• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.938-945
• /
• 2022

National Institute of Fisheries Science conducted a total of 39 sighting surveys for marine mammals over 624 sighting days that covered 20,771 nautical miles in Korean waters during 2011-2020. Marine mammals were detected when 83.9% of the marine environment was less than or equal to three on the Beaufort wind scale. Thirteen species of marine mammals were identified, including two species of pinniped, with a majority of cetacean species. Frequently found species were narrow-ridged finless porpoise, followed by common dolphin, minke whale, Dall's porpoise, and Pacific white-sided dolphin. Narrow-ridged finless porpoises and minke whales were located in and offshore around the Korean peninsula, common and Pacific white-sided dolphins were exclusively found in the East Sea for most seasons. The other marine mammals were spotted in some seas and for limited durations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.505-513
• /
• 2012

To determine the concentration of trace metals in the tissues of whale from the coastal ocean of Korea, we measured the concentration of trace metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, As, Zn and Hg) in the organs (liver, intestine, muscle, epidermis and blubber) of minke whale entangled from the eastern coast of Korea in 2009. The highest and lowest concentrations of Cu, Cd, Zn, and Hg were found in the liver and blubber, respectively. In contrast, the highest and lowest concentration of As was found in the blubber and muscle, respectively. The accumulation trend of trace metals in the organs of minke whales was in the order Zn > Cu > As > Pb > Hg > Cd. The concentrations of Cu, As and Zn in liver and epidermic were higher in male than in female, whereas the concentrations of Cu and Pb in intestine and muscle were higher in female than in male. The mature individuals of minke whale were much higher Cd in liver, Cd and Hg in muscle, As and Hg in epidermic and blubber, Cd, As and Hg in intestine than immature individuals of minke whale.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.123-131
• /
• 2011

Seabird distribution in the East Sea was studied from April to May 2007 using line transect counts. We observed a total of 1,379 individuals of 23 species including 14 species of seabird. The overall seabird sighting rate was 2.5 birds $km^{-2}$. The Streaked shearwater(Calonectris leucomelas)(74.5%) was the numerically dominant species. Ancient murrelets(Synthliboramphus antiquus)(8.3%), red-throated divers(Gavia stellata)(5.0%), common terns(Sterna hirundo)(2.1%), Pacific divers(Gavia pacifica)(2.0%), and black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris)(1.1%) were also frequently observed. The sightings of seabirds was highest between $36^{\circ}N$ and $37^{\circ}N$ of the coastal area of the Korean peninsular. However, the index of species diversity(H') was higher between $35^{\circ}N$ and $36^{\circ}N$. The sighting rates of most observed species decreased with distance from the coastline. The distribution patterns of Streaked shearwater were linked to the variation in the distribution pattern of minke whales(Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Also, spatial segregation was found in the distributions of the two species of divers(Gavia spp.).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.189-195
• /
• 2001

The characteristics of echolocation signals of the Common Dolphin, Delphinus Delphis was observed by the hydrophone in order to detect exactly distribution and migration on whales and dolphins in Korean Coastal waters. It's observation was carried out at the position of 13 mm off Gam-Po of Korean east-southern sea at 3rd-5th. April and 13th-15th. October, 1999. The results obtained are summarized as follows: (1) The frequency range of ship's noise and ambient noise in the observed station was 0.5-0.3 kHz, that ones could be influenced to the behavior of common dolphins which carry out echolocation using low-frequency. (2) The common dolphin was radiated single click of 8.6 ms and double click of 4.8 ms pulse width during these observation (3) The high click frequencies of common dolphin were 5.10 kHz, 7.22 kHz, 10.60 kHz with the click pulse width of 4.0 ms, 2.6 ms, 1.0 ms, respectively. In case of low-frequency 1-2 kHz, that is, 1.12 kHz, 1.38 kHz, 1.82 kHz, pulse width were 22.4 ms, 2.05 ms, 11.9 ms, respectively and they showed a tendency using triple click signal. (4) The pulse width, pulse recurrence interval and frequency range of the observed echolocation signals were 2.4-8.4 ms, 9.0-40.0 ms, 0.60-10.63 kHz respectively, and frequency spectrum level was 100-125 dB for single, double, triple click signals.

• Lingua Humanitatis
• /
• v.8
• /
• pp.151-173
• /
• 2006

Even in this current high-tech industrial age, mythological imagination is considered important. Although each mythology scattered all across the world may have an insignificant origin, to understand that particular society fully, one must not mistakenly assume that the mythology itself is a production of a primitive mind. Ultramodern physics and futurology professor Freeman Dyson has also acknowledged this opinion. He insists that in order for human kind to survive into the far future it most keep in touch with its far past. Levi-Strauss also observes that mythology and science aren't a entirely separate domains. The scientific mind is regarded as a source of understanding the intrinsic qualities of mythology. Taking mythology and science as a binomial opposition, and only weighing their prospects, should be put to the past as we should recognize the need for mythology and science's qualitative unification. In this new point of view, regarding mythology as a meaningless irrationality should cease, while finding out why the inevitably related world of mythology needs metaphoric, ideological consideration. By utilizing 'Whale Rider' by Witi Ihimaera(2004) we will discover why our lives require an 'image' that is borrowed from our experience. The author, Witi Ihimaera, is originally from the Maori tribe, who approaches the world with a mythological imagination, which is not easy to understand with scientific thinking nor in modern civilization. When looking into the mythology of the ocean which still lives in modern civilization, while noting that the world is one, the author indicates that reality and unreality, nature and the super-natural, present and the past, science and fantasy, were not divided from the beginning. However, overtime humans have divided the borders. To do this, the author interprets the ancient emotions of the Maori tribe which have been traditionally accumulated in the group identity in a new literary way by introducing the Maori tribe's ancestral god, Paikia, who can converse with the ocean and the whales. This piece, which has been made into a movie and won awards in 5 international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, regards primitive emotions as a rational concept instead of an instrumental concept. Also these primative emotions are continuing their attempts to communicate with nature. Furthermore, it advises contemporary human beings who seek for eternal life to not exploit the cultural differences that have been formed naturally, and it is vital for human beings to transcend the ethnic boundaries and to think rationally. In the story, we can find "the dissimilar us" that philosopher E. Levinas mentioned in his sayings, which refers to responsible human beings who devote their lives for the sake of other people instead of fulfilling their own needs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.13-23
• /
• 1987

Total of 216 animals conserved in Seoul Grand Park were examined on the antibody titers of Toxoplasma by the indirect latex agglutination test, 20 out of 131 cases (15.3%) in mammals, 2 out of 75 cases (2.7%) in birds, and none in reptiles, according to species, 15 out of 68 species (22.1%) in mammals, 2 out of 36 species (5.6 %) in birds showed positive antibody titers when the titers of 1 : 32 or higher were regarded as positive. In mammals, it appeared as positive in 2 out of 6 cases (1 out of 3 species) in marsupials, 1 out of 15 cases (1 out of 11 species) in primates, lout of 1 case in bats, 6 out of 13 cases (5 out of 10 species) in carnivores, 1 in 12 cases (1 species out of 3) in odd-toed ungulates, 9 out of 80 cases (6 species out of 38) in even-toed ungulates, and none in rodents and in whales. In birds, 1 out of 21 cases (1 out of 7 species) in gallinaceous birds and lout of 6(5 species) in parrots appeared to have the positive antibody titers of Toxoplasma. And, none of reptiles showed positive. Frequencies of positive antibody titers were high in 1 : 64, 9 cases in mammals, followed by 1 : 32, 6 cases, 1 : 128, 3 cases, and 1 : 256, 2 cases, respectively. Two positive cases in birds appeared to be 1 : 64.

• Ocean policy research
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.183-204
• /
• 2018

Whaling has been banned in Republic of Korea after the declaration of the moratorium on the commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) since 1986. Korean government followed the moratorium immediately. However whale meat market has been kept by the bycaught whales and dolphins. So Korean government established a rule to control and trace whale meat in the market in 2011. The rule has some loopholes to allow illegally taken whale meat smuggle into the market. This study investigates the flaws in the current rule and recommend the way to overcome that defects. The first step is to prevent the entry of the illegal whale meat into the market. Minor change of the current law would be a solution. The next measure is to increase the sampling rate of the whale DNA that allowed to distribute in the market. The DNA database would be a powerful tools to identify illegal whale meat which is existing in the market. Korean government is operating three kind of food traceability systems. However, because of the legal limitations and the opposition of the non-governmental animal rights organizations, it is difficult to include whale meat to the existing systems. So the last step is to establish a new Traceability System with a state-of-the-art IT technology like as blockchain. The three measures mentioned above would increase the transparency in the whale meat market and prevent the entry of the illegal products.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.278-286
• /
• 2021

The habitat characteristics and feeding ecology of the Siberian stone loach Barbatula toni were investigated in Bukcheon (Stream), Eocheonri, Ganseong-eup, Goseong-gun, and Gangwon-do, Korea from January to December 2013. B. toni lived in rapids or slow rapids from the upper stream to downstream, with the largest number of inhabitants in the middle-downstream regions. As a result of analyzing habitat preferences by age, 0+ and 1+ to ≥3+ showed differences. Ages of 0+(juveniles) lived mainly in rapidly flowing water (37.6±26.79 cm/sec) and low water depths (13.3±9.47 cm) in the pebble bottoms (substratum particle size 9.5±6.66 cm), but ages 1+ to ≥3+ lived mainly in relatively slowly flowing water (13.3±17.33 cm/sec) and relatively deep depths (25.9±10.31 cm) in stone and large stone bottoms (substratum particle size 18.0±7.63 cm). B. toni was mainly eaten from March to December when the temperature was above 5℃, and the amount of food eaten peaked in June and October. Their main food sources analyzed by the index of relative importance (IRI) included Diptera (57.0%), Ephemeroptera (29.3%), and Trichoptera (13.5%). The juveniles (age 0+) fed on small-sized prey such as Diptera and Trichoptera whales, but as they grew, they mainly ate large-sized Ephemeroptera. These feeding habits and changes in food according to the growth of B. toni were very similar to those of sibling species, B. nuda.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.554-562
• /
• 2022

Humans technological advancements have resulted in the depletion of whale resources. Accordingly, the International Whaling Commission was established to preserve whale resources and ensure the orderly development of the whaling industry. After a commercial whaling moratorium came into effect, the international trade of whale meat and related products was banned. However, There is a systematic activity through illegal remodeling ships because whales incidentally caught may be distributed in Korea and have a significant economic benefit. Although suspected illegal whaling is actively cracked down, but it is still insufficient to prevent illegal whaling and distribution. To prevent this, stereoscopic crackdowns utilizing air forces and patrol ships are effective, and it is necessary to quickly separate the captured ship and crew to prevent the destruction of evidence. For the transparent distribution of whale meat, it is necessary to advance related technologies such as whale species identification and individual identification of forensic science institutions based on whale DNA database of the National Institute of Fisheries Science. Accordingly, the Korea Coast Guard Research Center is directly conducting research on related national R&D project. To increase the efficiency of identifying whale-related evidence at crime scene, a rapid test kit that responds specifically to whale bloodstrains is developing and evidence transport packs are manufacturing and distributing, while identification technologies are also being advanced.