• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2007

Seahorse is an interesting organism for the study of its conservation as well as development as an marine ornament fish. To investigate the ecological characteristics and fish fauna around the habitat of such an endangered species, fishes were collected from the seahorse habitat. A total of 161 fishes were classified into 8 families and 11 species including two species of seahorse, Hippocampus mohnikei and H. coronatus representing 1.9% and 1.2%, respectively, of the population. The most dominant fish species in the area was Takifugu niphobles accounting for 30.4% of the population. The predators of the seahorse such as Acanthopagrus schlegeli, Lateolabrax japonicus and Lateolabrax maculatus were found in the relative abundance of 0.6%, 5.6%, and 11.8%, respectively. The relative abundance of H. coronatus ($0.96\;ind./1,000\;m^2$), H. mohnikei ($0.97\;ind./1,000\;m^2$) and the other coexisting fishes are similar in all the areas investigated (P>0.05).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.266-274
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• 2017

We surveyed the habitat use and food materials of the endangered Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) during the wintering period at the Seocheon tidal flat. The bird wintered about six months from October 2014 to early April 2015 at the flat. They showed a remarkable change in choosing their feeding habitat and prey. They stayed entirely at sedge grass patches on Songrim tidal flat during the early wintering period (October), while after November they gradually moved to Janggu bay and used rice paddy fields as well as sedge patches on the tidal flats as their feeding site. The dietary analysis showed the sedge grass (Bolboschoenus sp., Cyperaceae) was the main dietary source during the entire wintering period. Interestingly, the proportion of Cyperaceae on feces decreased slightly over wintering time, while the proportion of Fabaceae increased relatively since November. These results suggest that the Swan Geese switched their habitat and food sources in response to the change of food availability. The Seocheon tidal flat area is the important wintering site for Swan Geese and sedge grass patches in the area need to be managed as the main feeding area for the wintering Swan Geese.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.714-720
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• 2022

A dietary comparison of yellow goosefish Lophius litulon in the South Sea and Yellow Sea was performed by analyzing stomach contents. Using a bottom trawl net from fisheries resources survey vessels of the National Institute of Fisheries Science, 326 individuals were collected from the South Sea and 166 individuals were collected from the Yellow Sea. The total length range of L. litulon was 5.3-68.4 cm for individuals collected from the South Sea and 7.5-55.1 cm for individuals collected from the Yellow Sea. Based on the index of relative importance and the variation in stomach contents by fish size, L. litulon was found to be a piscevore and a spatiotemporally opportunistic feeder fish that fed mainly on pisces. There were differences in the composition of the stomach contents by season, location, and the interaction between the season and the location. Thus, the diet of L. litulon is affected by the prey abundance and prey spectrum of the habitat.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2008

Oxygen isotopic composition(${\delta}^{18}O$) of walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, otoliths were measured to investigate interannual and regional correlation with habitat temperature. Specimens were collected from fishermen in Korea and Japan between $1997{\sim}1999$, while seawater temperatures were obtained from Korean and Japanese Oceanographic Data Centers. Seawater temperature was generally lower off the eastern Korean Peninsula than off eastern Hokkaido(Japan). Sagittal otoliths were removed for measurement of ${\delta}^{18}O$ using a micro-drilling technique. In most cases, ${\delta}^{18}O$ and habitat temperature exhibited negative relationship in Korean and Japanese waters. Higher ${\delta}^{18}O$ was observed in Korean pollock compared to Japanese pollock. The marginal parts of otoliths exhibited higher ${\delta}^{18}O$ than cores from both regions. This is an indication that somatic growth of walleye pollock occurs in deeper and cooler waters. Interannual variation in ${\delta}^{18}O$ was also observed. Mean ${\delta}^{18}O$ values acquired from 1997 otoliths were lower(2.15%) than those of 1998(2.67%) and 1999 (2.65%) in Korean pollock. These measurements coincided with changes in observed temperature in Korean waters, in which mean seawater temperature was warmer in 1997 than in 1998 and 1999. In Japanese waters, mean seawater temperature was lowest in 1997, which coincided with highest ${\delta}^{18}O$ values in the same year.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2018

In this study, the distribution of sedimentary environment and benthic macro-fauna in habitats and non-habitats of Zostera marina were investigated. The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data about the sedimentary environment and benthic macro-fauna in the habitats and non-habitats of Z. marina. Sand was dominant within habitat environments, whereas the non-habitats were predominantly composed of silt. As a result, the habitats of Z. marina have a different grain size and organic matter content compared to the non-habitats. These differences in the sedimentary environment were expected to influence the species composition of benthic animals. Benthic communities in the habitats of Z. marina showed a higher density and a greater number of species than in the non-habitats. As a result of an ecological index evaluation, the species diversity index (H') was $3.44{\pm}0.10$ for the habitat; the non-habitat was analyzed as $2.34{\pm}0.35$. It was also found that the stability of community in the habitats was higher than that in the non-habitats. The cluster analysis also clearly showed that habitats and non-habitats of Z. marina have distinct characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.615-626
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• 2022

This study investigated the habitat characteristics and spawning ecology of Hippocampus haema (Syngnathidae) in Soando Island, Korea, from May 2015 to December 2016. The survey site where seahorses inhabit was mainly formed by seagrass of Zostera marina populations. Total density and biomass (Mean±SE) of Z. marina were the highest at 136±14.4 shoots/m² and 489.8g DW/m², respectively, in spring (May), while the total density was lowest at 93±7.0shoots/m²in autumn (October), and biomass was the lowest and at 122.3g DW/m² in winter (February). During the study period, 293 individuals were identified through a diving and kick net survey, and the total length of H. haema ranged from 10.1 to 87.0mm. Male individuals nurturing fertilized eggs or larvae appeared beginning in May and were collected until October in both 2015 and 2016. Juvenile individuals were captured beginning in July 2015 and June 2016. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of the spawning season characteristics, it was estimated that the spawning season of H. haema was from April to October. The number of fertilized egg or larvae inside the male brood pouch were 38.3±14.8 (20-76), and the number of fecundity identified from female were 47.2±8.6 (31-59). The male-to-female ratio of H. haema was 1:1.7, indicating the dominance of males.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.145-158
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• 2024

Life history characteristics, habitat landscape, and historical events are believed to have shaped the patterns of genetic variation in many taxa. The bony lip barb, Osteohilus vittatus, represent a potamodromous fish that complete all life cycle in freshwater and is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. It usually lives in small rivers and other freshwater habitats, and movement between habitats for either food or reproduction has been typical. These life history characteristics may promote gene flow, leading to less structured populations. However, many freshwater habitats are fragmented, which restricts gene flow. We investigate how this interplay has shaped patterns of genetic variation and phylogeographic structure within this species in the Sundaland, a biodiversity hotspot with a complex geological history, using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) as a genetic marker. Forty-six mtCOI sequences of 506 bp long were collected from ten localities, eight geographically isolated and two connected. The sequences were used for population genetic and phylogeographic analyses. Our results showed a low genetic diversity within populations but high between populations. There was a deep phylogeographic structure among geographically isolated populations but a lack of such structure in the connected habitats. Among geographically isolated populations, sequence divergence was revealed, ranging from 1.8% between Java and Sumatra populations to 12.2% between Malaysia and Vietnam. An indication of structuring was also observed among localities that are geographically closer but without connectivity. We conclude that despite high dispersal capacity, the joint effects of historical events, long-term geographic isolation associated with sea level oscillation during the Pleistocene, and restricted gene flow related to lack of habitat connectivity have shaped the phylogeographic structure within the O. vittatus over the Sundaland.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.687-693
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• 2018

The active development of the global marine trade industries has been known to increase the inflows of marine invasive species and harmful organisms into the ecosystem, and the marine ecological disturbances. One of these invasive species, Ciona robusta, has now spread to the Korea Strait, the East Sea, and Jeju Island in connection with the climate change but not the Yellow Sea in Korea. Currently, the spread and distribution of C. robusta is increasingly damaging aquaculture and related facilities. Therefore, this study aims to identify the spread of C. robusta and potential habitats and to secure a data for the prevention of effective management measures due to climate change as well as damage the reduction in future through the prediction of spread. We used environmental variables in BioOracle. Also, the potential habitat and distribution of C. robusta was predicted using MaxEnt, a species distribution model. Two different RCP scenarios(4.5 and 8.5) were specified to predict the future distributions of C. robusta. The results showed that the biggest environmental factor affecting the distribution of C. robusta was the salinity as well as the highest distribution and potential habitats existent in the East Sea and around Jeju Island.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2021

The seasonal and vertical biomass of marine forest seaweeds were examined to select a suitable species at 12 sites of the South Sea in Korea between 2018 and 2019. The Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) was also calculated in terms of biomass for six species (three kelp and three Sargassum species). A total of 16 marine forest-forming species including four kelp and 12 Sargassum species were observed at the 12 sites. The average annual seaweed biomass by season and depth ranged from 843.73-2,925.85 g wet wt. m^-2 at the eastern South Sea and from 343.87-4,580.10 g wet wt. m^-2 at the western South Sea. In the kelp species, the Ecklonia cava biomass was predominant, followed by E. stolonifera. The macroalgal species with the greatest biomass was Sargassum macrocarpum, followed by S. horneri. The HSI values of E. stolonifera were between 0.76-1.0 at eight sites and those of E. cava were 0.58-0.92 at four sites, indicating that E. stolonifera was more suitable than E. cava. In the HSI values of the Sargassum species, S. horneri ranged between 0.84-1.0 at all 12 sites and the S. macrocarpum values were between 0.68-0.99. The results indicate that E. cava and S. macrocarpum were the most suitable for the marine forest construction in terms of the seaweed biomass, and E. stolonifera and S. horneri in terms of the HSI values. Thus, we suggest that seaweed biomass and HSI values should be considered when choosing suitable forest-forming species.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.475-482
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• 2019

The increase in human use and activity in the oceans is leading to marine pollution and habitat destruction. As a result, in particular, marine animals with a long life cycle and small population are threatened with extinction. Thus, the Korean government designated 11 artificial habitats, such as aquariums and marine museums, as Ex-situ conservation institutions to preserve endangered marine life in 2010. However, studies on the significance and economic value of Ex-situ conservation institutions providing marine life conservation services have not been conducted. Thus, the purpose of this study was to estimate the public's quantitative support for the operation policy of Ex-situ conservation institutions, which is a management method for the protection and propagation of marine animals in Korea. To achieve this, the economic value of the marine animal conservation role of the National Maritime Museum was estimated, operated as an Ex-situ conservation institution for the preservation of green turtles in Korea. By using the representative non-market valuation method for public goods known as the contingent valuation method (CVM), the economic value of the Ex-situ conservation institution (National Maritime Museum) was estimated at approximately 41.8 billion won to a maximum of 78.1 billion won. The results of this study can be applied as basic data for marine animal management policymakers in establishing efficient management plans for endangered marine animals in Korea's coastal waters.