• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2022

Benthic animals are important indicators in benthic environmental quality assessment. This study investigated the environmental characteristics and the distribution pattern of benthic animals, and assessed the benthic ecosystem using AMBI (AZTI's marine biotic index) and WQI (water quality index) in the subtidal zone of Muan bay. Samplings were collected from 10 stations in the subtidal zone of Muan bay on summer. In the upper area of Muan bay, grain size was finer and organic content was higher than those of in the lower area. The pollution indicator organism such as Musculista senhousia, Theora fragilis and Lumbrineris longifolia were dominant at some stations. The benthic community was distinguished into three groups of upper, center and lower area of Muan bay, and which were coincided with the results by correlation analysis between organic matter content and benthic health assessment (WQI and AMBI). As a result of this study, the health condition of the subtidal zone in Muan bay were good. However, from the results that benthic animals were not evenly distributed, and also the opportunistic species appeared, the load of organic matter in Muan bay seems to be increasing.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2017

Macrobenthos composes the dominant biomass at the mudflat and play an important role in the maintenance of the benthic environments. Organic matter in sedimentary environment affects habitat, feeding behaviors, and survival of benthos. In this study, the relationship between organic matter content in sediment and the distribution of macrobenthos was discussed at two margins (Mokpo and Aphae area) in the mouth of Muan bay. Sediment TOC was higher at Mokpo than at Aphae through the four seasons, and the pollution indicator organism Musculista senhousia was dominant in this area. The macrobenthos distribution was clearly divided into two areas correlated with sediment organic matter content in the mouth of Muan bay.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.128-136
• /
• 2000

To understand the variation and transport pattern of suspended matters, salinity, tidal current and suspended matters in semiclosed Muan Bay have been monitored during winter and summer. The suspended matters show considerably seasonal variations with low concentration and homogeneity in the water column during winter season, but with high concentration and layering during summer season. Particularly, during summer season, the freshwater and the suspended matters influxed by the gate operation of the Youngsan River sea-dike are transported northward in accordance with the would flow into the inner-bay by relaxed flood currents after the construction of sea-dike and sea-walls in the Mokpo coastal zone. But, in the south bay-mouth, those matters outflow through the bay-mouth, resulting from tidal ebb dominance and asymmetry in the west bay-mouth. The residual suspended matter flux is much higher in the south bay-mouth(-0.0955kg/m ${\cdot}$ sec) than that of west bay-mouth(0.0078kg1m ${\cdot}$ sec). Accordingly, The Muan Bay is interpreted as erosion-dominated environments, and the erosion somewhat progresses in the intertidal flat of the bay.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.10-21
• /
• 2009

Muan Bay has extensively undertaken artificial influences through a series of construction of dams and dykes nearby resulting in a substantial increase in highest high water level. To unravel sedimentary responses to the water level rise, we collected a number of surface sediment samples and hydrodynamic data from in-situ observations of tidal currents in Muan Bay in 1998 and 2007. Comparison of the data between 1998 and 2007 shows that the relative content of coarse fractions, sand and gravel, in the sediment samples has increased with a decreased mean size, on average, from 6.2 to 5.8${\phi}$ at the expense of silt contents. Such a coarsening trend, which is more evident around high water level, particularly on the tidal flats of Dongam-ri, Guro-ri and Aphae-do, is most likely attributable to rising water level. On the other hand, an increase of fine fractions locally in the western entrance of the bay can be explained with changes in characteristics of tidal currents imposed by construction of bridges therein, such as decreased velocities and varied direction and phase of the tidal currents.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2012

We investigated seasonal changes in the mesozooplankton community structure in November 2006 and February, May, and August 2007 at 12 stations in the semi-enclosed Muan Bay, Korea. Forty taxa were sampled, with an average abundance ranging from 1,459 to 20,078 indiv. $m^{-3}$; the highest abundance was detected in August 2007, and the lowest in February 2007. Acartia omorii, A. hudsonica, A. ohtsukai, Bestiolina coreana, Calanopia sp., Paracalanus parvus s. l., Cirripedia larvae, Decapoda larvae, and Gastropoda larvae were the most abundant taxa detected. The species diversity of the mesozooplankton was high around the inner regions in August 2007 but it was relatively low in November 2006. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) revealed significant differences in the structure of mesozooplankton community among the seasons. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), performed to examine the relationships among dominant taxa, stations, and environmental variables, showed that most species of copepods were positively correlated with temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, and COD concentration. Our results suggested that the mesozooplankton community structure observed in this study might be affected partly by the seasonal changes in environmental variables, such as the status of the sluice gates (i.e., open or closed) and the in situ production of resting eggs by major copepods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.170-179
• /
• 2020

Tidal asymmetry would occur owing to shallow water tides at the Western Coast of macro tidal area. Especially, as ebb dominance of Mokpo coastal zone is known as the most prominent in Korea, it had been studied by domestic researchers. The cause of ebb dominance in Mokpo area is considered due to extensive inter-tidal zone in Muan Bay, and this has been studied based on amplification ratio, relative phase and skewness of tide/tidal flow curves in order to analyze qualitative tidal asymmetry. Furthermore, it was possible to figure out tidal characteristics with the difference of tidal amplitude and phase with Mokpo Harbor by observing the tide for 15 days in Muan Bay, which showed 40 minutes shorter ebbing time than at Mokpo Harbor. In addition, tidal flow prediction data in Mokpo North Harbor and Mokpo-Gu were analyzed. Meanwhile, the basis regarding qualitative interpretation of bed sediment and suspended sediment was provided by examining the qualitative changes in tidal asymmetry for spring-neap tidal cycle through the PCA/SWA indices. In addition, by examining long-term changes of ebb dominance in Mokpo Port, tidal characteristics of the past, present and future in this area, which is related to tidal asymmetry, is also provided.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.30-39
• /
• 2001

To consider the distribution of the surface sediments and sedimentary processes in tidal flat after the construction of sea-walls in the semiclosed Muan Bay, the southwest coast of Korea, studies on the sediments and sedimentation rates along two transect lines from February 1999 to March 2000 were carried out. The surface sediments in the bay are classified into 5 facies on the basis of textural parameters. The gravelly sediments including the cobbles and pebbles deposited in the bay-mouth are relic sediments which are formed in nearshore and fluvial environments at the low stand of sea level. In addition, it is considered that the muddy sediments widely distributed on the tidal flat might be originated from suspended matter transported from several rivers and/or offshore. Although the sedimentation rates on the tidal flat vary with season, their estimation rates are -8.9 mm/yr on Line-GR and -48.9 mm/yr on Line-YH, respectively. The erosion-dominated processes in the tidal flat would be caused by strengthened ebb tides due to the decrease of tidal choking at Mokpogu and the migration of tidal currents at the bay-mouth. The hydrodynamical changes mentioned above are interpreted to be occurred after/before the construction of sea-dike/sea-walls in coastal zone of Mokpo.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.121-127
• /
• 2023

The study was performed in order to understand the association between organic matter content in the sediments and the distribution of macrobenthos in the intertidal zone of the Muan bay. The sediment samples obtained from 21 sampling sites in August 2019 were analyzed for sediment composition and organic matter content (Ignition loss; IL and Total organic carbon; TOC). Further the macro benthos was sorted and enumerated. The sediments of inner area of bay has coarser composition where mouth part of bay, the sediments were predominantly silty. The highest organic matter content (both of IL and TOC) was measured at station 10 located near the Mokpo area while the lowest values was measured at station 20 adjacent to the north side of the bay. The 4 most abundant species accounted for more than 10% of all specimens were Assiminea sp., Musculista senhousia, Cerithideopsilla cingulate and Heteromastus filiformis. The maximum number of species and density were observed at station 10. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) allow identification of four benthic assemblages based on species abundance. The correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the density with TOC. Based on the analysis; it was found that the distribution of macrobenthos varied with the differences in sediment composition and organic matter content.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
• /
• 2008.04a
• /
• pp.31-33
• /
• 2008

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2011

To understand characteristics of the water quality on the coastal boundary on tidal flat, field observations between 2008 and 2009 were undertaken twice a month at five coastal areas (Muan bay, Tando bay, Hampyeong bay, Shinan Jido and Yeongkwang coastal areas). Yearly water temperature difference was large with the range between $1.3^{\circ}C$ and $31.1^{\circ}C$. Salinity was about 32 but was the lower less than 20 for the heavy rainfall season. DO was high in winter and low in summer according to the variation of water temperature. pH represented the variation similar to DO. Suspended solid was averagely high over 100 mg/l in Yeongkwang coastal area, especially. COD did not revealed large variation with the value of about 1 mg/l. DIN and DIP concentration were high when freshwater was highly input in summer. DIN concentration was low for winter and early spring but DIP concentration did not show the seasonal variation with the continuous increase from July 2009 to December 2009. Chlorophyll a appeared high for spring with approximately $10\;{\mu}g/l$ and was higher for summer in Yeongkwang coastal area than other sites. The results of principal component analysis conducted to compare the characteristics of water quality observed in study areas showed the distinguishable features as follows. The freshwater input fluctuation appeared as the first factor in Muan and Tando bays, and the change of water temperature was the first factor in Shinan Jido and Yeongkwang coastal areas. The influence mixed with the variation of freshwater outflow and the change of water temperature in Hampyeong bay was to be the first factor.