• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.83-85
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• 2007

Deep-sea bacteria are adapted to extreme environments, such as high pressures and cold temperatures. We have isolated many piezophiles which grow well even under high pressures from deep-sea sediment. Shewanella violacea DSS12 and Moritella japonica DSK1 have the ability to grow at up to 70 MPa, and those bacteria have unique mechanisms of gene expression in response to high pressure conditions. The combination of gene expression systems in piezophiles, like the high pressure-dependent promoters and GFP reporter gene, may reveal highly fluorescent cells when exposed to high hydrostatic pressure conditions. It is predicted that a novel bio-sensing system can be made to probe high pressure environments using living bacteria. First, gene transformation into our piezophiles, strains DSS12 and DSK1, were examined. Eschericha coli S17-1 was used for bacterial conjugation with those piezophiles. As a result, the broad host range vector, pKT231, and the shuttle vector, pTH10, were successfully introduced to DSS12 and DSK1, respectively. Next, The pressure regulated promoters from DSS12 and DSK1 were cloned into proper vectors and combined with GFP as a reporter gene downstream of each promoter. The transformants of DSK1 and DSS12 with the recombinant pTH10 and pKT231 plasmid, which has cadA and glnA promoters (each of them is a pressure regulated promoter from DSK1 and DSS12, respectively) and GFP, were grown under high pressure and gene expression of GFP promoted by 50 MPa pressure was confirmed. This is a critical point to create a pressure-sensing bacteria, as the "High Pressure Glow Cells", which will indicate the level of environmental pressure using fluorescence of GFP as a reporter gene.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate the faunal composition and distribution pattern of meiobenthic community in the deep sea sediments of northeastern Pacific Ocean. Faunal samples were collected at 10 stations using a multiple corer and a spade type box corer during May 1996. A total of 18 meiofaunal groups were found, and Sarcomastigophora was the most dominant group which accounted for 35.8% of total meiofaunal abundance. Nematoda (30.8%), Nauplius larvae of Crustacea (11.9%), Ciliophora (6.8%) and Harpacticoida (3.0%) which were also important components of the meiofaunal community. All of these five faunal groups comprised more than 90% of total meiofauna. The highest density of 195 ind./10 $cm^2$ was found at St. 4 (4960 m water depth), but the lowest one, 85 ind./10 $cm^2$ at St. 1 (4969 m water depth). The overall mean density of meiofauna was estimated as $1.34{\times}10^5\;ind./m^2$. The abundance of meiofauna showed a slow decreasing trend along the water depth. The highest density was observed in the upper 1 cm and density decreased drastically with increasing depth from the surface.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1125-1139
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• 2020

This study investigated the distributional pattern of meiobenthos associated with future deep-sea mining in the Korea Deep Ocean Study area present in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) located in the southeastern part of the North Pacific Ocean. Standing stocks of meiobenthos were investigated in benthic impact experiment sites (BIS) and Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology long-term monitoring (KOMO) sites during the 2008-2014 annual field survey. A total of 14 taxa of meiobenthos were identified. Nematodes were the most abundant taxon (60-86%). Harpacticoid copepods (5-26%) and benthic foraminifera (1-12%) were also dominant at all sites. The total meiobenthic densities varied from 4 to 150 ind./10 cm2. The mean value of total meiobenthic abundance was higher at BIS than at KOMO sites, but there was no significant difference between the two sites. The mean values of the number of taxa and biomass at BIS and KOMO sites were similar. The mean abundance of nematodes that were the most dominant taxa was also higher at BIS than at KOMO sites. The standing stocks in our study sites were relatively lower than those previously reported at other CCFZ sites. These results seem to reflect a low organic concentration in the study area.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.289-295
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• 2016

Study on characteristics of the molluscan community structure and relationship between the structure and environmental variables in the abyssal plain of the East Sea was carried out for 5 years, starting from 2009 until the end of 2015 except 2010 and 2011. The water depth at the study site is approximately 1,600 m at minimum, and maximum depth of 2,000 m and a total of 16 molluscan species including Aplacophora, Gastropoda and Bivalvia were observed. Species with the highest biomass was Thyasira tokunagai, followed by Yoldiella philippiana which were observed at 9 sampling stations every year. Among 4 sampling stations having various depths (1,600/ 1,700/ 1,800/ 2,000 m), the highest diversity for species was observed at water depths of 1,600 m and 1,700 m, but found the lowest at 1,800 m. Both abundance and biomass were found to be negative correlations with water depth (p < 0.05), however, showed a positive correlation with the concentrations of organic matters (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). However, it is interesting to note that both Thyasira tokunagai (biomass, 82.6%; abundance, 44.1%) and Yoldiella philippiana (biomass, 15.9%; abundance, 4.7%) did not show distinctive correlations with water depth as well as concentrations of organic matters (p > 0.05). Therefore, it could be concluded that community structure of both Thyasira tokunagai and Yoldiella philippiana did not appear to be affected by water depth and concentrations of organic matters but geographical characteristics.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2003

A continuous monitoring of sedimentation rate and textural characteristics of surface sediments was carried out on the tidal flats in Kwangyang Bay, middle South Sea for two years on an every-two-monthly basis. This study shows that during the winter the tidal flats receive a thin surface layer of which texture becomes finer. In summer, the surface sediments were subject to rather abrupt erosion by occational typhoons and heavy rainfall resulting in a coarse-silt dominated texture. Due to nearly closed geomorphology of Kwangyang Bay, local waves created in the bay during winter are much subdued, in contrast to the rough wave climate and associated sedimentary cycle for open-type tidal flats in the Yellow Sea. In addition, unexpected artificial effects on the tidal-flat sedimentation by construction of a huge industrial complex along the shoreline of the bay are observed from a nearby tidal flat. Here, the sediments were consistently eroded without any sign of natural seasonal variations.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.423-434
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• 2021

Two new free-living marine nematodes of the genus Belbolla Andrássy, 1973 belonging to family Enchelidiidae are newly described based on specimens obtained from a shallow subtidal sediment of the western and southern outermost islands of Korea. Belbolla koreensis sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by the combination of the following characteristics: longer body length (3,080-3,462 ㎛ long), eight oesophageal bulbs in the posterior region of pharynx, well-developed two winged precloacal supplements (anterior precloacal supplement slightly longer than posterior one: 47-59 ㎛ vs. 43-46 ㎛ long), strongly arcuated, very thick, L-shaped spicule (122-127 ㎛ long, 1.7-1.9 anal body diameter(a.b.d.) long) with three separated blunt distal tips, and well-developed relatively long cylindrical shaped gubernacular apophysis with blunt teeth covering two thirds of the dorsal margin (57-58 ㎛ long, 0.8-0.9 a.b.d. long). Belbolla hoonsooi sp. nov. is characterized by the following combination of characteristics: longer body length (3,494 ㎛ long), eight oesophageal bulbs in the posterior region of pharynx, well-developed two winged precloacal supplements (anterior precloacal supplement slightly longer than posterior one: 43 ㎛ vs. 36 ㎛ long), strongly arcuated, L-shaped spicule (119 ㎛ long, 1.5 a.b.d. long) with three separated blunt distal tip, and well-developed relatively long inverted triangle shaped gubernacular apophysis with blunt teeth covering half of the dorsal margin (45 ㎛ long, 0.6 a.b.d. long). Detailed morphological characteristics and illustrations of two new Belbolla nematodes from the Korean seawaters were provided by differential interference contrast microscopy. Comparative tables on biogeographical and morphological characteristics of Belbolla species are also provided herein.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.245-253
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• 2004

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), where the southeast and northeast trade winds converge, is the effective climatological barrier that separates the southern and northern hemispheres in dust budget. Asian and N. American dusts dominate in fhe Pacific north of the ITCZ, while Central and S. American dust prevails south of the ITCZ. In order to understand the nature of latitudinal and depth-related variations of mineral composition in terms of relative position to the ITCZ, deep-sea core sediments were collected from $9^{\circ}N$ to $17^{\circ}N$ at a $2^{\circ}N$ interval along the $131.5^{\circ}W$ meridian and analyzed for mineral composition. The amount of illite in surface sediments decreases gradually from 65% at $17^{\circ}N\;to\;31^{\circ}N$ to 31% at 9f. In contrast, smectite increases from 11% to 56% southward. The observed mineralogical variation toward the ITCZ is attributed to the increased supply of volcaniclastic material transported via the southeast trade winds from the Central and South America source regions. Smectite-illite transition, a phenomenon that the amount of smectite increases over illite, occurs at around $10^{\circ}N$, the northern margin of the ITCZ. This result indicates that the change in latitudinal position of the ITCZ in geologic past could be recorded as a form of smectite-illite transition in deep-sea cores. The studied cores show down-core variation of mineral composition from illite-rich at the surface to smectite-rich clay suit at depths, similar to the latitudinal variation. The smectite-illite transitions observed in these cores are likely the records of changes in latitudinal position of the ITCZ. The depth and age of smectite-illite transition is getting shallower and younger toward equator, implying that the ITCZ was located farther north during late Tertiary and has shifted southward to the present position of $5^{\circ}N-10^{\circ}N$.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.7 no.1_2 s.8
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• pp.1-6
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• 1999

Natural gas hydrate, a solid compound of natural gas (mainly methane) and water in the low temperature and high pressure, is widely distributed in permafrost region and deep sea sediments. Gas hydrate stability field (GHSF), which corresponds to the conditions of a stable existence of solid gas hydrate without dissociation, depends on temperature, pressure, and composition of gas and interstitial water. Gas hydrate-saturated sediment are easily recognized by the bottom simulating reflector (BSR), a strong-amplitude sea bottom-mimic reflector in seismic profiles. It is known that BSR is associated with the basal boundary of the GHSF, The purpose of this study is to define the GHSF and its occurrence in the southwestern part of Ulleung Basin, East Sea. The hydrothermal gradient is measured using the expandable bathythermograph (XBT) and the geothermal gradient data are utilized from previous drilling results for the adjacent area. By the laboratory work using methane and NaCl $3.0 wt{\%}$ solution, it is shown that the equilibrium pressures of the gas hydrate reach to 2,920.2 kPa at 274.15 K and to 18,090 kPa at 289.95 K for the study area. Consequently, it is interpreted that the lower boundary of the GHSF is about 210 m beneath 400-m-deep sea bottom and about 480 m beneath 1,100-m-deep sea bottom. The resultant boundary is well matched with the depth of the BSR obtained from the seismic data analysis for the study area.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 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 the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2012

We study on the distribution characteristics of antifouling agents such as Sea-nine 211, Irgarol 1051, Diuron using HS-SPME method in southwestern coast of Korea. Short half-life of Sea-nine 211 was distributed in very low concentrations and/or below detection limits in all of the sampling points, both water and sediments samples. Irgarol 1051 was detected to have the highest concentration respectively $6.98{\mu}g/L$, 28.50 ng/g-dry wt in the seawater and sediments, and regional distribution characteristics did not appeared. Strong bioaccumulation and long half-life of Diuron was distributed higher concentration than in all sampling point and was analyzed to have the highest concentration(3882.22 ng/g-dry wt) Mo7(Mokpo)'s sediment. Irgarol 1051 and Diuron distributed in the shipbuilding industry and ship marina are located just at the point to found in high concentrations. In addition, the distribution of the antifouling agent materials were lower in concentration than in inner bay to outter bay in sediments. Antifouling agent materials from these results were contaminated high potential from port and shipbuilding industry located in inner bay.