• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3114-3119
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• 2013

The mangrove ecosystems have the capacity to act as a sink of heavy metals entering aquatic ecosystems. Despite their potential exposure to metal contaminated sediments, mangroves appear to be highly tolerant to heavy metals. In this study, we cloned metal tolerance gene from mangrove plant. Using CTAB method, RNA were isolated from leaves and root tissue of Rhizophora stylosa habitated at Weno island in Micronesia Chuuk lagoon using CTAB method and phytochelatin synthase 1 (PCS1) gene was cloned using gene specific primers. Expression of PCS1 gene was increased 1.91 fold and 2.72 fold in mangrove propagules exposed to 100 ppb Cd and 10 ppb Cu, respectively. These results indicate that expression of PCS1 gene are promising tools for health assessment of mangrove ecosystem.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 1997

Mercury- and cadmium-resistant bacteria were Isolated from an Industrial complex wastewater of Taejon area. All of them were motile, gram negative rods. In the results of physicochemical test and VITEK card test. HM1 was Identified with Achetobacter cd- coaceucus, CM3 was Identified 65 Commonas acidovorns, HM2, HM3, CMI , and CM4 were Pseudomonas sp., but HM4 and CM2 were unidenteed. They were tested for subceptlbility to 14 heavy metals. Mercury-resistant bacteria(HM1, HM2, HM3, and HM4) were sensitive to low concentration(100~400ppm) of $Cd^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$. $Zn^{2+}$, and Ni2+, while cadmium-resistant bacteria(CM1, CM2, CM3, and CM4) showed resistance up to the high concentration(600~ 1, 200ppm) of these metal loons. As a result of resistance spectrum test of mercury-resistant bacteria, HM1 was broad-spectrum strain, HM2. HM3, and HM4 were narrow-spectrum stratas. Transmission electron microscopic examination of cell wall of HM1 culture grown with and without 100ppm of $HgCl_2$ showed remarkably merphological abnormalities. In the result of atomic absorption spectrometric analysis of cadmium-resistant bacteria grown at 200ppm of $CdCl_2$ for 6h, all of them accumulated cadrnium(14ppm~57ppm) In cell. In cadinium-resistant bacteria, CM1, CM2, and CM4 were spared from the Inhibitory effect of $Cd^{2+}$ by the addition of $Mn^{2+}$, CM4 were also spared from the Inhibitory effect of $Cd^{2+}$ by the addition of $Mn^{2+}$ as well as $Zn^{2+}$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2005

This study focuses on investigating roles of microorganisms in decontamination of reed rhizosphere in Sunchon Bay, Korea, which is considered one of the marsh and mud environment severely affected by human activities such as agriculture and fisheries. In general, the bay is known to play the role of the buffering zone to reduce the sudden impact or change by environmental stresses. In our initial efforts to elucidate the microbial functions in decontamination process in reed rhizosphere, pure bacteria capable of degrading aromatic hydrocarbons were isolated from reed (Phragmites communis) rhizosphere of Sunchon bay by enrichment culture using either benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylene (BTEX) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Measurement of the rates of BTEX degradation and cell growth during the incubation in BTEX media under several temperature conditions demonstrated maximized degradation of BTEX at $37^{\circ}C$ in both strains. Both strains were also resistant to all the heavy metals and antibiotics tested in this study, as well as they grew well at $42^{\circ}C$. Identification of the isolates based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, and a variety of phenotypic and morphologic properties revealed that the two strains capable of BTEX catabolism were among Microbacterium sp., and Rhodococcus sp. with over $95{\%}$ confidence, designated Microbacterium sp. EMB-1 and Rhodococcus sp. EMB-2, respectively This result suggested that in the rhizosphere of reed, one of major salt marsh plants they might play an important roles in decontamination process of reed rhizosphere contaminated with petroleum such as BTEX.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.593-600
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• 1999

The survival rates of Littorina brevicula exposed to experimental concentration regimes of TBTCl, HB and Cd on the large and the small size individuals during 80 days were $80\%$ at 0,9ppb TBTCl, 40 and $25\%$, respectively at 200ppb Hg, and 75 and $45\%$, respectively at 100ppb Cd. The growth rates of the experimental animals exposed to each concentration for 80 days was 0.023mm/day at control, 0.019mm/day at 0.1ppb and 0.014mm/day at 0.9ppb TBTCl, 0.022 mm/day at 5ppb, 0.008 mm/day at 200ppb Hg, and 0.017 mm/day at 5ppb, 0.008mm/day at 100ppb Cd. The respiration rates and excretion rates of the experimental animals exposed to chronic concentration of TBTCl, Hg and Cd were decreased until approximatively 40 days and increased after, Toxic effect of pollutants on L. brevicula was highest at TBTCl. The histological injury of L. brevicula exposed to TBTCl, Hg and Cd was shown at gill, digestive organ and muscle, respectively.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2008

A series of experiments were conducted to find standard test organisms and to develop test protocols for sediment toxicity tests using indigenous amphipods inhabited in Korean coastal environments. The indigenous amphipods Mandibulophoxus mai and Monocorophium acherusicum were well associated with various sediment substrates from sand to mud. The tolerance limits to various physico-chemical factors affecting bioassay results such as temperature, salinity and total ammonium as well as the sensitivities to contaminants in water and sediments were investigated using M. mai and M. acherusicum in the present study. These amphipods were tolerable to the adequate ranges of salinity ($10{\sim}30\;psu$), temperature ($10{\sim}25^{\circ}C$) and ammonia (<50 ppm). They have relevant sensitivities to the reference toxicants, dissolved cadmium as well as other metals and organic pollutants, when compared to the standard test species used in other countries. Field-sediment toxicity tests revealed that M. mai would be more sensitive to sediment-associated pollutants than M. acherusicum, while the sensitivity of M. acherusicum was comparable to those of other sediment test species in other countries. Overall results of this first attempt to develop an amphipod sediment toxicity test protocol in Korea indicated that M. mai and M. acherusicum should be applicable in the toxicity assessment of contaminated sediments, following the further evaluation encompassing various ecological and toxicological evaluation and the standardization of test method.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.535-548
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• 1994

Community structures and fish densit were investigated on three different types of artificial reefs, dice, turtle artificial reef and tubes, constructed in the Korean waters. Variations of fish fauna according to type of artificial reef and the proper artificial reef in each area for optimizing harvest were discussed. Fish were captured by trammel gill net during May, June, September and November, 1988 and both identified and counted. Fourty-five fish species were found in the artificial reefs. Of these, Sebastes spp., Hexagrammos otakii, Pleuronectidae, Navodon modestus and Stephanolepis cirrhifer showed high occurrence-frequency. The dominant species groups were coastal settlement, demersal or rock fishes such as Pleuronectidae, Rajiformes, Stephanolepis cirrhifer, Navodon modestus, Hexagrammos otakii and Sebastes spp. in all of the Artificial reefs except the oceanic area of southern waters. Scomber japonicus was predominant in the oceanic area of southern waters. Composition of demersal, rock and pelagic fishes were different depending on the types of artificial reef. Dice artificial reefs were occupied by rock fish, on the other hand turtle artificial reefs were dominated by dermersal fish. Fish density was high at the dice artificial reef in all survey areas except the middle area of Eastern waters, with high fish density evident in the Tube artificial reef. Fish community structures were remarkably different between Dice and Turtle artificial reefs. The Tube artificial reef showed intermediate characteristics between the above two types of artificial reefs. The coastal areas of Southern waters and the middle and southern areas of Western waters revealed similar fish fauna. Results from the oceanic areas of Southern waters were well associated with the middle and southern areas of Eastern waters.