• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.243-255
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• 2014

This study was investigated to estimate the relations between benthic environments and benthic polychaetous community from April 2012 to February 2013. Twenty four stations were selected sequentially with Seomjin River Estuary from the northern part of Gwangyang Bay. The study area could be divided into three characteristic zones based on salinity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH such as Saline Water Zone (SWZ), Brackish Water Zone (BWZ), and Fresh Water Zone (FWZ). Salinity was above 30.0 psu in SWZ, drastically decreased toward inland in BWZ, and nearly zero psu in FWZ. SWZ showed its specific environmental characters like that water temperature fluctuated with little seasonal change and DO showed the lowest values among three zones, and pH maintained as consistent value without seasonal fluctuation. In FWZ, on the other hand, water temperature showed high seasonal fluctuation, DO showed the highest values among three zones, and pH fluctuated greatly. In sedimentary environment, mud, sand and sand/gravel were found as dominant sedimentary deposits in SWZ, BWZ and FWZ, respectively. Organic matter content and AVS in surface sediment were high in SWZ, while Chl-a content high in FWZ. This study area showed a marked environmental difference between FWZ and SWZ as follows: FWZ has coarse sediment and low salinity, low organic matter content, low AVS in FWZ but SWZ has fine sediment and high salinity, high organic matter content and AVS. Species number and mean density of benthic polychaete community was highest in Saline Water Zone (SWZ), drastically decreased in Brackish Water Zone (BWZ), and lowest in Fresh Water Zone (FWZ). Dominant polychates above 5.0% of individual numbers were 6 taxa. Lumbrineris longifolia, Prionospio cirrifera, Tharyx sp. occurred as main dominant species of all study periods, and Hediste sp., Praxillella affinis, Tylorrhynchus sp. dominantly occurred at some seasons. Inhabiting areas of dominant species were separated characteristically. Representative species in SWZ were Lumbrineris longifolia, Tharyx sp., Mediomastus sp.. Wide-appearing species between SWZ and BWZ were Prionospio cirrifera, Heteromastus filiformis, Aricidea sp.. Characteristic species in FWZ were Tylorrhynchus sp. and Hediste sp.. As the results of cluster analysis and nMDS based on the species composition of polychaetous community, unique station groups were established in SWZ and FWZ. Stations in BWZ were sub-divided into several groups with season. Pearson's correlation analysis and PCA between benthic environments and ecological characteristics of polychaetous community showed that salinity, sediment composition, organic content and dissolved oxygen played a role to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of the ecological characteristics as species number, mean density, abundance of main species, and ecological indices.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-37
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• 2015

Halophyte distribution pattern and area in the Suncheon-bay and Beolgyo estuary coastal wetlands were analyzed using KOMPSAT-2 landsat images were taken in 2008 and 2009, and field investigations were fulfilled for confirming the precise boundaries of individual halophyte areas. The salt-marsh vegetation in those areas can be classified mainly into two dominant communities: Suaeda japonica-dominant and Phragmites communis-dominant communities. In order to identify sedimentary characteristics, tidal-flat surface leveling and sedimentary facies analysis had been conducted. The sedimentary facies of marsh area are mostly silty clayey and clay facies with a little seasonal change and its slope is very gentle (0.0007~0.002 in gradient). Phragmites communis and Suaeda japonica communities were distributed in the mud-flat zone between 0.7 m and 1.8 m higher than MSL (mean sea level): zone of 1.1~1.8 m in the former and zone of 0.7~1.3 m in the latter. In the Suncheon-bay estuarine wetland, on the basis of 2009 distribution, Phragmites communis-dominant and Suaeda japonica-dominant communities are about $0.79km^2$ and $0.22km^2$ in distribution area, respectively. On the other hand, Bulgyo estuarine marsh shows that the distribution areas of Phragmites communis-dominant and Suaeda japonica-dominant communities are about $0.31km^2$ and 0.031km2 in distribution area, respectively. Individual 105 and 60 dominant community areas and their distribution patterns can be well defined and indicated in the Suncheon-bay and Bulgyo estuarine marshes, respectively. The distribution pattern and area of hylophyte communities analyzed in this study based on 2008/2009 satellite images would be valuable as a base of future monitoring of salt-marsh related studies in the study area which is the most important salt-marsh research site in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.687-697
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• 2019

By monitoring sediment grain size and level variation of tidal flat surface for 6 years (2005-2011), and also by mooring TISDOS (tidal-flat sediment dynamics observation system) on the low intertidal flat in 2008, we investigated the sedimentary environment of tidal flat in the dammed Yeongsan River Estuary. The tidal flat of the Yeongsan River Estuary lost 82 % of its area because of coastal development projects, and a narrow tidal flat below mean sea level now remains. Most of the tidal flat sediments are composed of silt up to 70-94 %, and show the characteristics of clay deficiency and silt dominance. This is closely related with the coastal development, which led to the destruction of high tidal flats where most mud settled, and the modification of tidal current patterns. Moreover, the estuarine tidal-flat sediments reveal seasonal variation. They are coarse with abundant silt during windy autumn to spring, fine with abundant clay during the less-windy and high-discharge summer. This phenomenon indicates that the behavior of sediment particles on the low intertidal flats of the Yeongsan River Estuary is influenced by wind waves for silt and fresh water discharge and the tidal process for clay. Monitoring results of the altitude of tidal flat surface showed that the study area had eroded at an average rate of -2.6 cm/y during the period of 2005-2011, and also that an unusual deposition with a rate of 4 cm/y occurred in 2010. The erosion can be explained by an increased tidal amplitude and a strengthened ebb-dominant tidal asymmetry after the construction of an estuary dike and the Yeongam Kumho Seawall. The deposition in 2010 seems to have been closely related to the mass production of suspended materials from dredging of the estuary.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2005

We studied seasonal distribution of the microphytobenthos and their primary production with $C^{14}$ method and carried out pigment analysis with HPLC in an estuarine mudflat of the Ganghwa Island, Korea from May 2002 to April 2004. The abundances of microphytobenthos were higher at the middle than upper part and lower part of intertidal flat. Abundances of microphytobenthos ranged from $2.3{\times}10^5\;cells\;cm^{-2}$ to $140.9{\times}10^5\;cells cm^{-2}$. The bloom of microphytobenthos was observed in the early spring and then it decreased from spring to summer and autumn. The pennate diatom was a predominated group among the microphytobenthos in this area. The dominant species were Paralia sulcata, Cylindrotheca closterium and Nitzschia sp.. Nitzschia sp. and Cylindrotheca closterium were predominant in February. The results of pigment analysis suggest the presence of diatoms, euglenophytes, chlorophytes, cyanobacteria, cryptophytes, chrysophytes, prymnesiophytes, dinoflagellates and prasinophytes. The biomass of microphytobenthos ranged from 1.18 to 34.25 mg chl-a $m^{-2}$, with a mean of 7.60 mg chl-a $m^{-2}$. The mean ratio of Fuco/Chl a was 0.7 which indicates that most of biomasses of microphytobenthos were due to diatoms. The ratios of Chl b/Chl a ranged from 0 to 0.82(with a mean of 0.17), implying that euglenophytes and chlorophytes lived together in special period seasonally. Temporal variation of primary production ranged from 4.2 to 113.0 $mgC{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$(mean value was 33.9 $mgC{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$ and initial slope$({\alpha})$ was measured from 0.002-0.005$(mgC\;mgchl-a^{-1}\;hr^{-1}){\cdot}({\mu}E\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1})^{-1}$. Assimilation number$(P_m)$ was in the range of 0.50-1.32 $mgC{\cdot}mgChl-a{\cdot}hr^{-1}$ and daily primary production ranged from 20.9 to 678.1 $mgC{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}d^{-1}$(mean value was 206.72 $mgC{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}^{-1}$).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2005

To investigate the seasonal distribution and grazing impacts of benthic protozoa in mud flat, their abundance, biomass and grazing rates of benthic protozoa were evaluated at interval of two or three month in Gangwha Island from April, 2002 to April, 2004. Heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates accounted for an average 98% of benthic protozoa biomass. Abundance and carbon biomass of heterotrophic flagellates ranged from $0.2{\times}10^5$ to $5.9{\times}10^5\;cells\;cm{-3}$ and from 0.02 to $9.2\;{\mu}gC\;cm^{-3}$, respectively. Biomass of heterotrophic flagellates was high in spring and fall, and showed no differences among stations. Abundance and biomass of heterotrophic flagellates decreased with the depth and were high within the surface 2.5 m sediment layer. The majority of heterotrophic flagellates were less than $10\;{\mu}m$ in length, and few euglenoid flagellates were larger than $20\;{\mu}m$. Abundance and carbon biomass of ciliates ranged from $0.1{\times}10^3$ to $17.8{\times}10^3\;cells\;cm^{-3}$ and from 0.02 to $9.1\;{\mu}gC\;cm^{-3}$, respectively, and those of ciliates were high in spring and fall. Biomass of ciliates was high within the surface 2.5 mm sediment layer and was higher at st. J2 and st. J3 than st. J1. Among the revealed benthic ciliates, the hypotrichs were the most important group in terms of abundance and biomass. During the sampling periods, an average 66% of benthic protozoa biomass was covered by ciliates. The seasonal distribution of benthic protozoa showed an almost similar fluctuation pattern to that of chlorophyll-a. The results suggest that the biomass of benthic protozoa were mainly controlled by prey abundance, for example, diatoms. Based on ingestion rates, benthic protozoa removed from 13.4 to 40.7% of bacterial production and from 20.1 to 36.4% of primary production. Ingestion rates of benthic protozoa on bacteria and microphytobenthos were high in April. Benthic protozoa in this study area may play a pivotal role in the carbon flow of the benthic microbial food web during spring.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 1980

Farming density of oyster cultured in Hansan-Geoje Bay was studied to obtain the optimal farming density based on the biosedimentation analysis and the annual yield data from 1970 to 1979. Farming density of oyster extrapolated by means of pollution grade of sediment is significantly correlated to COD and phaeophytin content of the bottom mud of the bay. Pollution grade is linearly related to the number of oyster clusters suspended in the unit area. Optimal farming density was $0.12\;string/m^2$ in case of raft culture, and it was $0.12\;string/m^2$ in case of long-line culture. Farming density was well expressed by the number of strings per raft and the area covered by a raft. As strings per raft increased from 350 to 558, total yield from a raft increased and when occupied sea area per raft ranged from $1.000\;m^2\;to\;6,000\;m^2$, the yield per raft linearly increased as the area increased. This analysis suggests that the optimal density be 0.11 string per unit area $(m^2)$. As increasing the number of strings per $m^2$ the yield per string decreases, and this is well dipicted by a linear function. At this time the yield per unit area increases when the number of string increases up to the density of $0.13\;strings/m^2$. From the point of these three comprehensive analyses the optimal density was $0.11\~0.13\;string/m^2$ in case of raft culture and $0.25\;strings/m^2$ in case of long-line culture in Hansan-Geoje Bay. The maximum expected yield of oyster in Hansan-Geoje Bay is approximately 5,600 tons when maintained the string density at $0.11\~0.13\;string/m^2$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-63
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• 1989

Geochemical characteristics of the Guryongsan (Ogcheon) uraniferous black slate show that this is an analogue to the conventional Chattanooga and Alum shales in occurrences. Whereas, its highest enrichment ratio in metals including uranium, among others, is explained by the cyclic sedimentation of the black muds and quartz-rich silts, and the uniform depositional condition with some what higher pH condition compared to the conditions of the known occurrences. The cyclic sedimentation, caused by the periodic open and close of the silled basin, has brought about the flush-out) of the uranium depleted water and the recharge with the new metal-rich sea water, which consequently contributed to the high concentration of metals in mud. The metal-rich marine black muds, which mostly occur in the early to middle Palaeozoic times, is attributed by the geologic conditions which related to the atmospheric oxygen contents, and these are scarcely met in the late Precambrian and/or with the onset of Palaeozoic era in the geologic evolution of the earth.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.453-462
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• 1998

Macrobenthic community structure was studied at thirteen stations in Taebudo subtidal area, Korea, from July to October 1996. Triple macrobenthos samples were collected using a van Veen grab (0.1 $m^2$) at each station during the study period. A total of 209 species of macrobenthos was sampled with a mean density of 1,093 ind./$m^2$ and biomass of 134,86 g/$m^2$. Of these, there were 72 species of polychaetes ($34.5\%$), 69 crustaceans ($33.0\%$) and 49 molluscs ($23.4\%$). Polyalaetes were represented as a density-dominant faunal group with a mean density of 608 ind./$m^2$, comprising $55.6\%$ of the total benthic animals. It was followed by crustaceans with 307 ind./$m^2$($28.1\%$ of the total density), Echinoderms were represented as a biomass-dominant faunal group with a mean biomass of 54.21 g/$m^2$($40.2\%$ of total biomass). Total number of species and diversity were low in the inner part of the study area with high mud content and high in the offshore stations of mixed sediments. Major dominant species were three polychaetes, Heteromastus filifomis, Scoloplos armiger and Tharyx sp. whose mean densities were 70 ind./$m^2$, 67 ind./$m^2$, and 66 ind./$m^2$, respectively. Cluster analysis showed that the study area could be divided into five stational groups based on the faunal composition, that is, the innermost stations, coastal stations, transitional stations and two offshore station groups. The species diversity of these groups increased from the inner stational group toward the outer groups.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.106-127
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• 2019

This study aims to understand spatio-temporal variations of macrozoobenthos community in Han River (HRE), Geum River (GRE), and Nakdong River estuaries (NRE) of Korea, sampled by National Survey of Marine Ecosystem. The survey was seasonally performed at a total of 20 stations for three years (2015-2017). Sediment samples were taken three times with van Veen grab of $0.1m^2$) areal size and sieved through a 1 mm pore size mesh on site. A total of 1,008 species were identified with 602 species in HRE, 612 in GRE, and 619 in NRE, showing similar number of species between estuaries. Mean density was $1,357ind./m^2$, showing the high in NRE ($1,357ind./m^2$), mid in GRE ($1,357ind./m^2$), and low in HRE ($1,127ind./m^2$). Mean biomass was $116.8g/m^2$, showing similar variations to density ($174.2g/m^2$ in NRE, $129.0g/m^2$ in GRE, $49.0g/m^2$ in HRE). Polychaeta dominated in number of species and density in three estuaries. Biomass-dominated taxon was Mollusca in HRE and GRE, and Echinodermata in NRE. Polychaetous species dominated all three estuaries over 4% of density, such as Dispio oculata, Heteromastus filiformis and Aonides oxycephala in HRE, Heteromastus filiformis and Scoletoma longifolia in GRE, and Pseudopolydora sp. and Aphelochaeta sp. in NRE, showing various density between estuaries. Community structure was determined by various environmental variables among estuaries such as mean grain size and sorting (HRE), salinity and mean grain size (GRE), and salinity, dissolved oxygen, loss on ignition and mud content (NRE). Our study demonstrates the application of different measures to manage ecosystems in three estuaries. HRE needs to alleviate sedimentary stressors such as sand mining, land-filling, dike construction. Management of GRE should be focused on fresh water control and sedimentary stressors. In NRE, monitoring of dominant benthos and process study on hypoxia occurrence in inner Masan Bay are necessary.