Abstract
As a part of basic investigation to Fishery Purge Project for the Special Administrative in Chollanamdo Province, the sedimentary environmental characteristics of Yoja Bay at 15 stations were studied. The analysis was carried out in July, 1998, through studies of Loss On Ignition (LOI) by depth, Total Sulfide (T-5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentrations and Grain-size distribution. The LOI value was found to be 6.20-12.20% (mean of 8.89%), with the neighboring Sunhakri and Haksanri areas showing slightly higher values. These values were similar to the LOI values observed in the Hansan-Koje Bay and Jinju Bay areas on the southern coast of Korea. T-S and COD concentrations were found to be, respectively, 0.060-0.104 mg/gㆍd (mean of 0.052 mg/gㆍd) and 5.53-29.71 mg/gㆍd(mean of 13.24 mg/gㆍd), not exceeding eutrophication limits. T-S concentration was especially high at stations close to the central areas of the bay and inland areas, which caused by organic matter input from the nearby agricultural areas. COD concentration was very high at stations nearby the bay entrance and Doonbyungdo, but the mean value was lower than that of Hansan-Koje Bay. This leads us to believe that the level of pollution in Yoja Bay is not significant. The prevailing sediment composition was mud, consisting of 61.38% silt and 34.87% clay. [Sediments in Yoja Bay, Loss On Ignition, Total Sulfide, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Grain-Size Distribution].