• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.247-257
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• 2014

The construction of eight large weirs in the Nakdong River, Korea, caused a decrease in the water flow velocity and several physical changes to the water environment. Here, changes in phyto- and zooplankton communities and water quality in the areas near the eight weirs were investigated from 2011 to 2013, and relationships between phytoplankton abundances and environmental factors were analyzed. Special emphasis was given to the succession patterns in algal abundance based on temperature fluctuations. At the eight weirs, 24 dominant species were found. The most abundant phytoplankton species was Stephanodiscus sp. (39.4% of dominant frequency). Cyanobacteria of the genus Microcystis dominated during the summer, with an dominant frequency of 8.5% and cell abundance ratio of 36.6%. Significant correlations were observed between temperature and abundance of eight of the main dominant species; seven species showed positive correlations with temperature. Stephanodiscus sp., however, showed a negative correlation with temperature (r=-0.26, p<0.01). In addition, this species showed a significant negative correlation with the dominant algal species-Aulacoseira granulata and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, with the zooplankton Copepoda and with Cladocera. On the contrary, seven other dominant species of algae showed significant positive correlations with zooplankton. Thus, we showed that the seasonal succession of plankton communities in the Nakdong River was related to the water temperature changes.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.18-27
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• 2009

This study was conducted to examine the effect of wind on the circulation of seawater in Gamak Bay, which contains numerous farms for fish and shellfish but suffers a significant loss by fisheries nearly annually from harmful algal blooms. In numerical experiments with a simplified bathymetry for Gamak Bay, the wind in summer appeared to more strongly influence the east-westward flow than the south-northward flow. In winter, this trend was nearly similar to the summer but seemed to have a greater effect on the flow at the north-west of the bay than the flow at the south mouth of the bay. On the other hand, in numerical experiments with a realistic bathymetry for Gamak Bay, the wind in summer appeared to more strongly influence the east-westward flow than the south-northward flow. Furthermore, the effect of the wind was stronger at the south mouth of the bay than at the north-west of the bay. In contrast, the wind in winter affected the east-westward flow more strongly and its effect appeared stronger at the north-west of the bay than at the south mouth of the bay. In addition, the effect of the wind tended to increase with distance from the east to the west. Therefore, the tidal currents in Gamak Bay proved to be strongly influenced by the wind, in particular east-westward. However, some measures are urgently required to improve the water quality of the bay, since the south-northward flow turned out to be obstructed by an east-westward shoal located in the middle of the bay.

• ALGAE
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2008

Many species in Gymnodiniales, which are unarmored dinoflagellates, are responsible for marine algal blooms and some of them have potent toxin in the cell. Their taxonomy has so far been well-defined, and several genera (e.g. Akashiwo, Gymnodinium, Karenia) have recently been re-described. In Korea, few works have been carried out on their taxonomical and molecular studies. This study focused on comparison of both morphological and molecular characteristics of five unarmored dinoflagellates on Korean coastal water: Akashiwo sanguinea, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Gymnodinium catenatum, Gymnodinium impudicum and Karenia aureolum (=K. mikimotoi). Morphological characteristics observed here was in good accordance with the original descriptions of individual species. In addition, none of difference was found in morphological comparisons between the Korean and foreign strains. Furthermore, molecular analysis showed that the SSU rDNA sequences were generally identical according to each species. In some distinct features, A. sanguinea, which has generally the same morphological features, were divided into two groups: one was Korean isolates including European isolates, the other was American isolates. In the two groups, the nucleus was positioned differently: middle of the cells in the Korean isolates (GnSg02, GnSg03), near the epicone in American isolates (CCMP1593, CCMP1837). In addition, this was strongly supported by phylogenetic analysis, inferred from the SSU rDNA sequences. K. aureolum (GrAr01) was corresponded to European G. aureolum (=K. mikimotoi) in shape and position of nucleus, chloroplast, however, which is similar to K. digitata in view of having a finger-like sulcus. This was in good agreement with phylogenetic study of these species. G. catenatum have identical morphology except the ridge location, and their genotype of SSU rDNA was also identical to GenBank data of the same species. From this study, we found that the five Korean unarmored dinoflagellates are identical morphological characteristics and genotype to each species of foreign isolates.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.97-111
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• 2010

Phytoplankton production is affected by various physico-chemical factors of environment. However, one of the most critical factors generally accepted as controlling primary production of phytoplankton is nutrients. It has recently been found that the succession of phytoplankton groups and species are closely related to the chemical properties of ambient water including nutrient limitation and their ratios. In Jangmok Bay, silicate and nitrate are primarily supplied by rainfall, while phosphate and ammonia are supplied by wind stress. Typhoons are associated with rainfall and strong wind stress, and when typhoons pass through the South Sea, such events may induce phytoplankton blooms. When nutrients were supplied by heavy rainfalls during the rainy season and by summer typhoons in Jangmok Bay, the dominant taxa among the phytoplankton groups were found to change successively with time. The dominant taxon was changed from diatoms to flagellates immediately after the episodic seasonal events, but returned to diatoms within 3~10 days. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were dominant mainly in the presence of low phosphate levels during the first of the survey which included the rainy season, while Skeletonema costatum was dominant when phosphate concentrations were high due to the strong wind stress during the latter half of the survey as a result of the typhoon. The competition between S. costatum and Chaetoceros spp. appeared to be regulated by the silicate concentration. S. costatum preferred high silicate and phosphate concentrations; however, Chaetoceros spp. were able to endure low silicate concentrations. These results implied that, in coastal ecosystems, the input patterns of each nutrient supplied by rainfall and/or wind stress appeared to contribute to the summer succession of phytoplankton groups and species.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate seasonal difference in linear trends in satellite-derived chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) and their related environmental changes in the South Sea of Korea (SSK) and East China Sea (ECS) for recent 15 years (Jan. 1998~Dec. 2012) by analyzing climatological data of Chl-a, Rrs(555), sea surface wind (SSW) and nutrient. A linear trend analysis of Chl-a data reveals that, during recent 15 years, the spring bloom was enhanced in most of the ECS, while summer and fall blooms were weakened. The increased spring (Mar. - May) Chl-a was associated with strengthened winter (Dec. - Feb.) wind that probably provided more nutrient into the upper ocean from the deep. The causes of decreased summer (Jun. - Aug.) Chl-a in the northern ECS were uncertain, but seemed to be related with the nutrient limitation. Recently (after 2006), low-salinity Changjiang diluted water in the south of Jeju and the SSK had lower phosphate that caused increase in N/P ratio with Chl-a decrease. The decreased fall (Sep. - Nov.) Chl-a was associated with weakened wind that tends to entrain less nutrient into the upper ocean from the deep. This study suggests that phytoplankton in the ECS differently changes in response to environmental changes depending on season and region.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.90-93
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• 2006

The first Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) onboard its Communication Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) is scheduled for launch in 2008. GOCI includes the eight visible-to-near-infrared (NIR) bands, 0.5km pixel resolution, and a coverage region of 2500 ${\times}$ 2500km centered at 36N and 130E. GOCI has had the scope of its objectives broadened to understand the role of the oceans and ocean productivity in the climate system, biogeochemical variables, geological and biological response to physical dynamics and to detect and monitor toxic algal blooms of notable extension through observations of ocean color. The special feature with GOCI is that like MODIS, MERIS and GLI, it will include the band triplets 660-680-745 for the measurements of sun-induced chlorophyll-a fluorescence signal from the ocean. The GOCI will provide SeaWiFS quality observations with frequencies of image acquisition 8 times during daytime and 2 times during nighttime. With all the above features, GOCI is considered to be a remote sensing tool with great potential to contribute to better understanding of coastal oceanic ecosystem dynamics and processes by addressing environmental features in a multidisciplinary way. To achieve the objectives of the GOCI mission, we develop the GOCI Data Processing System (GDPS) which integrates all necessary basic and advanced techniques to process the GOCI data and deliver the desired biological and geophysical products to its user community. Several useful ocean parameters estimated by in-water and other optical algorithms included in the GDPS will be used for monitoring the ocean environment of Korea and neighbouring countries and input into the models for climate change prediction.

• 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 Science Journal
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2008

To examine the population development of the dinoflagellates, Ceratium furca and Ceratium fusus, daily field monitoring was conducted between April and July 2003 in the temperate coastal water of Sagami Bay, Japan. During the study period, the concentrations of C. furca were always lower than those of C. fusus. A sharp increase in the densities of both species was recorded on 5 May showing the maximum cell concentrations (C. furca = $14,800\;cells\;L^{-1}$, C. fusus = $49,600\;cells\;L^{-1}$). In the 7 days prior to the May bloom of the Ceratium species (29 April to 1 May), the highest density of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans was observed. Additionally, a second bloom of C. fusus occurred on 22 July. Here, two causes of the significant increases in the Ceratium populations during the two blooming periods (first time; 1 to 8 May, second time; 15 to 22 July) are presented. First, an increase in the nutrients of the surface layer regenerated by the breakdown of blooms by N.scintillans could be considered as a major cause of the population increase of the two Ceratium species. Second, a decrease in salinity (to 27 psu) was correlated with the later bloom of C. fusus. These results suggest that the population development of the two Ceratium species requires nutrients regenerated after the reduction of the diatom population by N. scintillans and, for C. fusus, continuous low salinity conditions, compared to other environmental factors during the rainy season.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.205-217
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• 2016

Freshwater red tides due to dinoflagellates have caused spectacular and regular “summer reddening” in recent years in Baishihai Lake, a temperate, meromictic, meso- or oligotrophic, high-altitude, landslide-dammed, deep lake located at the eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau in China. Based on morphological and molecular analyses, the causative organism has been identified as a new woloszynskioid dinoflagellate, Tovellia diexiensis Q. Zhang et G. X. Liu sp. nov. The vegetative cells are 20-32 μm long and 16-24 μm wide. They have a hemispherical episome and a broadly rounded hyposome with a short characteristic antapical spine. Usually cells are bright red due to the presence of numerous red-pigmented bodies, which often masked the yellowish green discoid chloroplasts. The amphiesma of motile cells comprise mainly quadrilateral, pentagonal or hexagonal thin plates, arranged in 4-5 latitudinal series on the episome, 1 in the cingulum and 4 on the hyposome. Molecular phylogenies based on small subunit ribosomal DNA and large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU) indicate T. diexiensis from Baishihai Lake to belong to the family Tovelliaceae, which was monophyletic in our LSU phylogenies. During the bloom-forming period in 2005, cell density of T. diexiensis reached 9.15 × 10⁵ cells L⁻¹. Astaxanthin and its diester were found to be the major pigments in T. diexiensis, resulting in a characteristic blood-red color of the water in Baishihai Lake.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.625-631
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• 2003

While phytoplankton diversity and productivity in the Southern Ocean has been widely studied in recent years, most attention has been given to elucidating environmental factors that affect the dynamics of micro-plankton (mainly diatoms) and nano-plankton (mainly Phaeocystis antarctica). Only limited effects have been given to studying the occurrence and the potential risks associated with the blooming of dinoflagellates in the relevant waters. This study focused on the appearance and toxicological characteristics of a toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense, identified and isolated from the Drake Passage in a research cruise from November to December 2001 The appearance of A. tamarense in the Southern Ocean indicates the risk of a paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) outbreak there and is therefore of scientific concern. Results showed that while the overall quantity of A. tamarense in water samples from 30meters below the sea surface often comprised less than 0.1% of the total population of phytoplankton, the highest concentration of A. tamarense (20 cells $L^{-1}$) was recorded in the portion of the Southern Ocean between the southern end of South America and the Falkland Islands. Waters near the Polar Front contained the second highest concentrations of 10-15 cells $L^{-1}$. A. tamarense was however rarely found in waters near the southern side of the Polar Front, indicating that cold sea temperatures near the Antarctic ice does not favor the growth of this dinoflagellate. One strain of A. tamarense from this cruise was isolated and cultured for further study in the laboratory. Experiments showed that this strain of A. tamarense has a high tolerance to temperature variations and could survive at temperatures ranging from $5-26^{\circ}C$. This shows the cosmopolitan nature off. tamarense. With regard to the algal toxins produced, this strain of A. tamarense produced mainly C-2 toxins but very little saxitoxin and gonyailtoxin. The toxicological property of this A. tamarense strain coincided with a massive death of penguins in the Falkland Islands in December 2002 to January 2003.