• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2009

This study documented and diagnosed the status and problems of coastal dredging and offshore disposal of dredged sediments in South Korea to improve assessment procedures for marine environmental impacts and develop effective management systems. A total of $729({\times}10^6)m^3$ of coastal sediment was dredged in the harbors during the period of 2001-2008. Most of dredged sediment was disposed to the land dumping sites whereas ocean disposal accounted for less than 5%. Ocean disposal areas were especially concentrated to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the southeast of Busan, which is not only an important fishing area for fishermen, but also considered to be spawning and nursery ground for some commercial fish species. To minimize negative impacts of dredging and ocean disposal of coastal sediment on marine ecosystem and potential strife among coastal users, we suggest 1) in development projects involving ocean disposal, it should be mandatory to propose careful reuse plans in the land, and 2) guidelines of environmental assessment and consequence management programs should be developed and implemented.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.691-704
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• 2020

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has designated 17 species as harmful marine organisms with the purpose of managing harmful marine species that threaten health and property. In designating and managing harmful marine species, detailed and effective regulations were originally established in November 2015, and a minor amendment of the directive was published in 2019 - Directive on Designating and Managing Marine Ecosystem Invasive Species and Harmful Marine Species (hereinafter, the Directive). Thus, this study had two aims: Firstly, to increase public awareness of the harmful marine species management system run by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries via description of the present harmful marine species risk assessment system. Secondly, to improve the current risk assessment system by providing policy suggestions developed through review of the present harmful marine species designation and management system. In so doing, this study reviewed the 'harmful marine species - harmfulness risk assessment system' in both the definitions of "risk" and "assessment". As a result, the present definition of 'risk' adequately fulfills the policy aims on the Regulation of Marine Ecosystem, which includes an economic value. However, it seems that there is a loophole in the rules of risk assessment, lacking terms of reference in the definition of "risk". Moreover, with regards to risk assessment, a quantitative risk assessment system was sufficient but lacked elements of qualitative risk, suggesting future research in this area may prove useful in the management of harmful marine species.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Right after the 2007 Hebei Spirit Oil Spill phytoplankton ecosystems were investigated for 11 years based on the seasonal monitoring of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton species. Comparable time-series data from the 1989 Exxon Valdez or the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill sites were not available. It was suggested that the ecological healthiness of phytoplankton ecosystems at EVOS sites had recovered after 10 years following the oil spill based on chlorophyll concentrations even though these concentrations only represented phytoplankton communities in most cases. Chlorophyll concentrations can only reflect limited aspects of highly complex phytoplankton ecosystems. During the last 11 years following the 2017 HSOS, extreme variabilities were met in the seasonally averaged ratios of diatoms to phototrophic flagellates including dinoflagellates based on the microscopic cell countings. Summer phytoplankton communities exhibited some cyclic interannual changes in dominant groups every 2-4 years. During the early years (2008-2010) cryptophytes or raphidophytes (Chattonella spp.) dominated alternately each year, which was repeated again in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Two thecate dinoflagellates, Tripos fusus and Tripos furca, together accounted for 52.5% and 50.0% of all organisms in the summers of 2011 and 2012, respectively, which was repeated again in 2018. Summer occurrence and dominance by the phototrophic flagellates including HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) species as well as their interannual variabilities in the oil spill sites could be utilized as markers for the stable and long-term management of healthy ecosystems. For this type of scientific ecosystem management monitoring of chlorophyll concentrations may sometimes be insufficient to gain a proper and comprehensive understanding of phytoplankton communities located in areas where oil spills have occurred and harmed the ecosystem.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.236-239
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• 2020

Pelagic tunicate, Thetys vagina Tilesius, 1802, is newly reported from Korean waters. The genus Thetys Tilesius, 1802 is also first recorded as Korean fauna. Thetys vagina is the only valid species in the genus Thetys. It is distinct from other genera by having at least 16 body muscles widely interrupted, no anterior proboscis, bent alimentary canal in the solitary oozooid, and five narrow body muscles, no ventral peduncle, an almost compact loop alimentary canal in the aggregate blastozooids. The specimens of T. vagina examined in this study were collected at the subtidal zone of Ulleung-do Island by scuba diving. In this paper, the detailed descriptions and photographs of both the solitary and aggregate living forms of T. vagina are provided.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.347-370
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• 2013

A study on the presence of benthic dinoflagellates in the intertidal zone along the coasts of Jeju Island, Korea was conducted during 2011 and 2012. Identification and taxonomic observations were made of the benthic dinoflagellate samples using light and epifluorescence microscopy. Thirty-seven dinoflagellate taxa belong to five orders, nine families, 18 genera and 30 species, which are new records for Korean waters, were detected in this study. The detailed nomenclature, references, distribution, and illustrations are presented here. The commonly occurring genera were Amphidinium, Coolia, Ostreopsis, Prorocentrum, and Thecadinium. Among the recorded species, 26 were found only in sand sediment, seven in macroalgal samples, and four were found in both sand and macroalgal samples. Of the 37 species, nine were potentially toxic. These results suggest that diversified benthic dinoflagellates including several potentially toxic species occur in sand sediment and macroalgae in the intertidal zone along the coasts of Jeju Island. The morphological features of the identified species were more or less similar to observations made by previous studies in Korea and elsewhere. The presence of known toxic species may indicate a potential risk of toxicity in the marine ecosystem of Jeju Island. The present study can be helpful for further detailed taxonomic, toxicological, molecular phylogenetic studies and may help in the management and conservation of Jeju Island's marine ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.449-461
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• 2023

The aim of this study was to conduct an ecosystem-based fishery risk assessment of tuna fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean. We selected gillnet, purse seine, hand line, baitboat, and longline fisheries as the target fisheries method, and selected longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol), narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (T. albacares), bigeye tuna (T. obesus), albacore tuna (T. alalunga) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) as the target species. The risk score for the size at the first capture in sustainability objective was high, especially, for the purse seine and baitboat fisheries using the fish aggregating devices (FADs). The risk score for the bycatch in the biodiversity objective was high for the gillnet fishery, and the gillnet fisheries using FADs showed high risks for the habitat quality objective due to the loss of the fishing gears. With regards to the socio-economic benefits objective, the risk score of the sales profits was low due to high sales of the tuna fisheries. The ecosystem risk score in the Western Indian Ocean was estimated to be moderate, although management is required for some of the indicators that have high-risk scores.

• Proceedings of the Korean Aquaculture Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.368-369
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• 2004

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.589-600
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• 2022

Longline fishery targeting tunas and tuna-like species is known to produce a significant amount of catch not only for the target species, but also for ecologically related species like sharks, marine turtles, sea birds and marine mammals. Recognizing this seriousness, tuna related regional fisheries management organizations (t-RFMOs) have established conservation and management measures (CMMs) to reduce bycatch and/or interaction with ecosystem vulnerable species including sea turtles and are obliged to implement bycatch mitigation measures and guidelines on safe release to their member countries. Along with development and strengthening of those measures, various case studies have been conducting to verify the effectiveness of bycatch mitigation for ecologically related species. This study examines the background and progress on developing CMMs of t-RFMOs and regulation programs of the United States related to sea turtles, which have recently become one of the main issues, and reviews case studies on sea turtle bycatch mitigation measures to find out the effectiveness of reducing bycatch rate and impacts to the fisheries. In order to respond the consultation process on certification determination with the United States, it was confirmed the current status of implementation on related measures conducted by Korean tuna longline fishery based on scientific observer data and survey for captains. Even though all Korean tuna longline fleets belong to the deep-set longline fishery (100-300m), which is not subject to the obligation of those mitigation measures, they are voluntarily implementing both measures, use of circle hook and whole finfish bait, regardless of which RFMO's Convention area they operate. And the national regulatory and management programs for sea turtle bycatch prevention adopted by Republic of Korea seems to be comparable in effectiveness to that of the United Stated. However, Korea needs to take preemptive measures in establishing sustainable fisheries, including the protection of the marine ecosystem and environment, as stronger requests are anticipated to be made by the international community on this matter.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.253-261
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• 2015

The chemical water quality and fish assemblage of Dong Stream to assessment of environmental improvement after discharge seawater were investigated from July to December 2013. BOD and DO were significantly different between before and after discharge seawater, while pH and SS did not significant. A total of 11 fish species, 218 individuals and 10,525.1g were collected. Dominant fish species were Mugil cephalus, Konosirus punctatus, Acanthogobius flavimanus and Leiognathus nuchalis which account for 77.5% of total individuals collected, and they were estuarian species. Peak number of species and individuals, and biomass occurred in September, whereas diversity index were highest in November. The water ecosystem of Dong Stream have been changed estuarian environment. As a result of stream assessment on water quality and ecosystem, water quality have been improved as 'III' grade. These results suggested that stream restoration policies such as drain pipes maintenance, management of pollution sources and riverbed dredging to improve environment and recover habitate of Dong Stream were need for set up and establishment of regular monitoring system.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.217-219
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• 2006

This study focused an water quality response to land-based pollution loads and the appropriate pollutant load reduction in Chinhae Bay using an eco-hydrodynamic model. Land-based discharge foam urban areas, industrial complex and sewage treatment plant was the greatest contributor to cause red-tide blooms and summer hypoxia. Tidal currents velocity af the ebb tide was about 10 cm/s stronger than that of the flood tide. A residual current was simulated to. have a slightly complicated pattern with ranging from 0.1 to. 2.7 cm/s. In Masan Bay, pollutant materials cannot flaw from the inner to the outer bay easily because af residual currents flaw southward at surface and northward at the bottom. The simulation results of COD distribution showedhigh concentrations aver 3 mg/L in the inner part of Masan Bay related pollutant discharge, and charge, and lower levels less than 1.5mg/L in the central part of Chinhae Bay. For improvement water quality in Chinhae Bay, it is necessary to reduce the organic and inorganic loads from paint sources by mare than 50% and ameliorate severe polluted sediment.