• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.125-151
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• 2018

We grouped the names attributed to the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula in maps published in two major Korean ocean and fisheries science journals over the period from 1998 to 2017: the Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography (The Sea) and the Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science (KFAS). The names attributed to these seas in maps of journal paper broadly were classified into three groupings: (1) East Sea and Yellow Sea; (2) East Sea, Yellow Sea, and South Sea; or (3) East Sea, West Sea and South Sea. The name 'East Sea' was dominantly used for the waters between Korea and Japan. In contrast, the water between Korea and China has been mostly labelled as 'Yellow Sea' but sometimes labelled as 'West Sea'. The waters between the south coast of Korea and Kyushu, Japan were labelled as either 'Korea Strait' or 'South Sea'. This analysis on sea names in the maps of 'The Sea' and 'KFAS' reveals that domestic researchers frequently mix geographical and international names when referring to the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula. These inconsistencies provide the motivation for the development of a basic unifying guideline for naming the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula. With respect to this, we recommend the use of separate names for the marginal seas between continental landmasses and/or islands versus for the coastal waters surrounding Korea. For the marginal seas, the internationally recognized names are recommended to be used: East Sea; Yellow Sea; Korea Strait; and East China Sea. While for coastal seas, including Korea's territorial sea, the following geographical nomenclature is suggested to differentiate them from the marginal sea names: Coastal Sea off the East Coast of Korea (or the East Korea Coastal Zone), Coastal Sea off the South Coast of Korea (or the South Coastal Zone of Korea), and Coastal Sea off the West Coast of Korea (or the West Korea Coastal Zone). Further, for small or specific study areas, the local region names, district names, the sea names and the undersea feature names can be used on the maps.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2003

The long­term trend and inter­relationship with depth of temperature and salinity in coastal waters of Korea are studied using coastal oceanographic observation and serial oceanographic data measured by National Fisheries Research and Development Institute. Temperature of coastal waters of Korea except south­western sea of Korea where cold water appears to increase in summer. In case of temperature offshore, surface temperature of East Sea increases, the reverse, for 50m and 100m decreases. Temperature in South Sea of Korea increases in whole depth and for the Yellow Sea, surface temperature increases, but for 50m decreases. In case of salinity offshore, surface salinity of East Sea decreases, but for 50m increases. Surface salinity in South Sea of Korea decreases, the reverse, form 50m and 100m increases. salinity in the Yellow Sea decrease in whole depth According to the result of inter­relationship analysis, for temperature relationship coefficients of 50m and 100m in the East Sea and South Sea of Korea is higher, however, for the Yellow sea the inter­relationship between 50m and 100m is lower. In case of salinity, the inter­relationship between surface and 50m, and for the South Sea of Korea, between 50m and 100m, and for the Yellow Sea, between surface and 50m is higher.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.205-214
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• 2007

Marine environmental characteristics on the dinoflagellate cysts distribution in surface sediment of the southwest sea of Korea were investigated from 21 stations in September 2003, and 36 stations in June, 2004. The water mass characteristics indicated that the southwest sea of Korea is characterized by various oceanographic conditions due to coastal waters of Korea and China. The Tsushima warm currents and the cold bottom water of the Yellow Sea. Mud contents and chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in central region such as, Namhaedo, Yeosu and Goheung coast than in western region such as, Wando, Haenam and Jindo coast in the South Sea of Korea. A total of 35 taxa of dinoflagellate cysts were identified representing 21 genera, 33 species, 2 unidentified species. Cyst abundance ranged from 13 to 527 cysts $g-dry^{-1}$, showing higher abundance in the coastal areas than in western region of the South Sea of Korea. From the result of the PCA analysis, the distribution of dinoflagellate cysts was not only related to the different water masses which appeared in the southwestern sea but also to physical and biological parameters such as water temperature, light, surface sediment faces and phytoplankton biomass.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2012

This study aims to investigate characteristics of water quality factors by using survey results of national marine environmental monitoring system from 2004 to 2010 at coastal area of the East Sea of Korea. In this study, we chose statistical methods to analyze the correlation among water quality parameters and principal component analysis for characteristics of each water environment. In addition to this, we evaluated each water's pollution level based on eutrophication standard of OECD, Eutrophication Index(EI), and Organic Pollution Index(OPI). Major factors were chlorophyll a and salt according to the analysis at coastal area of the East Sea. The sea was divided into the south and the central part by Jukbyeon. Also, Jukbyeon in the central part of the East Sea and Gampo in the southern sea coastal waters have been classified separately. The nutritional status of coastal area of East Sea presented Mesotrophic to Oligotrophic level and EI showed less than 1. OPI in all of the coastal area at the East Sea represented that the water quality condition was favorable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2009

In order to illustrate the effects of water temperature inversion on the stratification variation in the South Sea of Korea, water temperature, salinity, and density measured in October and December 1999 by National Fisheries Research and Development Institute were reviewed. In October and December of 1999, temperature inversion occurred mainly between 25m and 75m, and in particular in depth of water, in December temperature inversion layer also was formed in the surface layer. In case of October and December, the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), warm and saline water, was one of motors, and in December, influence of surface cold water was added Although northerly wind prevails in October and December, in October, expanding of the South Korean Coastal Waters (SKCW) towards offshore is not clear, but in December when wind speed is relatively greater than that in October and strength of the TWC become weak, the SKCW spreads towards offshore through the upper layer. Stratification variation was higher along the area where temperature inversion occurred.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.229-235
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• 1986

The response of coastal water to the summertime intensification of the East Korea Warm Current is considered theoretically. A simply analytic model explains well the development of southward coastal current in the north (37-38$^{\circ}$N) and the uprising of lower cold water in the south (35-36$^{\circ}$N). The mechanism involved is the Rossby adjustment to a sudden increase of current.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.49-62
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• 2001

Hydrographic surveys were carried out seven times during May 31, 1998 and September 24, 1998 in order to study the physical environments of the coastal area between Narodo Is. and Sorido Is. in the southern sea of Korea (the South Sea) where the occurrence of Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tide is frequently observed in summer. Temperature and salinity of the water column from the surface to the depth of 30 m exhibit large seasonal variations. Mean temperature of the water column increased by 6 and mean salinity of the water column decreased by 2.71 psu during the observation period. Both the freshwater supplied from the adjacent land and the precipitation over the study area cannot account for the observed salinity variations. The influx of the low salinity water from the offshore area is considered to be the main cause for the observed salinity changes. Surface salinity in the study area shows different spatial distribution in the period of outbreaking, mid-stage and disappearance of the red tide. Especially, salinity was abruptly lowered at the stage of disappearance of red tide as compared to salinity of the previous observation period. Vertical structure of water properties also became vertically homogeneous at the disappearance stage, while it was highly stratified in the previous observation. Such changes can only be explained by the inflow of low salinity water from the offshore, which is considered as the most possible cause for the disappearance of the red tide in the study area. This study suggests that exchanges of water, and chemical and biological factors between coastal areas and of shore area in the South Sea need to be studied in association with the general circulation of the South Sea in order for the better understanding of the occurrence and disappearance of the red tide in the coastal area of the South Sea.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2007

The summer distributions of planktonic microbial communities (heterotrophic and phtosynthetic bacteria, phtosynthetic and heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliate plankton, and microphytoplankton) were compared between inner and outer areas of Lake Sihwa, divided by an artificial breakwater, located on the western coast of Korea, in September 2003. The semi-enclosed, inner area was characterized by hyposaline surface water (<17 psu), and by low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (avg. $0.4\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and high concentrations of inorganic nutrients (nitrogenous nutrients $>36\;{\mu}M$, phosphate $>4\;{\mu}M$) in the bottom layer. Higher densities of heterotrophic bacteria and nanoflagellates also occurred in the inner area than did in the outer area, while microphytoplankton (mainly diatoms) occurred abundantly in the outer area. A tiny tintinnid ciliate, Tintinnopsis nana, bloomed into more than $10^6\;cells\;L^{-1}$ at the surface layer of the inner area, while its abundance was much lower ($10^3-10^4\;cells\;L^{-1}$) in the outer area of the breakwater. Ciliate abundance was highly correlated with heterotrophic bacteria (r = 0.886, p < 0.001) and heterotrophic flagellates (r = 0.962, p < 0.001), indicating that rich food availability may have led to the T. nana bloom. These results suggest that the breakwater causes the eutrophic environment in artificial lakes with limited flushing of enriched water and develops into abundant bacteria, nanoflagellates, and ciliates.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.135-153
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• 2007

Temporal (seasonal) and spatial distributions and variations of various physico-chemical factors (salinity, temperature, pH, DO, COD, SPM, POC, silicate, DIP, DIN) in surface and bottom waters were studied in the coastal environment with typical macro-tidal range and monsoonal weather condition, Gyeonggi Bay, west coast of Korea. Spacial distribution patterns of these factors were generally similar to each other, and appeared to be inversely related to the distribution pattern of salinity, suggesting that water quality of the study area was primarily controlled by the physical mixing process of Han-River freshwater with nearby coastal seawater. During flooding season, silicate- and nitrogen-rich Han River water directly flowed into offshore as far as $20\sim30\;km$ from the river mouth, probably causing serious environmental problems such as eutrophication and unusual and/or noxious algal bloom, etc. Except the surface water during summer flooding season, high concentrations of nutrients appeared generally in dry season, whereas low values in spring, possibly because of the occurrence of spring phytoplankton bloom. On the other hand, nutrient flux through the estuary seems to be primarily depending on river discharge, sewage discharge and agricultural activities, especially during the rainy season. Also, nutrients in this coastal waters are considered to be supplied from the sediments of tidal-flats, which developed extensively around the Han-River mouth, especially during fall and winter of dry and low discharge seasons, possibly due to the stirring of tidal flat sediments with highly enriched pore-water nutrients by storm. And also, COD and DIN concentrations in the study area consistently increased during the last 20 years, probably because of agricultural activities and increasing discharge of industrial and domestic wastes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.310-320
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• 2008

Water temperature and salinity variation patterns were analysed using the CTD data measured in the Yeochari, Dongmakri and Donggeomdo intertidal zone, south of Ganghwado. Only the data during the submersion period of the measurement stations were used in this analysis. It is clearly shown that the correlation between air and water temperatures is very low and the water temperature variation shows clearly the opposite patterns as the tidal elevation increases and decreases. Whereas, the salinity change shows the similar pattern of the tidal elevation change pattern because the salinity change pattern could be described as the increasing function from the shoreline to offshore regions due to the continuous ground-water inflow in the adjacent watersheds. The salinity is increased from the submersion time to the high tide and decreased from the high tide to the exposure time.