• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.259-272
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• 2013

One of the factors influencing the climate around Korea is the oceanic-atmospheric variability in the tropical region between the eastern Indian and the western Pacific Oceans. Lack of knowledge about the air-sea interaction in the tropical Indo-Pacific region continues to make it problematic forecasting the ocean climate in the East Asia. The 'Tropical Indo-Pacific water transport and ecosystem monitoring EXperiment (TIPEX)' is a program for monitoring the ocean circulation variability between Pacific and Indian Oceans and for improving the accuracy of future climate forecasting. The main goal of the TIPEX program is to quantify the climate and ocean circulation change between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. The contents of the program are 1) to observe the mixing process of different water masses and water transport in the eastern Indian and the western Pacific, 2) to understand the large-scale oceanic-climatic variation including El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)/Warm Pool/Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)/Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and 3) to monitor the biogeochemical processes, material flux, and biological changes due to the climate change. In order to effectively carry out the monitoring program, close international cooperation and the proper co-work sharing of tasks between China, Japan, Indonesia, and India as well as USA is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2012

Reproductive ecology of the sharp toothed eel, Muraenesox cinereus was investigated based on the samples captured in southern Korean waters from January 2010 to December 2011. Gonadosomatic index began to increase in April, and reached maximum between July to August. After spawning it began to decrease from October. Reproductive season was estimated to April-September, with peak in July. Fecundity was proportional to the size of the female, with the clutch size varying from 56,000 eggs in the smallest female (anal length, 27.0cm) to 1,400,000 eggs in the largest (anal length, 49.5cm). Size at 50% sexual maturity ($AL_{50}$), determined from mature females, were 21.9cm. Annual reproductive cycles of this species could be divided into four successive stages; immature stage (October-February), maturing stage (March-May), mature stage (June-August) and spent stage (August-October).

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2002

Precipitation variability around King Sejong Station related with E1 $Ni\~{n}o$/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is evaluated using the gauge-based monthly data of its neighboring stations. Though three Ant-arctic Stations of King Sejong (Korea), Frei (Chile), and Artigas (Uruguay) are all closely located within 10 km, their precipitation data show mostly insignificant positive or rather negative correlations among them in the annual, seasonal and monthly precipitation. This result indicates that there are locally large variations in the distribution of precipitation around King Sejong Station. The monthly data of Frei Station for 31 years (1970-2000) are analyzed for examining the ENSO signal in precipitation because of its longer precipitation record compared to other two stations. From the analysis of seasonal precipitation, it is seen that there is a tendency of less precipitation than the average during E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ events. This dryness is more distinct in fall to spring seasons, in which the precipitation decreases down to about 30% of seasonal mean precipitation. However, the precipitation signal related with La $Ni\~{n}a$ events is not significant. From the analysis of monthly precipitation, it is found that there is a strong negative correlation during 1980s and in the late 1990s, and a weak positive correlation in the early 1990s between normalized monthly precipitation at Frei Station and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies in the $Ni\~{n}o$ 3.4 region. However, this relation may be not applied over the region around King Sejong Station, but at only one station, Frei.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.553-560
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• 2015

The feeding habits of the Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis were examined based on the stomach contents of 330 specimens caught by offshore large purse seine fishery in the southern sea of Korea, 2011. The size of Pacific bluefin tuna used in this study ranged from 34.1 to 67.3 cm in fork length (FL). The percentage of empty stomachs was 41.8%. The main prey items were Pisces and Cephalopoda based on percentage IRI (index of relative importance). The main fish preys were Trachurus japonicus, Bregmaceros japonicus, Engraulis japonicus, and Cephalopoda were Todarodes pacificus, Loligo edulis, Watasenia scintillans. T. orientalis showed ontogenetic change in diet composition. Although Pisces dominated the diet of all length classes the portion of Cephalopoda was relatively higher in size between 40 and 50 cm other than length classes. In terms of seasonal variation in feeding habits, Pisces was the main prey group in all seasons, but Cephalopoda was also frequently consumed during spring and autumn based on %IRI.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.65-69
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• 1981

The oceanic effect on the climate of the southern coast of Korea was analysed based on the sea surface temperature and in order to study relationships between the fluctuation of the sea surface temperature and that of climatic elements. Meteolorogical data from 1960 to 1979 were used. In the year when difference between the air and water temperature was maximum, the air temperature in southern coast was higher than normal year. A fluctuation of the sea surface temperature plays an important influence to determine the variation of the air temperature in the coastal area. Humidity of the coastal climate depends upon the oceanic effect in summer, but not in winter. This results may be due to prevailing wind effect. The oceanic effect on the precipitation in the coastal area is not found.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.28-33
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• 2008

From the 1997 to January, 2004, a groin 156m long was constructed at the mouth of the Heoya river-mouth as a protection and barrier. To understand the changes to Jinha beach from the blockade of the river mouth, several aerial photographs, etc., were compared, which showed that the changes were significant. Comparing these results to the state of the area before construction of the groin, the blockade of the river was relaxed, but the formation of the tombolo, in the middle groin area was accelerated and the total Jinha beach erosion and especially the erosion of the southern part of Jinha beach was developed. But according to statements by residents and some current documents, the blockade of the Heoya-river mouth is still underway at the surrounding areas of the groin and chronic dredged sand has been used for littoral nourishment at the northern part of the middle groin and on Jinha beach. The result of numerical simulation based on the present state shows that if this sort of dredging is stopped, the sand accumulation will progress near the river mouth groin and the existing tombolo at the middle groin will progress to the north and severe erosion will occur at the southern coastline near the middle groin and the farthest southern part of Jinha beach, and Jinha beach itself will experience a gradual erosion. The main reason for these erosions should be the typhoons that are happening during the summer season. To provide protection from these kinds of undesirable erosions, a total of 23 numerical simulations have been done. It has been shown that submerged breakwaters at the front area of the beach will be efficient to protect from main beach erosion, but there should be alternative proposals for the influence of the river mouth blockade.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.3
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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.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1067-1079
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• 2021

The coastal water is a space where salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), critical energy-conveying mediator, stay to adapt to different environments while traveling between ocean and river ecosystems for spawning and growth. The mid-eastern coast of Korea (MECW) is the southern limit of salmon distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. Understanding the distribution and migration characteristics of salmon in the MECW is important for the prediction of changes in the amount and distribution of salmon related to changes in the future marine environment. We analyzed the relationship between the salmon migratory timing ascending the Wangpi river and change in vertical seawater temperature and tidal elevation. Overall results highlight that (1) Salmon began to ascend the river when the sea surface water temperature (SST) decreased below 20℃; (2) The number of salmon ascending the river increased when the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers decreased, but decreased when the temperature difference was higher than 5℃; (3) The number of salmon ascending the river peaked, when the SST was 18℃-19℃ and sea levels rose at high tide. This study provide important insight into predicting changes in the ecosystem energy circulation through climate change at its southern distribution limit.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.477-486
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• 2017

In this study, we analyze precise seabed geomorphology and conditions for comparing the nearshore areas of the Dongdo(East Island) and the Seodo(West Island) using detailed bathymetry data and seafloor backscattering images, in Dokdo, the East Sea. We have been obtained the detailed bathymetry data and the seafloor backscattering data. The survey range is about $250m{\times}250m$ including land of islets to the nearshore areas of the southern part of the Dongdo and the Seodo. As a result of bathymetry survey, the southern area of the Dongdo(~50 m) is deeper than the Seodo(~30 m) in the water depth. The survey areas are consist of extended bedrocks from land of the Dongdo and the Seodo. The underwater rock region of the Seodo is larger than the Dongdo. In spite of similar extended rocks features from islets, there are some distinctive seabed characteristics between the southern nearshore areas of the Dongdo and the Seodo. The Talus-shaped seafloor environment formed by gravel and underwater rocks originating from the land of the Dongdo is up to about 15 m depth. And the boundary line of between extended bedrocks and seabottom is unclear in the southern nearshore of the Dongdo. On the other hand, the southern coast of the Seodo is characterized by relatively large scale underwater rocks and evenly distributed sediments, which clearly distinguish the boundary of between extended bedrocks and seafloor. This is because the tuff layers exposed to the coastal cliffs of the Dongdo are weak against weathering and erosion. It is considered that there are more influences of the clastic sediments carried from the land of the Dongdo compared with the Seodo. Particularly, the land of the Dongdo has been undergoing construction activities. And also a highly unstable ground such as faults, joints and cracks appears in the Dongdo. In previous study, there are dissimilar features of the massive tuff breccia formations of the Dongdo and the Seodo. These conditions are thought to have influenced the different seabed characteristics in the southern nearshore areas of the Dongdo and the Seodo.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.320-334
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• 2000

Deep-sea surface sediment were analyzed for their geotechnical properties, and the sediment samples were collected with a multiple-corer from 31 stations along the track line (131$^{\circ}$30'W, 5-12$^{\circ}$N) in the northeast equatorial Paciflc. Most of the sediments from the northern part (8-12$^{\circ}$N) showed typical properties of siliceous sediments, whereas the southern part (5-6$^{\circ}$N) showed calcareous characteristics due to high biogenic carbonate productivity in the surface waters, where its water depth was shallower than the carbonate compensation depth (CCD: 4,400 m). Geotechnical properties changed sharply at the boundary of 7$^{\circ}$N. Calcareous sediments from the southern part had low water contents, low porosity, low shear strength, high bulk density and high specific grain density, whereas siliceous sediments from the northern part attained high water content, high porosity, high shear strength, low bulk density and low specific grain density. Higher sediment activities were observed in the northern sediment samples than the southern sediment samples. The core samples of the northern sediments were divided into a semi-liquid upper layer and a consolidated lower layer with a boundary at 5-8 cm. These sediment samples showed a rapid increasing pattern along the downcore in original shear strength when an opposite trend was observed in the southern samples. The results showed that sediment variabilities in geotechnical properties between the northern and southern parts such as productivities of surface water, grain solubility due to water depth variation, sedimentation rate, erosion and redistribution of sediment, and combined sedimentary processes were distinctly different along the latitude.