• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.130-141
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• 2017

We evaluated the field application feasibility that biologically derived substances (Naphthoquinone derivate: NQ 2-0) can be used for the eco-friendly mitigation of natural harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater. We conducted a 30 ton scale mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of NQ 2-0 on biotic and abiotic factors in water collected from Gi-heung reservoir. In the mesocosm experiments, the abundance of Microcystis sp. was continuously increased in the control. However, the Microcystis sp. cell density was sharply decreased on the $10^{th}$ day. In the treatment, NQ 2-0 showed the strong and selective algicidal activity toward the target cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp.). Accordingly, the algicidal activity of NQ 2-0 compound increased gradually until $10^{th}$, $15^{th}$ days and algal biomass was decreased to 99.4 and 100 %, respectively. NQ 2-0 compound was not only selective algicidal activity but also the growth of other phytoplankton and increased the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton. In the mesocosm experiments, the dynamics of biotic (bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellate, ciliates, zooplankton) and abiotic (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nutrients) factors remained unaffected. These results suggest that NQ 2-0 could be a selective and ecologically safe algicide to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, it is believed that NQ 2-0 will play a major role in forming a healthy aquatic ecosystem by facilitating habitat and food supply of aquatic organisms.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.238-245
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• 2011

Phytoplankton community composition was investigated in the Asan Bay (South) Korea. Water samples were collected monthly from five stations during January to December 2008. Phytoplankton blooms were observed in February and in August but the location of the bloom varied with the sampling time. A total of 134 phytoplankton species from seven classes (Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae, Euglenophyceae) were observed. Diatoms were dominant in all stations through-out the year except in summer when dinoflagellates were numerous and highly distributed within the outer bay rather than in the river mouth. Dominant and subdominant species were composed mostly of diatoms but were replaced by dinoflagellates in June and July. Results of ecological index showed that the diversity indices were increasing toward outer bay but the dominance indices showed a reverse trend.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 2007

In order to examine the short-term variations of phytoplankton and heterotrophic protozoa community structures with bloom events, water samples were collected every other day at one site in the coastal water off Incheon, Korea, from August 15-September 30, 2001. $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentrations varied widely from 1.8 to $19.3\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ with the appearances of two major peaks of $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration during the study period. Size-fractionated $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ concentration showed that net-size fraction ($>20\;{\mu}m$) comprised over 80% of total $Chlorophyll-{\alpha}$ during the first and second bloom periods, nano-size fraction ($3{\sim}20\;{\mu}m$) comprised average 42% during the pre- (before the first bloom) and post-bloom periods (after the second bloom), and pico- size fraction ($<3\;{\mu}m$) comprised over 50% during inter-bloom periods (i.e. between the first and second bloom periods). Dominant phytoplankton community was shifted from autotrophic nanoflagellates to diatom, diatom to picophytoplankton, picophytoplankton to diatom, and then diatom to autotrophic nanoflagellates, during the pre-, the first, the inter, the second, and the post-bloom periods, respectively. During the blooms, Chaetoceros pseudocrinitus and Eucampia zodiacus were dominant diatom species composed with more than 50% of total diatom. Carbon biomass of heterotrophic protozoa ranged from 8.2 to $117.8\;{\mu}gC\;l^{-1}$ and showed the highest biomass soon after the peak of the first and second blooms. The relative contribution of each group of the heterotrophic protozoa showed differences between the bloom period and other periods. Ciliates and HDF were dominant during the first and second bloom periods, with a contribution of more than 80% of the heterotrophic protozoan carbon biomass. Especially, different species of HDF, thecate and athecate HDF, were dominant during the first and the second bloom periods, respectively. Interestingly, Noctiluca scintillans appeared to be one of the key organisms to extinguish the first bloom. Therefore, our study suggests that heterotrophic protozoa could be a key player to control the phytoplankton community structure and biomass during the study period.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 2018

The monitoring of phytoplankton biomass and community structure is essential as a first step to control the harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater systems, such as seen in rivers and lakes, due to the process of eutrophication and climate change. In order to quantify the biomass of phytoplankton with a wide range in size and shape, the measurement of cell biovolume along with cell density is required for a comprehensive review on this issue. However, most routine monitoring programs preserve the gathered phytoplankton samples before analysis using chemical additives, because of the constraint of time and the number of samples. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cell biovolume change characteristics of six cyanobacterial species, which are common bloom-causing cyanobacteria in the Nakdong River, after the preservation with Lugol's iodine solution. All species showed a statistically significant difference after the addition of Lugol's iodine solution compared to the live cell biovolume, and the cell biovolume decreased to the level of 34.0 ~ 56.3 % at maximum in each species after the preservation. The nonlinear regression models for determining the shrinkage ratio by a preservation period were derived by using the cell biovolume measured until 180 days preservation of each target species, and the equation to convert the cell biovolume measured after preservation for a certain period to the cell biovolume of viable cell was derived using that formula. The conversion equation derived from this study can be used to estimate the actual cell biovolume in the natural environment at the time of sampling, by using the measured biovolume after the preservation in the phytoplankton monitoring. Moreover this is expected to contribute to the final interpretation of the water quality and aquatic ecosystem impacts due to the cyanobacterial blooms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1385-1395
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• 2010

Harmful dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms have been frequently occurred in coastal areas of the East Sea since 1995. We compared the oceanic conditions in years 1995, 2001 and 2003 when the C. polykrikoides bloom was strong, and in years 1998 and 2004 when the C. polykrikoides bloom was not appeared. We studied temporal and spatial variation of upwelling and geostrophic currents on the western channel of Korean Strait, an entrance of the East Sea. The period and occurrence area of C. polykrikoides bloom was depended on variation of upwelling in summer. In the distributions of geostrophic current, southward current was dominant near the coast in August, 1998 and 2000. Whereas northward current was dominant near and off the coast in August, 1995 and 2003 which the C. polykrikoides bloom was strong. When compared dominant phytoplankton of the coastal areas in each year, Kuroshio indicator species Proboscia alata and Chaetoceros affine were dominant, respectively, in 2001 and 2003 at every stations. However, the dominant species was variable at each coastal area in 1998 and 2000. In 2003, the abundance of Sagitta elegans which is known as the cold water indicator was low, but the abundance of S. enflata, warm water indicator, was very high in Gangneung compared to Sokcho. It seemed that the distribution of S. elegans is restricted by strong warm water current. In conclusion, it was estimated that the distribution of C. polykrikoides bloom in the coastal area of the East Sea was closely related with the strength of East Korea Warm Current and upwelling.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

The occurrence of 'algal bloom', caused by the mass proliferation of phytoplankton, causes serious problems in streams and lakes in Korea. Therefore, in this study, the phytoplankton filter-feeding trait of Unio douglasiae, a type of freshwater clam, was used to reduce the algal bloom in outdoor water tanks during the summer. This involved the construction of a U. douglasiae cultivation apparatus, wherein 1,000 clams were divided into 8 rectangular baskets arranged in the shape of an empty square. The control tank was manufactured in exactly the same shape within the water tank, but without the addition of clams. The algal bloom-reducing effect of U. douglasiae was confirmed by the measurement of (and comparing between) the water quality at the center and periphery of the test and control cultivation apparatus. Water quality measurements included the measurement of water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) content, and chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentrations; the water quality was measured twice a month between June and November 2014.The results of these analyses did not show a significant difference in water quality (temperature, pH, turbidity, DO) between the center and periphery of the test and control tanks. However, the chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentration was observed to be much lower at the center of the test tank compared to that at the center and periphery of the control tank, as well as at the periphery of the test tank. This was believed to be a result of the U. douglasiae surrounding the center of the test tank, which prevented the influx of plankton from the periphery. Accordingly, the results of these analyses suggest the possibility that U. douglasiae cultivation could reduce the proliferation of algal blooms in lakes and streams during the summer. In particular, these results indicate possible improvements in U. douglasiae activity (reduction in algal blooms) by their effective arrangement in the water bodies.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.285-296
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• 2014

Although the problems of the algal blooms have been world-widely observed in freshwater, estuary, and marine throughout the year, it is not yet certain what are the basic causes of such blooms. Consequently, it is very difficult to predict when and where algal blooms occur. The constituents of the Asian dust are in a good agreement with the elements required for the algal growth, which suggests some possible relationship between the algal blooms and the Asian dust. There have been frequently algal blooms in drinking water from rivers or lakes. However, there is no any algal blooms in upwelling waters where the Asian dust cannot penetrate into the soil due to its relatively weak settling velocity (size of particles, $4.5{\pm}1.5{\mu}m$), which implies the possible close relationship of the Asian dust with algal blooms. The present initiative study is thus intended firstly in Korea to illustrate such a relationship by reviewing typical previous studies along with 12 years of weekly iron profiles (2001~2012) and two slant culture experiments with the dissolved Asian dust. The result showed bacterial suspected colonies in the slant culture experiment that are qualitatively in a good agreement with the recent Japanese studies. Since the diatoms require cheap energy (8%) compared to other phytoplankton (100%) to synthesize their cell walls by silicate, the present results can be used to predict algal blooms by diatoms if the concentrations of iron and silicate are available during spring and fall. It can be postulated that the algal blooms occur only if the environmental factors such as light, nutrients, calm water surface layer, temperature, and pH are simultaneously satisfied with the requirements of the micronutrients of mineral ions supplied by the Asian dust as enzymatic cofactors for the rapid bio-synthesis of the macromolecules during algal blooms. Simple eco-friendly methods to regulate the algal blooms are suggested for the initial stage of blooming with limited area: 1) to cover up the water surface with black curtain and inhibit photosynthesis during the day time, 2) to blow air (20.9%) or pure oxygen into the bottom of the water and inhibit rubisco for carbon uptake and nitrate reductase for nitrogen uptake activities in algal growth during the night, 3) to eliminate the resting spores or cysts by suction of bottom sediments as deep as 5 cm to prevent the next year germinations.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.36 no.6_1
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• pp.1339-1348
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• 2020

Phytoplankton controls marine ecosystems in terms of nutrients, photosynthetic rate, carbon cycle, etc. and the degree of its influence on the marine environment depends on their physical size. Many studies have been attempted to identify marine phytoplankton size classes using the remote sensing techniques. One of successful approach was the three-component model which estimates the chlorophyll concentrations of three phytoplankton size classes (micro-phytoplankton; >20 ㎛, nano-; 2-20 ㎛ and pico-; <2 ㎛) as a function of total chlorophyll. Here, we examined the applicability of Geostationary Ocean Colour Imager (GOCI) to the mapping of the phytoplankton size class distribution in the East Sea. A fit of the three-component model to a biomarker pigment dataset collected in the study area for some years including a large harmful algal bloom period has been carried out to derive size-fractioned chlorophyll concentration (CHL). The tuned three-component model was applied to the hourly GOCI images to identify the fractions of each phytoplankton size class for the entire CHL. Then, we investigated the distribution of phytoplankton community in terms of the size structure in the East Sea during the harmful Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms in the summer of 2013.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1183-1197
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• 2014

Doam Bay is an estuary where harmful algal blooms (HABs) such as red tides develop frequently in summer. The bay also is influenced by freshwater inflow from Tamjin River in upper regions as well as from an artificial lake in lower regions. Phytoplankton size and species composition were investigated at six stations located in the lower regions in April, June and July, 2007. Physical properties (temperature, salinity and SS) were intensively measured for 3 days (5 occasions) after the freshwater discharges from the dike. The freshwater discharge affected temperature, salinity and turbidity in the study sites adjacent to the freshwater lake. Phytoplankton biomass was larger in April than June and it increased more in July. An explicit shift of species composition was observed. Diatoms were dominant in April and June (>70%) whereas their abundances greatly decreased and chlorophytes increased in July. Pseudo-nitzschia sp. was dominant at all stations (except St. 2) and this change was also detected in ecological indices such as diversity and dominance index.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.349-366
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• 2007

Seasonal variations of various physicochemical components (temperature, salinity, pH, DO, COD, DOC, nutrients-silicate, DIN, DIP) and potential limiting factor for phytoplankton primary production were studied in the surface water of semi-enclosed Masan Bay. Seasonal variations of nutrient concentrations, with lower values in summer and winter, and higher in fall, are probably controlled by freshwater loadings to the bay, benthic flux and magnitude of occurrence of phytoplankton communities. Their spatial distributional patterns are primarily dependent on physical mixing process between freshwater and coastal seawater, which result in a decreasing spatial gradient from inner to outer part of the bay. In the fall season of strong wave action, the major part of nutrient inputs (silicate, ammonium, dissolved inorganic phosphorus) comes from regeneration (benthic flux) at sediment-water interface. During the summer period, high Si:DIN and Si:DIP and low DIN:DIP relative to Redfield ratios suggest a N- and secondarily P-deficiency. During other seasons, however, silicate is the potential limiting factor for primary production, although the Si-deficiency is less pronounced in the outer region of the bay. Indeed, phytoplankton communities in Masan Bay are largely affected by the seasonal variability of limiting nutrients. On the other hand, the severe depletion of DIN (relatively higher silicate level) during summer with high freshwater discharge probably can be explained by N-uptake of temporary nanoflagellate blooms, which responds rapidly to pulsed nutrient loading events. In Masan Bay, this rapid nutrient consumption is considerably important as it can modify the phytoplankton community structures.