• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2007

In order to find out the effects of the anticyclonic eddy on the distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll concentrations in the Ulleung Basin during spring and summer, we measured temperature, salinity, nutrients, and chlorophyll from the surface to 200 m water depth at five stations in July 2005 and April 2006. In spring, surface mixed layer was very deep inside the eddy, about 200 m, but it was relatively shallow outside the eddy, about $20{\sim}60$ m. Inside of the eddy, nutrients in the surface waters were sufficient by supply from the deep layer, whereas outside of the eddy, they were fairly depleted due to the stratification in the surface layer. In spring, chlorophyll concentrations were relatively low inside of the eddy due to the deeper surface mixed layer compared with the euphotic depth, and the depth-integrated chlorophyll concentrations outside of the eddy were twice as much as those inside of the eddy. In summer, nutrients in the surface waters were completely depleted at all stations due to the well stratification in the surface layer. The typical distribution pattern of subsurface chlorophyll maximum was observed at all stations, and the depth-integrated chlorophyll concentrations inside of the eddy were almost twice as much as those outside of the eddy. The anticyclonic eddy appearing in the Ulleung Basin every year significantly affects the phytoplankton biomass, with the opposing effects in spring and summer; in spring, the anticyclonic eddy suppresses phytoplankton growth, but in summer, it enhances the phytoplankton biomass.