• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.191-202
• /
• 2018

In this study we conducted a weekly monitoring exercise at a fixed station in the saltwater zone during the dry season (Jan-Mar, 2013) and wet season (Jun-Aug, 2013) to understand the fluctuations in phytoplankton communities and environmental factors in the Youngsan River estuary altered by a dike constructed in the coastal area. Phytoplankton communities displayed seasonality; diatoms were dominant during the dry season whereas dinoflagellates were dominant during the wet season. T-test analysis showed that water temperature was significantly different between the seasons whereas freshwater discharge from the dike was not significantly different. This suggests that seasonal variations of phytoplankton are more likely affected by water temperature than freshwater discharge. However, a short-term fluctuation was also observed in response to freshwater discharge; freshwater species appeared during or after the discharge in the dry and wet seasons and blooms of harmful species developed after the discharge. Phytoplankton communities may be affected by changes in physical factors such as turbidity and salinity and nutrient supply resulting from freshwater discharge. Especially, the nutrient supply may directly contribute to the harmful algal blooms (HABs) composed of dinoflagellates which can adapt to low salinity after freshwater discharge.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.259-264
• /
• 2001

Typhoon and neap tide on Cochlodinium polykrikoides bloom and water temperature on disappearance of C. polykrikoides bloom were investigated to elucidate the outbreak mechanism of C. polykrikoides blooms at Naro and Namhae coastal area in South Sea of Korea. The first observation of C. polykrikoides blooms were observed when thermocline was disappeared by typhoon, tide, etc. The first blooms of C. polykrikoides were observed on neap tide or before one day from neap tide in 1996-1998 and 2000. However, thermocline was disappeared by typhoon in 1994 and 1999, the first blooms were observed early 12-30 day than 1996-1998 and 2000. The main reason of disappearance of C. polykrikoides blooms after typhoon on 1997-2000 seems to be other environmental change by typhoon rather than low water temperature. In the future, the first C. polykrikoides bloom will be appear around the first neap tide of latter part of August with breaking down of thermocline, but if the thermocline be collapsed by typhoon in July, the C. polykrikoides bloom will be appear at beginning of August. The outbreak of C. polykrikoides blooms will be explain as follows: The vegetative cells, which was germinated by environmental change or already exist in surface water at low level, input to the surface water, and then nutrients and trace metals which were suppled from out side of C. polykrikoides bloom area inflow to surface. The vegetative cells are growth by the nutrients and trace metals at suitable environmental conditions e.g. water temperature, salinity, and sufficient light.

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

• ALGAE
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.207-216
• /
• 2005

Myrionecta rubra, a mixotrophic ciliate, is a cosmopolitan red tide species which is commonly found in neritic and estuarine waters. M. rubra had long been listed as an “nculturable protist”until 2 different laboratory strains were finally established in 2 research groups at the beginning of this century, enabling us to perform initiative investigation into various aspect of the live M. rubra strains (Gustafson et al. 2000; Yih et al. 2004b; Johnson and Stoecker 2005). Field sampling was carried out on high tide at 2 fixed stations around Kunsan Inner Harbor (St.1 near the Estuarine Weir and St.2 off Kunsan Ferry Station) every other day for 4 months from mid-February 2004 to understand detailed figure of the recurrent spring blooms of M. rubra following the onset of the water gates operation of the Keum River Estuarine Weir on August 1994. With its maximum abundance of 272 cells mL$^{-1}$ in St.1, fluctuation pattern of the M. rubra population at the 2 stations was strikingly similar. Notable growth of M. rubra population started on late April, to cause M. rubra red tides during one month from mid-May in which “xceptionally low salinity days”without its red tide were intermittently inserted. High abundance of M. rubra over 50 cells mL$^{-1}$ was recorded at samples with their water temperature and salinity higher than 15${^{\circ}C}$ and 4.0 psu, respectively. During pre-bloom period when salinity fluctuation is moderate and the water temperature is cooler than 15°C, Skeletonema costatum, a chain-forming centric diatom, was most dominant. Cyanobacterial species such as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Phormidium sp. replaced other dominant phytoplankters on the days with “xceptionally low salinity”even during the main blooming period of M. rubra. To summarize, M. rubra could form spring blooms in Keum River Estuary when the level of salinity fluctuation was more severe than that for the dominant diatom Skeletonema costatum and milder than that for the predominance by freshwater cyanobacteria. Therefore, optimal control of the scale and frequency of freshwater discharges might lead us to partially modify the fluctuation pattern of M. rubra populations as well as the period of spring blooms by M. rubra in Keum River Estuary. Sampling time interval of 2 days for the present study or daily sampling was concluded to be minimally required for the detailed exploration into the spring blooms by M. rubra populations in estuaries with weirs like Keum River Estuary.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.22-30
• /
• 2011

This study was purposed to develop an effective LC/MS/MS method for simultaneously determining five pre-treated cyanotoxins (anatoxin-a, microcystins-RR, -YR, -LR and -LA) of cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacterial bloom samples were collected from 11 major lakes and three downstream areas of river around Korea during 2005~2009. Cyanotoxins were identified in 38 samples from the lakes. The validity of the method was evaluated and the recovery rates were found ranging from 83~87%. The MDL turned out to be $0.046\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ for anatoxin-a and $0.066\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ for microcystins (RR, YR, LR and LA), which indicates that the method has high sensitivity and accuracy. The most dominant genus of the cyanobacterial blooms was Microcystis, which accounted for 71% of the analysed samples. Microcystis also contained the largest amount of microcystins ($398.5\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$) among the analyzed cyanobacteria. The analysis of the five cyanotoxins showed that anatoxin-a ranged between $0{\sim}41.833\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$ and microcystins ranged between $6.311{\sim}2,148.786\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$. Among the microcystins, micocystin-RR took up 58.3%, the largest portion. Anatoxin-a was found to account for 77.8% of the samples. This study has its significance in that it allowed the establishment of toxin criteria appropriate for the Korean water systems. Further studies may be necessary to conduct for improving water treatment methods.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.86-94
• /
• 1999

An investigation was conducted to determine limiting nutrients in the bay systems of the southern coastal area of Korea. The elemental composition of C, N, and P in suspended particulate matter was monitored nearly monthly in Chinhae and Koje Bays and seasonally in Deukryang Bay for 2 years. Atomic C:N ratio in particulate matter ranges from 4.3 to 9.6, typical of marine phytoplankton. C:P and N:P ratios vary from the Redfield ratio to 229 (C:P) and 37 (N:P). A constant C:N ratio of 6.87 from regression of particulate C and N concentrations demonstrates that the particulate matter in the systems originates from primary production. C:P and N:P ratios from regression of C on P and N on P are well associated with changes in salinity. The low N:P ratio of 13.1 implies N limitation in the environments of the systems. This seems to result from the low N:P ratio of nutrients released across sediment-water interface. Phytoplankton response, expressed here as the increase of chlorophyll a, to N addition also verifies N limitation for phytoplankton communities. In heavy rainfall season (from June to September), the addition of excessive N via streams into the stratified coastal water proliferates phytoplankton greatly. During the phytoplankton blooms, C:P and N:P ratios are much higher than the Redfield ratio, implying P limitation. This results from the high N:P ratio in nutrients supplied from stream waters. Strong stratification during the blooms also interrupts the supply of nutrients, particularly p, from bottom waters. Dependent upon precipitation, this tendency shows great inter-annual variation.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.530-540
• /
• 2008

The temporal and spatial variations of size-structured phytoplankton dynamics in Youngsan Lake were investigated to explore potential mechanims controlling the dynamics in the Youngsan Lake. Field data were collected monthly from February to October, 2003 at 6 stations along the axis of Youngsan Lake. In this study, phytoplankton (chlorophyll $\alpha$) were categorized into three size classes: micro-size ($>20{\mu}m$), nano-size ($2{\sim}20{\mu}m$) and pico-size ($<20{\mu}m$). Water temperature, light attenuation coefficients, PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) and suspended solids were measured to analyze relationship between physical-chemical properties and size structure of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton blooms developed during March, July and October in the upper region of the main stem whereas small-scaled spring bloom was observed in the lower region. The scales of phytoplankton blooms were higher in the upper regions than the lower region and blooms were predominated by micro-size class in upper region but predominated by nano-size class in lower region. Growth of size-structured phytoplankton appeared to be controlled by rather light availability than temperature-dependant metabolisms in the system. Phytoplankton growth may be also supported by ambient nutrients available in the water column from analyses of chlorophyll $\alpha$ vs. nutrient concentrations including nitrite+nitrate and orthophosphate. Growth of nano-sized phytoplankton alone appeared to be supported by orthophosphate as well as nitrite+nitrate indicating that response of phytoplankton to nutrient inputs may be size-dependent.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.351-359
• /
• 2010

This study examined extensive patches of floating green macroalgal (Ulva prolifera) mats in the northern East China Sea (ECS) using satellite images from mid May through July 2008 and field observation made during early August 2008 cruise. It was previously reported that the massive macroalgal blooms occurred in the coastal areas of Qingdao in China. During our field survey, researchers noticed widely distributed floating patches of macroalgal mats ranging in size from tens of centimeters to a few hundred meters in diameter. Meteorological data in the northern ECS showed high irradiance, high air-temperature, and predominant southerly winds in summer. In the study area during the survey period, surface waters were characterized by the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) mass, which contained high concentrations of nitrate and phosphate. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of U. prolifera found in the northern ECS was the same as those of U. prolifera sampled from Qingdao blooms, suggesting a possibility that U. prolifera found in two regions would be derived from the same origin. We suggest that U. prolifera in the nearshore Jiangsu Province drifted into the northern ECS and proliferated under favorable meteorological and oceanographic conditions during the summer of 2008.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.531-548
• /
• 2012

To identify Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tide from non-red tide water (satellite high chlorophyll waters) in the South Sea of Korea (SSK), we improved a spectral classification method proposed by Son et al.(2011) for the world first Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI). C. polykrikoides blooms and non-red tide waters were classified based on four different criteria. The first step revealed that the radiance peaks of potential red tide water occurred at 555 and 680 nm (fluorescence peak). The second step separated optically different waters that were influenced by relatively low and high contributions of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) (including detritus) to chlorophyll. The third and fourth steps discriminated red tide water from non-red tide water based on the blue-to-green ratio, respectively. After applying the red tide classification, the spectral response of C. polykrikoides red tide water, which is influenced by pigment concentration as well as CDOM (detritus), showed different slopes for the blue and green bands (lower slope at blue bands and higher slope at green bands). The opposite result was found for non-red tide water. This modified spectral classification method for GOCI led to increase user accuracy for C. polykrikoides and non-red tide blooms and provided a more reliable and robust identification of red tides over a wide range of oceanic environments than was possible using chlorophyll a concentration, or proposed red tide detection algorithms. Maps of C. polykrikoides red tide in SSK outlined patches of red tide covering the area near Naro-do and Tongyeong during the end of July and early of August, 2012 and extending into from Wan-do and Geoje-do during the middle of August, 2012.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.166-178
• /
• 2015

We investigated marine environmental characteristics of Goheung coastal areas in August where is known to be the first outbreak site of Cochlodinium polykrikoides (hereafter C. polykrikoides) blooms, based on the oceanographic data observed from 1993 to 2013 around the Korean southern coastal waters including Eastern China Sea by National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI). The data of NOAA/NGSST satellite images as well as numerical simulation results by Seo et al. [2013] were also used for analysis. Water temperatures at the surface and bottom layers in Goheung coast, i.e. Narodo, were $25.0^{\circ}C$ and $23.7^{\circ}C$ so that they were higher than $23.8^{\circ}C$ and $19.4^{\circ}C$ in Geoje coast where is a reference site, respectively. In addition, salinities at the surface and bottom layers in Goheung coast were 31.78 psu and 31.98 psu so that they were a little higher than 31.54 psu at the surface but a little lower than 32.79 psu at the bottom in Geoje coast, respectively. That is, the differences in water temperature or salinity between the surface and bottom layers in Goheung coast in August were not large compared to Geoje coast. This suggests that stratification in Goheung coast in August is fairly weak or may not be established. In addition, the concentrations of DIN and DIP at the surface layer were 0.068 mg/L ($4.86{\mu}M$) and 0.015 mg/L ($5.14{\mu}M$) in Goheung coast while 0.072 mg/L ($5.14{\mu}M$) and 0.01 mg/L ($0.32{\mu}M$) in Geoje coast, so they did not indicate a meaningful difference. On the other hand, when C. polykrikoides blooms, water temperature and salinity in August at the station 317-22 ($31.5^{\circ}N$, $124^{\circ}E$) of the East China Sea, where is near the mouth of Yangtze River, were $27.8^{\circ}C$ and 31.61 psu, respectively. Thus, water temperature was much higher whereas salinity was almost similar compared to Goheung coast. Furthermore, concentrations of $NO_3-N$ and $PO_4-P$ in the East China Sea in August were remarkably high compared to Goheung coast. When C. polykrikoides blooms, according to not only the image data of satellites NOAA/NGSST but also numerical experiment results by Seo et al.[2013], the freshwater out of Yangtze River was judged to clearly affect the Korean southern coastal waters. Therefore, the supply of nutrients in terms of Yangtze River may greatly contribute to the outbreak of C. polykrikoides blooms in Goheung coast in summer.