• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2007

For an efficient management and utilization of marine biodiversity information, we made an attempt to develop the Korea Marine Biodiversity Information System (KoMBIS), building a species name inventory of Korea marine organisms. The inventory includes 17 organism groups: phytoplankton, zooplankton, algae and halophyte, sponges, cnidarians, rotifers, nematodes, bryozoans, brachiopods, molluscs, echiurans, annelids, arthropods, echinoderms, urochordates and fish. The species names were collected from 37 different references and reviewed for validity by taxonomists, which resulted in 9,798 valid names in addition to 1,845 synonyms. The Korea marine species inventory is the first one of this kind, for previous Korean species name inventories were mostly composed of terrestrial and freshwater organisms. KoMBIS, the information system developed, contains not only the species name but also information on morphological and ecological characteristics such as distribution, DNA barcode, and references. This system is convenient for the inputting of new data and servicing users through the internet, so that management and utilization of the biodiversity information is more efficient. Linking the DNA barcode data with species information provides an objective measure for identification of a species, which accommodates the recommendation of Consortium for the Barcode of Life, and makes the Korea marine biodiversity information compatible with international databases. Considering the frequent exchange of marine organisms internationally via ballast water and such issues as climate change, this information system will be useful in many areas of marine biodiversity.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.84-84
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• 2017

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.289-309
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• 2019

Marine microalgae have long been used as food additives and feeds for juvenile fish and invertebrates as their nutritional content is beneficial for humans and marine aquaculture species. Recently, they have also been recognized as a promising source for cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical products as well as biofuels. Marine microalgae of various species are rich in multiple anti-oxidant phytochemicals and their bioactive components have been employed in cosmetics and dietary supplements. Oil contents in certain groups of marine microalgae are extraordinarily rich and abundant and therefore have been commercialized as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplements and mass production of microalgae-based biodiesels has been demonstrated by diverse research groups. Numerous natural products from marine microalgae with significant biological activities are reported yearly and this is attributed to their unique adaptive abilities to the great diversity of marine habitats and harsh conditions of marine environments. Previously unknown toxin compounds from red tide-forming dinoflagellates have also been identified which opens up potential applications in the blue biotechnology sector. This review paper provides a brief overview of the biotechnological potentials of Korean marine microalgae. We hope that this review will provide guidance for future marine biotechnology R&D strategies and the various marine microalgae-based industries in Korea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2020

Parasesarma bidens(De Haan, 1835) has been designated as a marine protected species by the Act on conservation and management of marine ecosystems. This crab has been recorded only from Jeju-do and Geomun-do, Republic of Korea. In this study, we describe for the first time the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I(COI) sequences of P. bidens. The intra-specific genetic distance among the Korean populations and between the Korean and Chinese populations ranged from 0% to 0.9% and 1.9% to 2.7%, respectively. The inter-specific genetic distances among the four Parasesarma species ranged from 10.9% to 12.8%. The finding of this study will be helpful to better describe P. bidens using COI DNA barcodes and can be used as basic data for their restoration and conservation research.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.228-231
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• 2020

Pseudohelice subquadrata (Dana, 1851) is endangered due to its restricted habitat; hence, it has been designated as a marine protected species and endangered species by law in Korea. It has been recorded only Jeju-do and Geomun-do, Republic of Korea. The present study, is the first report on a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I DNA barcode for P. subquadrata. The maximum intra-specific genetic distance among all P. subquadrata individuals was found to be 0.5%, whereas inter-genetic distance within the same genus was 17.2-21.5% compared with Helice tientsinensis (Rathbun, 1931), H. tridens (De Haan, 1835), H. epicure (Ng et al., 2018), and Helicana wuana (Rathbun, 1931). Our barcoding data can thus be used as reference for restoration and conservation studies on P. subquadrata, which are designated as marine protected species.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.526-534
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• 2019

Chlorella gloriosa (Chlorellaceae, Trebouxiophyceae) was isolated from seawater off the coast of the Dokdo Islands in Korea. An axenic culture was established using the streak-plate method on f/2 agar media supplemented with antibiotics, allowing identification of the isolate by morphological, molecular, and physiological analyses. The morphological characteristics observed by light and electron microscopy revealed typical morphologies of C. gloriosa species. The molecular phylogenetic inference drawn from the small-subunit 18S rRNA sequence verified that the microalgal strain belongs to C. gloriosa. Additionally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the isolate was rich in nutritionally important omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the high-value antioxidants lutein and violaxanthin were biosynthesized as accessory pigments by this microalga, with arabinose, galactose, and glucose as the major monosaccharides. Therefore, in this study, a Korean marine C. gloriosa species was discovered, characterized, and described, and subsequently added to the national culture collection.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.136-149
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• 2023

Basic bioactivities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral) were investigated from 370 strains of marine bacteria, fungi, and microalgae obtained from various marine environmental regions in Korea, and the activity results were obtained at the collection site, isolation source, and species level was compared. In the case of marine bacteria, strains belonging to the generally useful genera Streptomyces and Bacillus were observed to have particularly strong efficacy and useful resources were mainly isolated from marine sediments. In the case of marine fungi and microalgae, results showing strong species-specific activity were confirmed, and results showing efficacy-specific activity were also obtained. Based on these results, it is a research result that can facilitate priority access as a strategic material for industrial revitalization and the establishment of a strategy to secure resources based on usefulness when conducting research on chemicals that are selectively effective against specific diseases or when conducting resource-based research. In addition, we believe that by using these results as material for sale through the Marine BioBank (MBB), academia and industry can use them to help accelerate the revitalization of the marine bio industry.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to measure and compare polyphenol content, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity of six halophytes (Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda glauca, Suaeda japonica, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, and Sonchus brachyotus). Depending on the total polyphenol content, the plants were categorized into two groups: (1) a high total polyphenol content group that included L. tetragonum, S. brachyotus, and S. europaea, and, (2) a low total polyphenol content group consisting of S. glauca, T. maritima, and S. japonica. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays, and by measuring ROS. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring NO and $PGE_2$. L. tetragonum and S. brachyotus, that have high polyphenol content, also showed strong antioxidant activity. In addition, L. tetragonum, S. brachyotus, and S. europaea showed good anti-inflammatory activity. Consequently, the total polyphenol content was thought to be related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, S. brachyotus and L. tetragonum are good candidates for use in pharmaceuticals and functional foods.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2017.11a
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• pp.72-72
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• 2017

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.327-334
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• 2022

Marine resources have various biological activities and their constituents are more novel than those of land organisms. Several biologically active constituents have been found in marine organisms. Recently, many studies have reported that marine animals (MAs) can be used as functional ingredients in functional foods or nutraceutical due to their health benefits. However, no studies have extensively investigated the cosmeceutical activities of MAs extracts. Here, 70% ethanol extracts of 38 MAs were investigated for their activities of whitening and anti-aging properties for use as materials in novel cosmeceuticals. Anti-aging activities were determined by skin aging-related enzyme activities (anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-hyaluronidase) and whitening activities (anti-tyrosinase, anti-3,4-dihydroxyl-L-phenylalanine [DOPA] oxidation) evaluated by colorimetric method. Among the 38 MAs, we found that Urechis unicinctus and Petrosia corticata extracts showed the strongest inhibitory effects against tyrosinase and DOPA oxidation, respectively. Our results additionally showed that Protankyra bidentata extract might provide a major source of anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase; meanwhile, anti-collagenase effects were similar in most MAs. Overall, these results suggest that extracts of marine animals have potential as a tyrosinase, collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase inhibitors. Taken together, MA resources could be considered as a novel cosmeceutical agent to be applied in cosmetic industry.