• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2016

Isotocin (IT), a nonapeptide homolog of oxytocin in mammals, has been suggested to be involved in physiological processes including social behaviors, stress responses, and osmoregulation in teleost fish. To study its structure and function, the gene encoding the IT precursor was cloned from the genomic DNA and brain cDNA of the cinnamon clownfish, Amphiprion melanopus. The IT precursor gene consists of three exons separated by two introns, and encodes an open reading frame of 156 amino acid (aa) residues, comprising a putative signal peptide of 19 aa, a mature IT protein of 9 aa, a proteolytic processing site of 3 aa, and 125 aa of neurophysin. Tissue-specific analysis of the IT precursor transcript indicated its expression in the brain and gonads of A. melanopus. To examine its osmoregulatory effects, the salinity of the seawater (34 ppt) used for rearing A. melanopus was lowered to 15 ppt. Histological analysis of the gills indicated the apparent disappearance of an apical crypt on the surface of the gill lamella of A. melanopus, as pavement cells covered the surface upon acclimation to the lower salinity. The level of Na⁺/K^+-ATPase activity in the gills was increased during the initial stage of acclimation, followed by a decrease to its normal level, suggesting its involvement in osmoregulation and homeostasis. The only slight increase in the level of IT precursor transcript in the A. melanopus brain upon low-salinity acclimation suggested that IT played a minor role, if any, in the process of osmoregulation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.118-126
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• 2019

Background: Government conducts environmental radioactivity surveillance for verification purpose around nuclear facilities based on the Nuclear Safety Law and issues a surveillance report every year. This study aims to evaluate the short and the long-term fluctuation of radionuclides detected above MDC and their origins using concentration ratios between these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: Sample media for verification surveillance are air, rainwater, groundwater, soil, and milk for terrestrial samples, and seawater, marine sediment, fish, and seaweed for marine samples. Gamma-emitting radionuclides including $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, $^3H$, and $^{14}C$ are evaluated in these samples. Results and Discussion: According to the result of the environmental radioactivity verification surveillance in the vicinity of nuclear power facilities in 2017, the anthropogenic radionuclides were not detected in most of the environmental samples except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples. Radioactivity concentration ratios between the anthropogenic radionuclides ($^{137}Cs/^{90}Sr$, $^{137}Cs/^{239+240}Pu$, $^{90}Sr/^{239+240}Pu$) were similar to those reported in the environmental samples, which were affected by the global fallout of the past nuclear weapon test, and Pu atomic ratios ($^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$) in the terrestrial sample and marine sample showed significant differences due to the different input pathway and the Pu source. Radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) was detected at the range of < $5.6-190mBq{\cdot}kg-fresh^{-1}$ in the gulfweed and sea trumpet collected from the area of Kori and Wolsong intake and discharge. A high level of $^3H$ was observed in the air (Sangbong: $0.688{\pm}0.841Bq{\cdot}m^{-3}$) and the precipitation (Meteorology Post: $199{\pm}126Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$) samples of the Wolsong nuclear power plant (NPP). $^3H$ concentration in the precipitation and pine needle samples showed typical variation pattern with the distance and the wind direction from the stack due to the gaseous release of $^3H$ in Wolsong NPP. Conclusion: Except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples, anthropogenic radionuclides were below MDC in most of the environmental samples. Overall, no unusual radionuclides and abnormal concentration were detected in the 2017's surveillance result for verification. This research will be available in the assessment of environment around nuclear facilities in the event of radioactive material release.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2022

The present study investigated the survival rate, respiration rate, plasma stress index, and histological changes according to exposure time of cultured red seabream (Pagrus major) and olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed to Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tide. Fish cultured in natural seawater were used as the control group. Cochlodinium polykrikoides density was set to 5,500±200 cells·ml^-1 in the experimental groups. All red seabreams died within 1 hour of exposure to red tide, whereas all olive flounders died within 5 hours of exposure. Analysis of physiological response revealed that in red seabream, plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) concentrations were increased; plasma glucose and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration were decreased. Meanwhile, in olive flounders, plasma cortisol, GOT, and GPT concentrations were increased; plasma glucose concentrations were increased during the first hour of exposure, followed by decrease after 5 hours; and plasma SOD, CAT, and GPx concentrations decreased during the first hour of exposure. Histological analysis revealed structural damage to the gills of both red seabream and olive flounder. In conclusion, the exposure of red seabream and olive flounder to Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tide at the density of 5,500 cells·ml^-1 induces oxidative stress, which activates antioxidant defense mechanisms, ultimately leading to liver and gill damage.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2022

Transport is essential in the farming process of farmed fish and is one of the physical stress factors such as sorting. The effect of water temperature and anesthesia during low salinity transport was confirmed. In the experimental group, the water temperature was set to 20℃ (natural water temperature, NWT), 15℃ (cooling water temperature, CWT) respectively, in water with a salinity concentration of 35‰, 15‰ and an anesthetic (anesthesia, Anes., Sigma USA) was diluted and mixed to 50 ppm. A styrofoam box (66×42×20 cm) was used as a transport container, and 8 flounder were accommodated and transported in a plastic bag injected with 3 ℓ of seawater and liquid oxygen. As a result of the study, the concentration of cortisol before transport increased significantly from 2.4±0.1 ng ml^-1 in the experimental groups except for the CWT+35‰ group (16.7±12.8 ng ml-1). The K⁺ concentration slightly increased from 3.1±0.0 mEq l^-1 before transport to 4.5±1.1 mEq l^-1 in the NWT+15‰ group, showing no difference, and significantly increased in all other experimental groups. There was no effect on changes in blood characteristics, and water temperature and anesthetic had a negative effect on osmotic control due to stress. AST and ALT were not affected.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2001

The effects of sudden changes of water temperature (WT) on the stress response and physiological change of the cultured olive flounder in large (FL) and small (FS) size, and fat cod (FC) were examined by manipulating WT (2 types) in a flow through seawater culture system with 6 tanks (water vol. 270 L/tank). The WT was decreased from $20^{\circ}C$ to $10^{\circ}C$ within 5 hours ($2^{\circ}C/hour$) and maintained at $10^{\circ}C$ for 21 hours (Exp. I), and it was raised from $20^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$ within 5 hours and maintained at $30^{\circ}C$ for 21 hours (Exp.II). In Exp. I, the levels of blood hematocrit at 5 hours ($10^{\circ}C$) in FS was significantly decreased from $13.5\pm2.0\%\;to\;11.3\pm2.3\%$, but FC at 2.5 hours ($15^{\circ}C$) ($19.0\pm0.3\%\;to\;23.2\pm3.8\%$) was increased, The blood hemoglobin concentration of all fish in Exp, II was significantly increased until 8 hours after raising WT from $20^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$. In Exp. I and II , the levels of plasma cortisol in FL, FS and FC was changed from $5.2\pm8.5ng/mL,\;4.4\pm4.5ng/mL\;and\;2.7\pm0.4ng/mL$, respectively, before sudden drop and rise of WT. The levels of plasma cortisol of in FL ($164.0\pm53.1ng/mL$) and FC ($207.9\pm25.4ng/mL$) were significantly increased by the lowering WT sharply during whole experiment. The FL ($12.6\pm2.0ng/mL$) and FS ($4.0\pm3.9ng/mL$) showed no significant differences in cortisol level according to sudden rise of WT (5 hours). But it in FC ($44.7\pm18.2ng/mL$) was increased. In Exp. I, the plasma glucose levels of all fish groups were decreased after 5 hours ($10^{\circ}C$), The plasma lactic acid concentration of FL and FS showed no significant differences until 5 hours after raising WT from $20^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$, But it in FC was significantly increased with WT raise.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2007

To investigate the cause of the mass mortality during rockbream, Oplegnathus fasciatus seed production, the water quality and bacterial counts of sea water in breeding tanks was measured 20days post the hatch. During breeding of rockbream fry, the environmental factors of water quality were detected as pH, ammonia COD, phosphate at the supply of the food organisms and the seawater. pH was decreased from the 8.21 of the 1 day per hatch (dph) to 7.56 of the on the 7 dph. Ammonia was conversely increased 0.49 ppm of the 1 dph to 0.85 ppm of 10 dph. As the adding of the chlorella and the rotifer tanks, COD was increased the 3.3 times and 1.2 times than those of pre-adding respectively. The phosphate and the ammonia were also increased 1.7 and 2.3 times, with adding the chlorella respectively, which exceeded the second grade for sea water evaluation level, 0.015 ppm and 0.1 ppm respectively. Water quality was not improved by PSB (Photosynthetic Bacteria) treatment, which increased the value of COD in 1.7 times, phosphate in 2.7 times and ammonia in 1.4 times. The number of the bacteria was also increased along the dph. According to the treatment of chlorella, the number of total bacteria increased in 1.4 times and those of Vibrio sp. 1.6 times. The lethal concentration of ammonia was investigated that over than 10 ppm could killed the fry of rockbream within 28 hrs, but 40% in 2 ppm.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 2018

Ballast water treated by sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) injection method in ballast water management system (BWMS) contains reactive bromine, chlorine species and disinfection by-products (DBPs). In this study, we conducted whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing and ecological risk assessment (ERA) to investigate its ecotoxicological effects on the marine environment. WET testing was carried out for eight marine and fresh water organisms, i.e. diatom, Skeletonema costatum, Navicula pelliculosa, green algae, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, Brachionus calyciflorus and fish, Cyprinodon variegatus, Pimephales promelas. The WET test revealed that diatom and green algae were the only organisms that showed apparent toxicity to the effluent; it showed no observed effect concentration (NOEC), lowest observable effect concentration (LOEC) and effect concentration of 50 % (EC50) values of 25.0 %, 50.0 % and over 100.0 %, respectively, in seawater conditions. In contrast, rotifer and fish showed no toxicities to the effluent in the all salinity conditions. Meanwhile, chemical analysis revealed that the BWMS effluent contained total of 25 DBPs such as bromate, isocyanuric acid, formaldehyde, chloropicrin, trihalomethanes (THMs), halogenated acetonitriles (HANs) and halogenated acetic acids (HAAs). Based on ERA, the 25 DBPs were not considered to have persistency, bioaccumulation and toxicity (PBT) properties. The ratio of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of the all DBPs did not exceed 1.0 for general harbour environments, but isocyanuric acid, tribromomethane, chloropicrin and monochloroacetic acid exceed 1.0 for near ship environments. However, when NOEC (25.0%) of the WET test results where actual effluent was applied, it was concluded that the NaDCC injection method did not have unacceptable ecological risks to the general harbor including near ship environments.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.501-508
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• 1994

This study was undertaken to get basic data for the cold-waterless transportation of live fish. The optimal cold temperature of plaice, Paralichthy olivaceus was determined by checking the changes of dissolved oxygen and ammonia in the sea water and the survival times during storage at various temperatures. After determination of optimal temperature for transportation, the changes of serum components and muscle components of live plaice were also carried out during storage at cold($5^{\circ}C$)-waterless conditions and the recovery conditions($10\%$ density at $15^{\circ}C$). At higher storage temperature, decreases in dissolved oxygen and the increases in ammonia in seawater were observed. In addition, the survival time was short at low temperature($0^{\circ}C\;and\;3^{\circ}C$). Almost all of the serum components(hemoglobin, glucose, LDH, GOT and GPT) of live plaice gradually increased during storage in cold-waterless conditions, and then those values decreased to the initial levels after $3{\sim}10hrs$ storage in conditions of recovery. The concentration of ATP in the muscle steadily decreased during storage in cold-waterless conditions. The contents of ADP and IMP seemed to be directly related to the extent of ATP breakdown. ADP and IMP thus showed a gradual increase during storage. The level of lactate in the muscles gradually increased during these storage times, also. On the other hand, the levels of those components in the muscle entirely recovered to their original levels within $3{\sim}6hrs$ storage after they were returned to conditions of recovery. The ratio of ATP to the ATP and its related compounds${ATP/(ATP+ADP+AMP+IMP){\times}100}$ in the muscle showed $45\%$ after 18hrs storage in cold-waterless conditions. Otherwise, ratios returned to their original levels within $3{\sim}6hrs$ of storage in recovery conditions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.84-98
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• 2022

Estuary is important in terms of biodiversity because it has the characteristics of transition waters, created by the mixing of fresh- and seawater. The estuarine water circulation provides a variety of habitats with different environments by inducing gradients in the chemical and physical environment, such as water quality and river bed structure, which are ultimately the main factors influencing biological community composition. If the water circulation is interrupted, the loss of brackish areas and the interception of migration of biological communities will lead to changes in the spatial distribution of biodiversity. In this study, among the sites covered by the Estuary Aquatic Ecosystem Health Assessment, we selected study sites where changes in biodiversity can be assessed by spatial gradient from the upper reaches of the river to the lower estuarine area. The α-, γ- and β-diversity of diatom, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish communities were calculated, and they were divided into open and closed estuary data and compared to determine the trends in biodiversity variation due to estuarine circulation. As results, all communities showed higher γ-diversity at open estuary sites. The benthic macroinvertebrate community showed a clear difference between open and closed estuaries in β-diversity, consequently the estuarine transects were considered as a factor that decreases spatial heterogeneity of their diversity among sites. The biodiversity trends analyzed in this study will be used to identify estuaries with low γ- and β-diversity by community, providing a useful resource for further mornitoring and management to maintain estuarine health.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.111-128
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• 1991

In puan area the environmental surveys were carried out at two farms of hard clam, Meretrix lusoria from April 1987 to November 1978 in order to know heather the farm environments could be rehabilitated for the cultivation of hard clam or not. The range of temperature of surface seawater was $10.7{\~}27.4^{\circ}C$, pH $7.6{\~}8.2$, salinity $22.3{\~}30.3$ ppt, COD $0.20{\~}4.71\;mg/{\ell}$, sulfide $0.04{\~}0.22\;{\mu}g-at./{\ell}$, suspended solid $34.8{\~}199.3\;mg/{\ell}$ chlorophyll a $3.71{\~}49.02\;mg/m^3$, TIN $2.01{\~}24.47\;{\mu}g-a5./{\ell}$, phosphate $0.60{\~}11.03\;{\mu}g-at./{\ell}$ and silicate $4.04{\~}476.36\;{\mu}g-at./{\ell}$. The range of temperature of substratum (bottom soil) was $14.2{\~}29.7^{\circ}C$, pH $8.3{\~}9.5$, water content of substratum was $0.28{\~}0.49\;mg/g$ dried mud, COD $2.80{\~}50.94\;mg/g$ dried mud, total organic matter $1.05{\~}1.97\%$ concentration of total Kjedhal nitrogen $31.9{\~}194.9\;{\mu}g./{\ell}$ dried mud, and sulfide $0.032{\~}0.133\;mg/g$ dried mud. Fine sand was dominant ranging over $92{\~}95\%$ and silt and clay was $2.8{\~}8.1\%$ of the composition of substratum. Some residual agricultural chemicals, ${\alpha},\;{\beta},\;{\gamma}$-BHC, heptachlor, heptachlor-epoxide, aldrin, DDE, DDT and dieldrin were detected in hard clams collected from Puan areas. Especialy, more chemical were detected during the period of rainfalls. From above results, it is considered that the hard clam frams were not yet recovered from deteriorated conditions for aquaculture.