• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.401-409
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• 1983

The distribution of anchovy eggs and larvae was studied using the ichthyoplankton samples and oceanographic data collected in the western and southern waters of Korea over the period of April through June in 1981 and 1982. Three water masses, the Tsushima Warm Current, the South Korean Coatal Water and the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water, are found to exert extensive influences of the distribution of anchovy eggs and larvae. The Tsushima Warm Current contacts with the South Korean Coastal Water to produce a coastal front between Cheju Island and Tsushima Island in the southern waters of Korea. Off the west coast of Korea, a coastal front is also formed running parallel with the western coast-line of Korea in the area between the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water and the extended part of the South Korean Coastal Water. In the southern waters of Korea anchovy eggs were found chiefly in the coastal waters inside the front, and larvae appeared to both sides on the front. The distribution of anchovy eggs and larvae off the west coast of Korea, however, was limited largely to the coastal waters of more than $12^{\circ}C$ in temperature. In the southern waters of Korea prelarvae appeared in the coastal area, and postlarvae in the offshore area. While in the western waters of Korea prelarvae were found in the southern part of the waters, and postlarvae in the northern part. Anchovy eggs and larvae were distributed in the considerably limited area of the coastal waters off the south coast of Korea in 1981 when the temperature gradient of the coastal front was sharper than in 1982.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 1991

We have investigated geographical distribution and physico-chemical properties of water masses or water types at mid-bottom depth in the neighbouring sea of Cheju Island in August 1986. In 50m layer the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water(YSBCW) below $12^{\circ}C$ was observed in the northwestern area of Cheju Island, while the Tsushima Warm Water(TWW) with relatively high temperature$(>16^{\circ}C)$ and salinity more than 34.0 in its southeastern area extended as far as the coast of about 15km. Also, 50m layer at the outside stations of its southwestern area indicated relatively cold water temperature$(11-30^{\circ}C)$, probably due to southward transport of the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water(YSBCW . The Yellow Sea Warm Water(YSWW), the mixed water of the YSBCW and the TWW, ranged $13^{\circ}C$ to $16^{\circ}C$ in water temperature and was appeared mainly in the coastal and intermediate area of Cheju Island. And the relatively cold water in the southwestern area and the Tsushima Warm Water were more extensively distributed in 50m layer than the deeper layer. Horizontal distributions of nitrate and phosphate showed a pattern similar to that of water temperature. As it were, the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water had the highest concentration of nutrients, while southwestern outside stations had the lowest nutrient contents. Especially, the concentration of nitrate in the latter was remarkably low compared with the value at the other stations. It may be attributed to intensive vertical mixing by collision of the northward driven Tn with the southward driven YSBCW. Also, it was particular that the Tsushima Warm Water indicated relatively high silicate content corresponding to that of the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water. Based on the data of $\Delta Si/\Delta P$ ratio, it seems that the mid-bottom waters in this study area are younger than the surface or intermediate water in the Korean East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1992

Temporal variations of the path of the East Korea Warm Current(EKWC) which flows northward along the east coast of Korea were analysed to investigate whether the EKWC directly influences the existence of the so-called Warm Core in the Ulreung basin. From the 13 years(1975-1987) data of the Fisheries Research and Development Agency(FRDA), the $10^{\circ}C$ isotherm at the 100m depth and the depth of $2^{\circ}C$ isotherm and the temperature field at the 200m depth were used for identification of the path and the central position of the Warm Core. Sea surface winds computed from the surface pressure charts gave the monthly-averaged wind stress curl over the East Sea which was used for determination of the Sverdrup transport. And the mass transport stream functions were computed by use of the Sverdrup balance. The variations of the path show that the EKWC does not always have a fixed path and fluctuates with time. And the existence of the Warm Core is independent upon the presence of the EKWC even when the EKWC doesn't flow northward along the east coast of Korea. In view of the mass transport stream functions, the influences of the sea surface winds on the branching of the Tsushima Warm Currents and the presence of the EKWC were investigated. The presence of the EKWC may be hindered by the southward flow driven by the sea surface winds when the Tsushima currents are rather weak. A very weak correlation exists between the north-south component of the Sverdrup transport and the position of the Warm Core. However, a small but significant part of the southward transport across the latitudinal line of $38^{\circ}N$ indicates that cold water from the northern part of the East Sea may be driven and be forced to flow beneath the permanent thermocline in such a way that the thermal structure of the Warm Core and its position might be changed.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.212-223
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• 2002

Cochlodinium polykrikoides bloom in 1995 was studied with a focus on an unusual coastal environment in the South Sea of Korea. Data on temperature, salinity, and zooplankton biomass during 1965-1998 and nutrients during 1990-1998 and chlorophyll-a during 1995-1998 were used in this study. These data were obtained from the serial oceanographic observations in Korean waters carried out by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute. In 1995 the C. polykrikoides bloom began in the coastal area around Narodo Island in August and consequently occurred to the whole coastal area of the South and East Seas of Korea. During June-October 1995, the coastal environment was unusual compared with the long-term means during 1965-1998. In June 1995, sea surface temperature was 1-2$^{\circ}C$ warmer than in other years in all coastal areas, while salinity was high only to the east of Jeju Island. In August 1995, a strong coastal front appeared inshore of a line between Jeju and Tsushima Islands. In particular, a strong coastal front which showed the characteristics of upwelling front occurred in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands, not only because of a strong intrusion of the Tsushima Warm Current but also because of the upwelling of cold bottom water. Salinity was low in the neighboring waters of western side of Jeju Island. Nutrients and chlorophyll-a were high in the inshore area between Narodo and Sorido Islands in 1995 in contrast with the other years and areas. Zooplankton showed an unusually high abundance in the coastal area in October 1995. We conclude that the Tsushima Warm Current strongly influenced the South Sea of Korea in 1995 and created strong upwelling front bordering cold upwelled water in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands. It leads us that these physical structures introduce the favorable environment for the development of C. polykrikoides blooms. We suggest that C. polykrikoides has a bio-physical tolerance of high shear and stress and prefers frontal and upwelling relaxed areas as its habitat. We also find that nutrients were not supplied to the coastal area from the offshore where a low salinity water mass with high nutrients appeared around Jeju Island. Because the strong upwelling front protect the reach of offshore low saline water mass. The main source of nutrients was the upwelled water mass in the coastal area of Wando-Narodo-Sorido.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.311-322
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• 1988

Application of the simple buoyancy adjustment model, similar to Davey's (1983), indicates that buoyancies imposed locally or from outside of the basin are the major factor of the Japan Sea circulation. Within the context of the model considered, the relatively strong SW gradient of temperature, and corresponding western boundary current, in the SW region is due to the beta-effect. Kelvin waves make the western side colder and the eastern side warmer. Buoyancy input (presumably by fresh water discharge) in the NW region, so far neglected, plays an important role in strengthening the NKCC (North Korea Cold Current) and suppressing the EKWC (East Korea Warm Current) thereby breaking the conventional branching system of the Tsushima Warm Current.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.136-145
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• 1986

Biotope analysis(UPGM) of the data on the total benthic foraminferal assemblage (Kim and Han, 1982) collected from the southeastern sea off the Korean Peninsula shows that foraminiferal assemblages are related to the water masses prevailing in the study area. South Proper facies is governed by the Tsushima Warm Current, and Southern Deep facies is influenced by the cold water mass moved down along the bottom. Northern Nearshore facies is governed by the North Korea Cold Current, and North Proper facies is affected by the North Korea Cold Current and Japan Sea Proper Water. It is also evident that the upper part of the study area is under the influence of the North Korea Cold Current rather than the East Korea Warm Current which flows northward along/or off the right side of the study area. Planktonic foraminiferal occurrence also supports this biotope analysis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.461-475
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• 2020

This study was conducted in the southwestern area of Korea using a neuston net in September (14 stations) 2017 to understand the environmental factors affecting neustonic zooplankton. Temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a concentration, suspended solids, and microplastics were included as environmental factors. Based on the density of the copepods, the study area was divided into three regions: the Seomjin River water influence area, the frontal mixing area, and the warm water affected area (Jeju warm current and Tsushima warm current). In the latter two areas, the major species were Pontella chierchiae, Canthocalanus pauper, and Oncaea spp. Also, neustonic zooplankton showed a significant relationship between the density of phytoplankton and microplastics in the frontal mixing area, and temperature and suspended solids in the warm water affected area, respectively (p<0.05). This indicates that microplastics can affect the offshore zooplankton community.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 2005

In order to investigate the distribution of suspended particulate matter of the surface water in the South Sea of Korea in early winter, the cruise results during 2 to 8 December 2004 were analyzed in relation to the hydrography. The front was formed along the line connecting between Tsushima and Cheju Islands, which divided the water into two water masses; the coastal water with for temperature and for salinity, and the Tsushima Warm Current Water with high temperature and high salinity. In the coastal water the suspended particulte matter was 5.0-6.5 mg/l, while in the oceanic water suspended particulate matter was 4.5-5.0 mg/l. The coastal water showed higher mixing effects, compared to the oceanic area where vertical stratification was clearly formed. These indicate that the distribution of suspended particulate matter was affected by the stratification or mixing of the water column. Also it is suggested that the mixing effects of sea surface cooling and rind play an important role on the distribution of suspended particulate matter in the South Sea of Korea in winter time.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 2000

Observations were made to validate ocean color algorithms in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea in May 2000. Small scale and meso-scale surveys were conducted for the validation of ocean color products (nLw: normalized water-leaving radiance and chlorophyll concentration). There were discrepancies between SeaWiFS and in situ nLw showing the current aerosol models of standard SeaWiFS processing software are less than adequate (Gordon and Wang, 1994). Applying the standard SeaWiFS in-water algorithm resulted in an overestimation of chlorophyll concentration. This is because that CDOM absorption was higher than the estimated chlorophyll absorption. TSS concentration was also high. Therefore, the study region deviated from Case 1 waters. The source of these materials seems to be the entrainment of coastal water by the Tsushima Warm Current. Study of the bio-optical properties in other season is desirable.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 1982

The oceanographical condition of the southeastern area off Korea is inverestigated in the point of view of the fluctuation of the thermal front. although the fearure of the front is somewhat complicate, it can be classified intl three types. the first type is elongated toward north with the narrow cold water belt inside the front. The second type is almost parallel with the latitude of 36 N and the third type is the irregular one in which the cyclonic cold water mass and the anticyclonic warm water mass develop equally. The north-south directed fronts are strengthened either by the supply of the warm Daema Current (Tsushima Current in Japanese) of by the appearance of the cold North Korean Water along the coast. In the first type the thermocline inclines up toward the coast when the southward component of the wind is weakened. On the other hand, in the second typr the homogeneous and medium warm water spreads up to the coast and the latitude of 36 N, the second type front is formed.