• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.669-675
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• 2003

To increase fishery resources in coastal waters, juvenile fish and bivalves are artificially released every year in Korea. This study provides a methodology to estimate an optimal release quantity based on the carrying capacity of the receiving basins. Carrying capacity was defined by E.p. Odum's theory of ecosystem development as the upper limit of biomass, where total system respiration equals total primary production. The Ecopath trophic ecological model was used to determine carrying capacity in the surfzone ecosystem of Bangjukpo on the southern coast of Korea. Using a top-down control method, various biomasses of fish groups were given to the simulation, with primary production constant and no catch. The results showed that biomass of selected fish groups increased by two orders of magnitude, yielding a five-fold increase in overall consumer biomass. The resultant values are 10 times higher than those estimated in open seas. This can be explained by higher primary production in the Bangjukpo surfzone ecosystem. This method can be used for strategic releases and ecosystem management, particularly when based on an ecological background.