• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.473-479
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• 2020

In this study, we briefly describe five newly recorded foraminiferal species from off the southern coast of Jeju Island: Ammolagena clavata, Neoeponides bradyi, Nodosaria lamnulifera, Rhabdammina abyssorum, and Uvigerina schwageri. Ammolagena clavata and Rhabdammina abyssorum are the first reports of the genera Ammolagena and Rhabdammina in Korea. In addition, R. abyssorum is reported from a depth of 103 m, which is a relatively shallow record within the distribution depth range for this agglutinated deep-sea species. Ammolagena clavata also shows interesting characteristics that the test usually attaches to substrates including shell fragments, sediment particles, or other foraminiferal tests. All other three species have typical calcareous and hyaline tests. The present report on unrecorded species improves the understanding of foraminiferal species diversity in Korean waters and confirms the need for the further research on foraminifera in the adjacent seas of Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2023

Foraminifera are unicellular eukaryotes widely distributed in marine and transitional marine environments. They play important roles in marine food webs and geochemical cycles and have physiological properties like the formation of calcareous tests and nitrogen respiration. Research on species diversity, distribution and endemism are essential in biogeography and biodiversity conservation. Here, we report three unrecorded species of foraminifera (Hemirotalia foraminulosa, Planispirillina denticulogranulata and Oolina brevisolenia) collected from Jeju Island and the South Sea (Korea). Planispirillina denticulogranulata is the second Planispirillina species recorded in Korea, which can be distinguished from congeners by its tubercles on the ventral side and grooves on the spiral suture. Hemirotalia foraminulosa is differentiated from the only congener H. calvifacta by multiple-scattered pits on the umbilicus, and it is the first report of Hemirotalia from Korean water. Oolina brevisolenia has specific bifurcating costae that characterize it from other congeners. This study contributes to documentation of the foraminiferal biodiversity in Korea, moreover, provides an essential basis for the expanded studies on modern foraminifera.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 2024

Larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) are a group of marine organisms that inhabit oligotrophic subtropicaltropical photic zones, commonly possess relatively large shells (i.e., tests) with a complex internal structure and host photosynthetic endosymbionts. In this study, we provide a new report of a LBF species belonging to the genus Sorites Ehrenberg, 1839, with a brief description and images of the test. The sediment samples were collected by SCUBA diving from the east coast of Jeju Island (South Korea). The discoidal test shape and annular series of chamberlets with a single row of apertures surrounded by rim indicate that these specimens belong to the genus Sorites, and this is the first record of the genus in Korea. The arrangement of early chamberlets, septular disposition, and the aperture details suggest that the specimens can be assigned to Sorites orbiculus(Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775). Only three LBF species, including the present species, have been reported from Korean waters. The present study provides additional information for the evaluation of foraminiferal diversity including LBF in Korea and suggests the necessity of continuous investigations to understand the diversity of Sorites species in Korea.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.234-248
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• 1998

Seven box cores from the disposal areas located in the southern part of the East Sea (Stations Band B') and in the offshore to the east of Pusan (Stations J and J'), and from their surrounding areas (Stations J2, J6 and H) were collected to investigate the effect of dumped wastes on the foraminiferal assemblages. The species diversity indices [S, H(S), E] of foraminifera and the total number of foraminifera show significant differences between the ocean waste disposal areas and their adjacent areas. Ocean waste disposal areas located in southern part of the East Sea (Stations Band B') show not only smaller number of foraminifera species but also lower values of coarse fraction content in the sediment and the number of benthic and planktonic foraminifera than the surrounding areas. Another ocean disposal area located offshore Pusan (Station J') contains abnormally greater number of planktonic (approximately 300 000 individuals/lO g dried sediment) and benthic (approximately 300, 000 individuals/10 g dried sediment) foraminifera compared to those of the adjacent areas. The waste dumped at Station J' probably acts as a nutrient causing the greater number of foraminifera. Station J shows low species diversity indices [S, H(S)]. The number of benthic foraminifera decreases from the surface to the downcore at Station J, which indicates that Station J is under stress. However, Stations J', J2 and J6 are under stable conditions as evidenced by the greater species diversity indices [S, H(S)] compared to other stations. No foraminifera were found with biological disease or abnormal chambers, which commonly occur in extremely stressed environment, in both the ocean disposal and adjacent areas. The organic matter decay of the wastes dumped in the study areas has not made the bottom water corrosive.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.635-649
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• 2003

Heavy metal concentrations and benthic foraminiferal distributions were investigated in three short sediment cores in order to understand the pollution history in Masan Bay. Sedimentation rates were 0.33 cm/yr, 0.20 cm/yr and 0.33 cm/yr in the inner bay, the out fall of Dugdong sewage disposal plant, and bay mouth, respectively. The rapid increases of copper, zinc and lead concentrations at the core depth of 10 cm the upper part indicated that Masan Bay has been polluted with industrial wastes since the 1940s. Benthic foraminifera in core sediments show that the variations in their distribution were followed by industrial pollution in the bay. The number of individuals and species diversity decreased, whereas agglutinated tests increased upward in the cores with increased heavy metal pollution. These shifts effectd the abundance of few tolerant forms and consequently decreased the species diversity. The opportunistic species Eggerella advena and Trochammina pacifica increased in polluted sediments. These species can be used as an indicator for assessments of environmental quality in Masan Bay.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.493-511
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• 1995

Analysis of the Late Quaternary benthic foraminifera in the cores from the western part of the East Sea, Korea, indicates several distinct changes in the paleoenvironments during the deposition. The palecology of biofacies of Cores PC-1 from the upper slop and PC-2 from the rise shows several distinct changes in bottom water temperatures during the late Quaternary. The Core PC-4 from the Ulleung Basin generally consists of agglutinated genus, Muiliammina, and anaerobic calcareous genus, Bolivina, in biofacies, suggesting that the anoxic bottom condition was prevailed during the deposition. Benthic foraminiferal rare or barren zones in the Cores indicate the limits of water circulation caused by lower sea-level in the regions during the glacial period through the Late Quaternary. The changes of benthic foraminiferal biofacies reflect temporal and spacial variations in overall bottom environments, such as bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and water circulation pattern. The benthic foraminiferal data can be used to interpret paleoclimatic conditions and predict global sea-level changes, and the results of these studies should be useful to understand the evolutional history of the East Sea through the Late Quaternary.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.48-55
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• 2009

To investigate the paleoceanographic environmental changes around the Okinawa Trough, Japan, a piston core (RN88-PC5) was conducted on benthic foraminiferal species composition, assemblage, sedimentological and geochemical analyses. Trubidite sediment intercalated in studied core contains different benthic foraminiferal species, dwelling in shallow coral reef species, from normal hemipelagic sediment. These different benthic foraminiferal species and its assemblage are interpreted as reworked sediment when turbidite current occurred, synchronically. Grain size analysis clearly showed that mean grain size difference occurred between trubidite and hemipelagic sediments. Geochemical analysis also showed the difference of chemical composition between two sedimentary facies. Results of the foraminiferal oxygen isotope analysis showing global surface water warming records since the last 10 ka. The geochemcial analysis and previous works showed that turbidite sediment of studied core indicating sporadic occurrence of regional paleoceanographic events. Assemblage of shallow coral reef benthic foraminifera especially occurred with turbidite layer clearly support the sporadic occurrence of paleoceanographic events such as regional earthquake.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 1995

A turbidite core sediment (RN88-PC5) from 2051 m on the deep-sea floor at the southern margin of Okinawa Trough was examined. Sedimentological characteristics were quite different between sandy sediments and hemipelagic sediments and hemipelagic sediments in terms of benthic foraminiferal assemblage, grain-size and chemical composition. All turbidite sandy sediments were clearly transported from shallow area as they include typical coral reef dwelling benthic foraminifera which were not found in the background hemipelagic sediments. These layers also suggest that the sediments were transported by turbidity-related currents and implies that sedimentological mechanisms were different between sandy sediments and hemipelagic sediments. The result of the /SUP 14/ C age dating and the stable oxygen isotopic fluctuation of planktonic foraminifera show a gradual warming trend of the surface water from about 10 Ka to present. Also Termination lb as well as two fresh water input events were recognized at ca2 and 7 ka.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.125-141
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• 1983

Micropaleontological analyses of the bathic foraminifera of 132 subtidal surface samples of Asan Bay located in the middle of the western coast of Korea, fringing the Yellow Sea collected during late May-early June 1982, shows the results as follows; -Forainiferal numbers of total assemblages are influenced by hydrodynamic and ecologic factors as well as by the sedimentation in the study area. -Badly preserved faunas including replaced faunas seemed to be fossils, all having living counterparts in the study area and showing a somewhat similar type of wall structures with those of the total assemblages and showing no characteristic bathymetric occurrence compared to that of the biocoenose s.1. of the species, lead to infer theirprobable derivation from the environment without a remarkable environmental difference from the study area. But this inference demands further study in consideration of the physical conditions of the study area. -Living/total ratios show a strong negative correlation with the total foraminiferal numbers excluding replaced faunas. But this trend is somewhat deviated in the relatively high ratios. -Fisher-alpha diversity indices of the total assemblages excluding replaced faunas are lying between 1.7 and 3.7. Totals assemblages are mainly composed of hyaline forms with limited porcelaneous and agglutinated ones.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.144-154
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• 1999

Masan Bay is highly polluted by the discharge of large quantities of effluents from the industrial complex and domestic sewage of Masan City, Southeast Korea. Surface sediments from 9 stations were used for geochemical and foraminiferal analyses in order to investigate foraminiferal response to sedimentary pollution in the Bay. The heavy metal concentrations in sediments are relatively higher than those in Kyeonggi Bay and Daesan area, west coastal region of Korea. Zn, Cd, Pb, and As are more concentrated than in world average shale, indicating that the municipal and industrial effluents cause sediment contamination. Responses of benthic foraminifera to the sedimentary pollution effect document a degree of pollution in Masan Bay. The species number and diversity in Masan Bay had lower values than those in Gadeog Channel. In Masan Bay, agglutinated foraminifera are abundant and calcareous foraminiferal tests were frequently pyritized. Eggerella advena and Trochammina pacifica dominated at levels of pollution and could be opportunistic species. These data will provide a baseline for future assessments of environmental quality in Masan Bay.