launched stakeholder consultations and negotiations aimed at revising the principles. The draft revised principles were met with criticism from NGO stakeholders, who in a joint position paper argued that the draft fails by ignoring the most serious critiques of the principles: a lack of consistent and rigorous implementation.

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