Seasonal to inter-annual variations of water properties in the western channel of the Korea Strait are investigated using quasi-monthly hydrographic observations collected during 2006-2010. Weak vertical temperature and salinity gradients are observed during the winter months and these remain until May. At the upper layer, temperature increases from March and reaches a maximum in August, while salinity decreases during the same period. Near-bottom water shows low temperatures during late winter and fall with a minimum peak in September. Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water produces thick layers (>20 m) in 2006 and 2010, while it is observed very near the bottom with relatively high temperature in 2008 and 2009.

We investigated latitudinal changes in mesozooplankton community structure during a cruise between October 16 and November 30 of 2007 from four distinctive regions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean: Warm pool area (longitude $135^{\circ}$ line), Philippine EEZ (PEEZ), Japan EEZ (JEEZ), and East China Sea (ECS). Major taxa of numerical importance were Clausocalanidae (Clausocalanus spp.), Oncaeidae (Oncaea spp.), and Oithonidae (Oithona spp.) in oligotrophic regions, however Paracalanidae (Paracalanus spp.) was the most abundant group in the ECS. Mesozooplankton size group of <1 mm dominated in PEEZ and WP (48% and 56%, respectively), but mesozooplankton (>1 mm) were of importance in the JEEZ and ECS (34% and 38%, respectively). Mesozooplankton biomass and abundance were high in the JEEZ and ECS, and low in the oligotrophic WP and PEEZ waters, with positive relationship with both total Chl-a and heterotrophic protist biomass. Latitudinal change in mesozooplankton community structure was related with water temperature, with copepods such as Lucicutia spp. and Pleuromamma spp. being present only in warm waters. The geographical expansion of mesozooplankton with a preference for warmer waters could potentially be useful as an indicator for detecting ocean warming.

In order to ascertain latitudinal variation of lipid contents and compositions in copepods, we collected warm water copepod species (Euchaeta sp. and Pleuromamma spp.) from four different regions from low (sub-tropical) to mid (temperate) latitudes in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Total lipid contents of Pleuromamma spp. were about 11 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$ with little latitudinal variation, whereas Euchaeta sp. showed slightly higher lipid content (20 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$) than Pleuromamma spp. with latitudinal gradient (low at subtropic and high at temperate). Wax esters, known as the major storage lipid classes, were found to be the dominant lipid classes (accounting for more than 35% of total lipids) in Euchaeta sp., whereas in Pleuromamma spp., phospholipids, known as cellular membrane components, were the dominant lipid classes. However, the exception was specimens from warm pool region exhibiting dominance in storage of lipids as a form of triacylglycerols. Among fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA : 22:6(n-3)) (about 35% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Euchaeta sp., while saturated fatty acids (SAFA), specially hexadecanoic acid (16:0) (about 30% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Pleuromamma spp.. Among the neutral fraction of lipids, phytol, originated from the side chain of chlorophyll, was found in all samples which generally indicate active copepods feeding on algae. While only trace amounts of short-chain fatty alcohols were found in Pleuromamma spp., significant amounts of fatty alcohols were found in Euchaeta sp.. Particularly, significant amounts of long chain monounsaturated fatty alcohols (20:1 and 22:1), generally found in cold water species, were found in Euchaeta sp. from low latitudes. The latitudinal variation of trophic lipid markers in these copepods could be significantly related with in-situ food availability and species-specific diet preference. The result of this study suggests that the lipid contents and compositions in copepods may not only indicate their nutritional condition and feeding ecology but also provide insight into species-specific living strategies under different environmental conditions (i.e. water temperature, food availability).

This study documents KORDI's experience of successfully deploying a deep ocean buoy for monitoring oceanic and atmospheric variabilities in the tropical western Pacific Ocea nsince May 2010. The primary focus of this study was to compare TRITON (big and old type) with m-TRITON (smaller and new type) buoys within the JAMSTEC's buoy management system. The objective of operating a KORDI buoy is to ascertain oceanic variability in the tropical western Pacific. We adopted a slack-line mooring type to observe water temperatures at six layers from surface to 400 m depth. However, we could not acquire satisfactory results due to lack of expertise in buoy management system. A new KORDI buoy has been developing, which has been modified from both buoys, and ARGOS-3 satellite system and a slack-type mooring line.

To investigate the physical characteristics and variations of oceanic parameters in the tropical central North Pacific, oceanographic surveys were carried out in summer of 2006 and 2007. The survey periods were classified by Oceanic Ni$\tilde{n}$o Index as a weak El Ni$\tilde{n}$o in 2006 and a medium La Ni$\tilde{n}$a in 2007. The survey instruments were used to acquire data on CTD (Conductivity Temperature and Depth), XBT (Expendable Bathythermograph), and TSG (Thermosalinograph). The dominant temporal variation of surface temperature was diurnal. The diurnal variation in 2007, when the La Ni$\tilde{n}$a weather pattern was in place, was stronger than that in 2006. Surface salinity in 2006 was affected by a northwestward branch of North Equatorial Current, which implies that the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o affects surface properties in the North Equatorial Current region. Two salinity minimum layers existed at stations east of Chuuk in both year's observations. The climatological vertical salinity section along $180^{\circ}E$ shows that the two salinity minimum layers exist in $2^{\circ}N{\sim}12^{\circ}N$ region, consistent with our observations. Analysis of isopycnal lines over the salinity section implies that the upper salinity minimum layer is from intrusion of the upper part of North Pacific Intermediate Water into the lower part of South Pacific Subtropical Surface Water and the lower salinity minimum layer is from Antarctic Intermediate Water.

Time-series sediment traps were deployed at 1,000 m water depth of the northwestern subtropical Pacific from July 2009 to June 2010, with the aim of understanding temporal and spatial variations of sinking-particle fluxes. The opening and closing of the traps was synchronized at 18-day periods for 20 events. Total mass fluxes showed distinct seasonal variations with high values for the summer-fall seasons and relatively low values for winter-spring. This seasonal variation at two stations was characterized by a distinct difference in $CaCO_3$ fluxes between the two seasons. The enhanced $CaCO_3$ flux in the summer - fall seasons might be attributed to an increased planktonic foraminiferal flux. Total mass flux at FM10 station was nearly 50% higher than that at FM1 station. The difference in $CaCO_3$ fluxes between two stations contributed nearly 70% of the difference of total mass fluxes. The $CaCO_3$ flux was a major component controlling temporal and spatial variation of sinking - particle fluxes in the western subtropical Pacific Ocean.

To understand the vertical structure of ocean currents from raw data observed by lowered-ADCP (LADCP), these data require post-processing. Data were processed using Krahman's version 10.8 processing software based on Matlab. It is estimated the influence of auxiliary data affecting the processed current structure. The bottom-tracked velocities and the GPS information significantly contribute the offset on reference velocities in the bottom layer and barotropic ones in the middle layer, respectively. Good quality data can be obtained when LADCP is least tilted in pitch and roll during observation. In situ application of LADCP to the (northward) volume transports of Kuroshio in the East China Sea proved to be 24.8. Sv (= $1{\times}10^6m^3s^{-1}$) in October 2007, and 28.2 Sv in June 2008, respectively. The volume transport is relatively large over the continental slope when compared to the shelf or the deep sea.