• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2024

In ecosystems within limited resources, interspecific competition is inevitable, often leading to the competitive exclusion of inferior species. This study aims to provide foundational information for the conservation and restoration management of Microphysogobio rapidus by evaluating species' ecological response to biological factors within its habitat. To understand this relationship, we collected food web organisms from site where M. rapidus coexist with Microphysogobio yaluensis, a specie ecologically similar to M. rapidus, and evaluated the trophic levels (TL), isotopic niche space (INS), and the overlap of INS among fishes within the habitat using stable isotope analysis. Our analysis revealed that the M. rapidus exhibited a higher TL than M. yaluensis, with TL of 2.6 and 2.4, respectively. M. yaluensis exhibited a broad INS, significantly influencing the feeding characteristics of most fish. Conversely, M. rapidus showed a narrow INS and asymmetric feeding relationships with other species, in habitats with high competition levels. This feeding characteristics of M. rapidus indicate that the increase in competitors sharing the similar resources lead to a decrease in available resources and, consequently, is expected to result in a decrease in their density.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.711-715
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• 2005

Purpose : With the recent improved survival of extremely low birth weight infants(ELBWI), enteral feeding has become a major issue. This study investigates the effects of early enteral feeding in ELBWI on their morbidity, duration of hospitalization, and mortality. Methods : ELBWI admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Samsung Medical Center from November 1994 to April 2004 who survived more than 14 days were enrolled. ELBWI were divided into two groups : an early feeding group(EF), in which enteral feeding was started within 3 days after birth; and a late feeding group(LF), in which enteral feeding was started beyond 3 days after birth. 80 ELBWI came under EF, and 131 ELBWI under LF. Results : Birth weight and gestational age did not differ between the two groups. In EF, the time to achieve full enteral feeding and the duration of parenteral nutrition were significantly shorter than in LF. The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was significantly lower in EF, but the incidences of sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and cholestasis were not different between the two groups. There was no difference in the survival rate between the two groups, but the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in EF. Conclusion : Early enteral feeding in ELBWI did not increase the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis, but rather decreased the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and shortened the duration of hospitalization.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 1986

Ontogenetic food habits of the four most abundant fish species in seagrass neadows of Redfish Bay, Texas, were examined quantitatively during 1982-1983. The darter goby (Gobionellus bolelsoma) and pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) were trophic generalists, which used a wide range of food items. The darter goby had relatively diverse, omnivorous diet which included amphipods, copepods, polychaetes, filamentous algae, diatoms, and detritus. This species did not show distinct ontogenetic changes in foodpreferences. Unlike the darter goby, the pinfish showed ontogenetic progression of four feeding stages. An initial feeding stage was a planktivorous stage in which copepods were int major food items, followed by a carnivorous stage in which amphipods became the major food items, an omnivorous stage in which filamentous algae, diatoms, amphipods, and polychaetes were the major food items, and finally a herbivorous stage in which seagrass pieces with attached epiphytes and their debris were the major food items. The code goby (Gobiosoma robustrm) and Gulf pipefish (Syngathus scovelli) appeared to be relatively specialized in food havits as carnivorous. Similar ontogenetic changes in food habits were observed for these two species, i.e.initially, copepods were the major food items, followed by a gradual transition to amphipods with growth.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.815-822
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• 2021

Indigenous fungus-feeding nematodes may adversely affect the growth and activity of introduced biocontrol fungi. Alginate pellets of the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum ThzID1-M3 and sclerotia of the fungal plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were added to nonsterile soil at a soil water potential of -50 or -1,000 kPa. The biomass of ThzID1-M3, nematode populations, and extent of colonization of sclerotia by ThzID1-M3 were monitored over time. The presence of ThzID1-M3 increased the nematode population under both moisture regimes (p < 0.05), and fungivores comprised 69-75% of the nematode population. By day 5, the biomass of ThzID1-M3b and its colonization of sclerotia increased and were strongly correlated (R² = 0.98), followed by a rapid reduction, under both regimes. At -50 kPa (the wetter of the two environments), fungal biomass and colonization by ThzID1-M3 were less, in the period from 5 to 20 days, while fungivores were more abundant. These results indicate that ThzID1-M3 stimulated the population growth of fungivorous nematodes, which in turn, reduced the biocontrol ability of the fungus to mycoparasitize sclerotia. However, colonization incidence reached 100% by day 5 and remained so for the experimental period under both regimes, although hyphal fragments disappeared by day 20. Our results suggest that indigenous fungivores are an important constraint for the biocontrol activity of introduced fungi, and sclerotia can provide spatial refuge for biocontrol fungi from the feeding activity of fungivorous nematodes.

• ALGAE
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 2019

Mixotrophy in marine organisms is an important aspect of ecology and evolution. The discovery of mixotrophic abilities in phototrophic dinoflagellates alters our understanding of the dynamics of red tides. In the phototrophic dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium, some species are mixotrophic, but others are exclusively autotrophic. There are differences in the ecological roles of autotrophic and mixotrophic Alexandrium in marine food webs. However, of the 34 known Alexandrium species, the mixotrophic ability of >20 species has yet to be explored. In this study, the mixotrophic capabilities of Alexandrium insuetum CCMP2082, Alexandrium mediterraneum CCMP3433, Alexandrium pacificum CCMP3434, Alexandrium tamutum ATSH1609, and Alexandrium margalefii CAWD10 were investigated by providing each species with 22 diverse prey items including bacterium-sized microbeads (1 ㎛), the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp., algal prey species, and the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum. None of the 5 Alexandrium species fed on any of the prey items. These results increase the number of Alexandrium species lacking mixotrophic abilities to 9, compared to the 7 known mixotrophic Alexandrium species. Furthermore, the Alexandrium phylogenetic tree based on the large subunit ribosomal DNA contained 3 large clades, each of which had species with and without mixotrophic abilities. Thus, the acquisition or loss of mixotrophic abilities in Alexandrium might readily occur.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.380-389
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• 2007

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were analyzed in suspended particulate organic matter, macroalgae and macrobenthic invertebrates in order to determine the importance of primary organic matter sources in supporting food webs of rocky subtidal and intertidal macroalgal beds in the Korean coasts. Investigations were conducted at the inter tidal sites within Gwangyang bay, a semi-enclosed and eutrophicated bay, and the subtidal sites of the east coast, a relatively oligotrophic and open environment, in May and June 2005. Water-column suspension feeders showed more negative $\delta^{13}C$ values than those of the other feeding guilds, indicating trophic linkage with phytoplankton and thereby association with pelagic food chains. In contrast, animals of the other feeding guilds, including interface suspension feeders, herbivores, deposit feeders, omnivores and predators, displayed relatively less negative $\delta^{13}C$ values than those of the water-column suspension feeders and similar with that of macroalgae, indicating exclusive use of macroalgae-derived organic matter and association with benthic food chains. Most the macrobenthic species were considered to form strong trophic links with benthic food chains. In addition, the distribution of higher $\delta^{15}N$ values in macrobenthic consumers and macroalgae at the intertidal sites of Gwangyang Bay than those at the subtidal sites of the east coast suggests that anthropogenic nutrients may enhance the macroalgal production at the intertidal sites and in turn be incorporated into the particular littoral food web in Gwangyag Bay. These results confirm the dominant role of macroalgae in supporting rocky subtidal and intertidal food webs in the Korean coasts.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2020

We investigated carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of the slipmouth Leiognathus nuchalis to reveal the effects of body size, feeding strategy and spatial distribution on the food resource utilization during the migration in the Seomjin estuary and Gwangyang Bay. The δ¹³C values of L. nuchalis caught in the Seomjin estuary where the salinity is lower than 30 psu were much lower than those in the deep-bay area of Gwangyang Bay. Such a spatial heterogeneity in δ¹³C values of the L. nuchalis clearly indicates active feeding within the estuarine habitat. In contrast, the δ¹⁵N values of L. nuchalis showed a consistency among sites, indicating that this species occupies identical trophic level across the whole area. The slipmouth distributed throughout the bay area, reflecting its euryhaline characteristics. However, the distribution pattern appeared to be separated according to body size into smaller individuals in the low-saline estuary and larger ones in the deep bay. Overall results support the plastic feeding strategy of the slipmouth from zooplanktonic (estuarine habitat) to epibenthic (deep-bay habitat) feeder during the migration between estuarine to deep-bay habitats.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.spc3
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• pp.349-358
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• 2011

In order to ascertain latitudinal variation of lipid contents and compositions in copepods, we collected warm water copepod species (Euchaeta sp. and Pleuromamma spp.) from four different regions from low (sub-tropical) to mid (temperate) latitudes in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Total lipid contents of Pleuromamma spp. were about 11 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$ with little latitudinal variation, whereas Euchaeta sp. showed slightly higher lipid content (20 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$) than Pleuromamma spp. with latitudinal gradient (low at subtropic and high at temperate). Wax esters, known as the major storage lipid classes, were found to be the dominant lipid classes (accounting for more than 35% of total lipids) in Euchaeta sp., whereas in Pleuromamma spp., phospholipids, known as cellular membrane components, were the dominant lipid classes. However, the exception was specimens from warm pool region exhibiting dominance in storage of lipids as a form of triacylglycerols. Among fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA : 22:6(n-3)) (about 35% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Euchaeta sp., while saturated fatty acids (SAFA), specially hexadecanoic acid (16:0) (about 30% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Pleuromamma spp.. Among the neutral fraction of lipids, phytol, originated from the side chain of chlorophyll, was found in all samples which generally indicate active copepods feeding on algae. While only trace amounts of short-chain fatty alcohols were found in Pleuromamma spp., significant amounts of fatty alcohols were found in Euchaeta sp.. Particularly, significant amounts of long chain monounsaturated fatty alcohols (20:1 and 22:1), generally found in cold water species, were found in Euchaeta sp. from low latitudes. The latitudinal variation of trophic lipid markers in these copepods could be significantly related with in-situ food availability and species-specific diet preference. The result of this study suggests that the lipid contents and compositions in copepods may not only indicate their nutritional condition and feeding ecology but also provide insight into species-specific living strategies under different environmental conditions (i.e. water temperature, food availability).

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.278-284
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• 2023

The feeding characteristics of chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus was studied using 827 specimens caught in the Yellow Sea of Korea during Autumn season from October to December 2021 and September to November 2022. The size of the specimens ranged from 21.1 to 45.1 cm in total length. S. japonicus was a carnivore that consumed mainly on fishes, such as Engraulis japonicus (%IRI=67.9). Its diet also includes small quantities of copepods, amphipods, euphausiids, cephalopods, mysids, shrimps, and crabs, etc. The estimated trophic level of S. japonicus was 3.84. The proportion of fish had increased as the body size of S. japonicus increased, whereas those of euphausiids, copepods and amphipods decreased gradually. As the body size of S. japonicus increased, the mean weight of prey per the stomach (mW/ST) tended to increase (One-way ANOVA, F=2.382, P<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4 s.96
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• pp.298-309
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the filtering-feeding effect of a freshwater mussel (Corbicula leana) on the phytoplankton communities in two lakes with different trophic conditions between June and September, 2000. Manipulation experiments were conducted with two treatments (the control and mussel addition), and each established in duplicate 10 l chambers. Both ambient nutrient (TN, TP) and chlorophyll-a concentrations were significantly (p<0.01) higher in Lake Ilgam than Lake Soyang. Cyanophytes (Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Lyngbya and Dactylococcopis) consistently dominated algal community in Lake llgam, while flagellated algae (Dinobryon divergence, Mallomonas, Rhodomonas) and cyanophytes (Microcystis)dominated in Lake Soyang. The net exponential death rate ($R\;=\;day^{-1}$) of total phytoplankton in the mussel treatment ranged $1.70{\sim}7.39$ and $0.38{\sim}1.64$ in Lakes Soyang and Ilgam, respectively. Mean filtering rate standardized by mussel AFDW ($ml\;mgAFDW^{1}\;h^{-1}$) was much higher in Lake Soyang ($1.70{\sim}3.06$) than in Lake Ilgam($0.24{\sim}0.88$0.24~o.88). Estimating FR per mussel, 1 mussel filtered $1.6{\sim}7.8\;l$ per day and $1.7{\sim}3.0\;l$ per day in Lakes Soyang and Ilgam, respectively. Based on tile C-flux tobiomass ratio, Corbicula leana consumed $0.8{\sim}4.4$ fold of phytoplankton standing stock in Lake Soyang, and $0.4{\sim}1.6$ fold in Lake Ilgam per day. Mussel feeding resulted in increase of SRP concentration by $30{\sim}50%$, compared with the control. The results of this study suggest that filter-feeding activity of Corbicula leana varies depending on the phytoplankton density and community composition. The high seston consumption rate of Corsicuja Jeaua even in a eutrophic lake suggests that biomanipulation approach using filter-feeding mussels can be used far wate rquality management in small eutrophic reservoirs.