• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.494-499
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• 2017

This study evaluated the abundance of fecal coliforms in oysters Crassostrea gigas, sea squirts Halocynthia roretzi and sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus in fisheries along the coast of Korea in 2014, and investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from these fishery products. The ranges of fecal coliforms found in oysters, sea squirts and sea cucumbers were <18-20, <18-330 and <18-3,300 MPN (most probable number)/100 g, respectively. Sea squirts contained the greatest range of E. coli (<20-140 MPN/100 g), followed by sea cucumbers (<20-130 MPN/100 g) and oysters (<20-20 MPN/100 g). A total of 26 strains of E. coli were isolated from 34 sea squirt, 25 sea cucumber and 13 oyster samples. Strains thus isolated were tested for their susceptibility to 22 antimicrobial agents used in Korea for medical or veterinary therapy. E. coli isolates showed the greatest resistance to ampicillin (84.6%), followed by trimethoprim (34.6%), nalidixic acid (34.6%), tetracycline (30.8%), pipemidic acid (26.9%), streptomycin (23.1%), chloramphenicol (23.1%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (23.1%), and gentamicin (15.4%). Resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent was present in 88.5% of E. coli isolates. Of the 26 isolated, six strains (23.1%) were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.64-79
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• 2015

We investigated the tidal current, hydrographic data, and benthic environment of major sea cucumber (Holothuroidea, de Blainville, 1834) habitats in Baengnyeongdo, Jindo and Uljin to understand the optimal environmental or ecological habitat for sea cucumbers. The three study areas were characterized by a cold-water mass of temperatures ranging $12{\sim}18^{\circ}C$, with an active circulation between the surface and deep waters. According to an analysis of the tidal current map, a strong flow velocity of $100{\sim}120cm\;s^{-1}$ appeared in Baengnyeongdo and Jindo. The three sea cucumber habitats showed the common characters of a bottom sediment composed of sand-silt, a diverse seaweed colony and benthic organisms, and boulders and rocks which provide a hideout for the organisms. We aimed to draw the optimal habitat condition for sea cucumbers in Korea, and the result showed that the low water temperature, rapid water flow, active vertical mixing between surface and deep waters, bottom composed by sand-silt, large rocks, and diverse seaweed colony and benthic organism were important factors. The optimal habitat for Juvenile sea cucumbers was the intertidal areas characterized by a muddy bottom, reef, and seaweed. The optimal habitat for adult sea cucumbers was characterized by a place where sand and mud are mixed, and the body size of the sea cucumber was proportional to water depth, and the relatively large boulders and rocks compared to the intertidal area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.202-213
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• 2014

The sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, is becoming an important aquaculture species in China, Japan and Korea. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biological performance of a tubular type of subsurface cage for sea cucumber grow-out by in-situ tests. The cage structure was constructed of PP (polypropylene) frames and PP tubes (${\phi}130mm{\times}24pieces$). A set of tests were conducted at a depth of 15 m near Seosaeng, Ulsan, Korea for 295 days (23 July, 2012 to 13 May, 2013). A total of 155 sea cucumbers were used and fed a mixed diet containing mud, mineral, wheat, fish meal, etc (3% of their body weight). At the end of the experiments, sea cucumber showed a higher survival rate in feed shelter (77.14%) rather than no feed shelter (64.71%). The specific growth rate (SGR) of sea cucumbers in feed condition (0.04% $day^{-1}$) was higher than that of no feed culture animals (-0.49% $day^{-1}$) during total experimental periods. The result was able to find a no significance difference in survival rate but a significance difference in SGR under feed and no feed treatments.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2018

We investigated the effects of environmental variations on the growth and survival rate of Stichopus japonicus to determine the optimum environmental conditions for its growth. Literature studies and a 12 month-long diver survey were carried out to understand the habitat, ecology and size of the surveyed area. Based on the collected data, we suggested optimum habitat conditions for releasing S. japonicus. Experiments on releasing S. japonicus were conducted in the breakwater of the Hwagye fishing cooperative in Hwagey-ri, Namhae-un, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. To implement the experiments, we divided the surveyed area into 4 sub-areas with different characteristics: (1) sand and silt zone; (2) artificial sea cucumber bank zone; (3) artificial rock bank zone; and (4) marine algae zone. The experiment lasted for 12 months. We released 32,000 sea cucumbers over $120m^2$ of each of the sand and silt zone, artificial rock bank zone and marine algae zone and released 6,000 sea cucumbers over $120m^2$ of the artificial sea cucumber bank zone. The average density of the released sea cucumbers from day 30 to day 360 after the releasing was conducted was the highest in the artificial sea cucumber bank zone ($23.7animal/m^2$), which was followed by artificial rock bank zone ($2.0animal/m^2$), marine algae zone ($1.9animal/m^2$) and sand and silt zone ($0.8animal/m^2$). The analysis on growth showed that the initial average weight of 2.3 g increased on day 360 after the releasing to 12.5 g in the artificial sea cucumber rank zone, 20.2 g in the sand and silt zone, 23.3 g in the artificial rock bank zone and 22.9 g in the marine algae zone. Results from the experiment along with the literature analysis suggest the following optimum habitat conditions: $10-15^{\circ}C$ water temperature; 28-34 psu salinity; 5-10 m water depth; 0.2-0.5 m/s velocity; rock, stone and muddy sand as substrate; and less than 20% mud in the substrate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 1997

To elucidate food value and medicinal effect of sea cucumbers, sugar composition of those gly-coprotein and chondroitin sulfate was studied. The contents of sulfate esters in sea cucumbers were 1.21%(blue), 0.90%(red) and 1.19%(black). Predominant carbohydrates were identified as fucose, glucose, D-mannuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine, and those amount was more than 80% to total carbo-hydrate, while the minor sugar composition was ribose, mannose, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine and D-glucuronic acid. Also, the major carbohydrate moiety of glycoproteins of sea cucumbers was revealed as fucose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, glucose and ribose, and those amount was more than 86% to total carbohydrate. Galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, D-glucuronic acid and mannuronic acid were minor carbohydrate moiety. The contents of sulfate esters in glycoproteins were 0.96% for blue sea cucumber, 1.15% for red sea cucumber and 1.13% for black sea cucumber, while those in chondroitin sulfates were 3.52%(blue), 3.60%(red) and 3.72%(black). The carbohydrate moiety of chondroitin sulfate was identified as N-acetylgalactosamine (73~ 87%), fucose (7~15%) and D-glucuronic acid(5~12%). As the base on the IR spectrum of strong absorption appeared in 1240$cm^{-1}$ / for stretching vibrations in S=0 group and weak absorptions in 850$cm^{-1}$ / and 820$cm^{-1}$ /for stretching vibrations in C-0-S group, chondroitin sulfates had sulfate group which was bound to $C_4$in fucose.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.132-136
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• 2014

Five sea cucumbers were collected from Gisamun and Gonghyeonjin of Gangwon-do, in the East Sea, Korea from 27 December 2009 to 14 November 2012. These specimens were classified as Synallactes nozawai Mitsukuri, 1912 belonging to the family Synallactidae of order Aspidochirotida based on morphological characteristics. The family, genus and species are recorded for the first time from Korea. The distinct morphological characteristics of this species are as follows: body flexible, with thin gelatinous body wall; presence of numerous tubercles along dorsal ambulacra table of body wall consisted of three- or four-armed disk and a spire-form pillar. This species usually inhabits the deep sea and is distributed in the Northwest Pacific from northern Japan to Bering Sea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.240-248
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• 1996

To clarify the potentiality of sea cucumbers as dietary food, the effects of those glycoprotein on dietary proteins and physicochemical properties of those proteins were studied. Crude glycoprotein was efficiently extracted using 20mM sodium phosphate beffer(pH 7.0) and by salting out with 80% ammoniym sulfate saturation. The fractions obtained through the DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography was identified as glycoprotein by Schiff's reagent and SDS polyacrylanide gel electro-phoresis. The yields of each glycoprotein from the three kinds of sea cucumbers were 0.814(red), 0.184(blue) and 0.232(black) and the molecular weights of the glycoproteins subunits were ranged from 20,000 dalton(blue and black) to 29,000 dalton(red), respectively. The electrophoretic patterns of the glycoprotein isolates were similar to each other and any significant difference in amino acid pattern was observed. Predominant arnino scids were Asx(aspartic acid and asparagine) and Glx(glutamic acid and glutamine) ; in contrast, histidine and methionine were below 2% as compared to total amino acids. water holding capacities of the glycoprotein isolates from red, blue and black cucumbers were equally 100% and emulsion activities ranged from 53% to 64%. In addition the emulsion stabilities were 7.04, 1.37 and 2.44, respectively. In vitro digestibility of some proteins(casein, SPI and squid) was decreased as increasing the level of the freeze dried sea cucumber powder and glycoprotein isolates. But squid protein was not affected.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2022

Sea cucumber, Aposticopus japonicus, is a major invertebrate species in the coastal regions of Korea. To evaluate the short-term stress levels according to the releasing methods, this study investigated the gene expression profiles of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. When the juvenile sea cucumbers were packed in the vinyl bag with oxygen followed by transportation for 30 min or air-exposed for 1 h, the HSP90 gene expression levels in the experimental groups were significantly increased compared to those of the control groups (transported group, p=0.001; air-exposed group, p=0.032). The experimental group at 6 h post-release by seed-spreading method and at 2~6 h post-release by underwater hose-releasing method on board a fishing boat showed that the levels of HSP90 gene expression were not statistically significant but decreased slightly compared to the control group (seed-spreading group, p=0.069; hose-releasing group, p=0.093). On the other hand, the HSP90 gene expression showed an increasing pattern as the time passed (~6 h) after underwater release of juvenile sea cucumbers by divers (p=0.061). These results suggest that HSP90 gene expression can be used to investigate short-term stress response and effective releasing methods of juvenile sea cucumbers.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2016

The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is a commercially valuable aquaculture species in Korea. Aquaculture species require specific nursery culture conditions to increase survival and growth rates. Sea cucumbers hibernate during the high temperatures of summer and during the low temperatures of winter, and suboptimal temperature conditions decrease sea cucumber growth and survival rates. The natural South Korean environment is very unfavorable for culturing sea cucumber; therefore, developing a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) capable of breeding and growing sea cucumber year-round is necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate growth performance of juvenile sea cucumber in a RAS. Growth and survival rates of juvenile sea cucumber were high during our 24-week experiment. Sea cucumber survival rates were 87.8-93.3%, and specific growth rates were 0.4689-0.7846.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.530-530
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• 2000

The host defense system or immune system of all modern animals has their roots in very ancient organisms. After analyzing literature data concerning properties of invertebrates and vertebrates lectins we suggest that mechanism of mannans recognition may exist in marine invertebrates, as a universal mechanism for homeostasis maintenance and host defense, and mannan-binding lectins family of vertebrates has ancient precursor, as was shown for another S-type lectins family. We carried out the screening of mannan-binding type lectin among different species of echinoderms inhabiting in Piter the Grate Bay, the sea of Japan. As a result, the C-type lectins (SJL-32) specific for high mannose glycans was isolated from the coelomic plasma of the sea cucumbers Stichopus japonicus by ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Toyopearl 650M, affinity chromatography on a mannan-Sepharose 6B and gel filtration on a Sephacryl S-200. SJL-32 is homodimer with molecular mass about 32 kDa on SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions. Protein part of the lectin has high conteins Asn, Glu, Ser. Hemagglutination of trypsin-treated O blood group human erythrocytes by SJL-32 was competitively inhibited by high-branched -D-mannan composed of -1,2 and -1,6 linked D-mannopyranose residues. In contrast, a variety of mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides composed of residues of galactose and fucose showed absence or little inhibitory activities. The lectin activity strong depends on Ca2+ concentration, temperature and pH. Monospecific polyclonal antibodies were obtained to the lectin. As was shown by ELISA assay, antibodies to SJL-32 cross-reacted with human serum mannan-binding lectin. This data allows making conclusion about common antigenic determinants and structural homology of both lectins. In our opinion, SJL-32 belongs to evolutionary high conservative mannan-binding lectins (MBLs) family and takes part in the host defense against pathogenic microorganisms.