• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.552-561
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• 2023

The seafloor topography of Gomso Bay on the west coast of Korea was investigated using subtidal bathymetry and tidal-flat altimetry. Gomso Bay consists of 80% tidal flats and 20% subtidal zone, and is divided into an outer bay and an inner bay by the Jujincheon esturary channel. The outer bay tidal flat, has few tidal channels, has a concave topographic profile, and is characterized by the development of chenier and intertidal sand bars, giving it the appearance of gently sloping, dissipative beaches. The inner bay tidal flat has wide upper and middle tidal flats with a well-developed tidal channel system without cheniers. Moreover, the topographical cross-section between these tidal channels is convex upward, and shows the characteristics of a depositional environment greatly influenced by tidal channels and tidal action. An analysis of the horizontal movement of the tidal flat environment over the past 37 years investigating changes in the iso-depth lines in the Gomso-Bay tidal flat between 1981 and 2018 revealed that the Gomso-Bay tidal flat retreated gradually landward. As a result of analyzing the erosion and sedimentation characteristics of Gomso Bay, assuming that most of the water depth changes were due to changes in the elevation of the sea floor and sea level, an average of 1 cm (0 mm/y) of sediment was eroded in the outer bay over the past 37 years (1981-2018), In the inner bay, an average of 50 cm (14 mm/y) was deposited. Notably, the high tidal flats of the outer bay were largely eroded. Monitoring photographs of the coast showed that most of the erosion of the high tidal flats in the outer bay occurred in a short period around 1999 (probably 1997-2002), and that the erosion resulted from the erosion of sand dunes and high-tide beaches caused by temporarily greatly raised high tide levels and storms.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.295-305
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• 2024

This study aims to analyze the micro-sedimentary structures of the Hwangdo tidal flats using ultra-high resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data. Tidal flats, located in the transitional area between land and sea, constantly change due to tidal activities and provide a unique environment important for understanding sedimentary processes and environmental conditions. Traditional field observation methods are limited in spatial and temporal coverage, and existing satellite imagery does not provide sufficient resolution to study micro-sedimentary structures. To overcome these limitations, high-resolution images of the Hwangdo tidal flats in Chungcheongnam-do were acquired using UAVs. This area has experienced significant changes in its sedimentary environment due to coastal development projects such as sea wall construction. From May 17 to 18, 2022, sediment samples were collected from 91 points during field surveys and 25 in-situ points were intensively analyzed. UAV data with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.9 mm allowed identifying and extracting parameters related to micro-sedimentary structures. For mud cracks, the length of the major axis of the polygons was extracted, and the wavelength and ripple symmetry index were extracted for ripple marks. The results of the study showed that in areas with mud content above 80%, mud cracks formed at an average major axis length of 37.3 cm. In regions with sand content above 60%, ripples with an average wavelength of 8 cm and a ripple symmetry index of 2.0 were formed. This study demonstrated that micro-sedimentary structures of tidal flats can be effectively analyzed using ultra-high resolution UAV data without field surveys. This highlights the potential of UAV technology as an important tool in environmental monitoring and coastal management and shows its usefulness in the study of sedimentary structures. In addition, the results of this study are expected to serve as baseline data for more accurate sedimentary facies classification.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.12 no.4 s.27
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• pp.293-300
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• 2006

Domestic laws such as Korea Marine Pollution Prevention Law (KMPPL) which has been mae and amended according to the conclusions and amendments of various international conventions for the prevention a marine pollution such as MARPOL 73/78 were reviewed and compared with the major contents of the relevant international conventions. Alternative measures for legislating new laws or amending existing laws such as KMPPL for the acceptance of major contents of existing international conventions were proposed. Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78 into which the regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ship have been adopted has been recently accepted in KMPPL which should be applied to ships which are the moving sources of air pollution at sea rather tlnn in Korea Air Environment Conservation Law which should be applied to automobiles and industrial installations in land. The major contents of LC 72/95 have been accepted in KMPPL However, a few of substances requiring special care in Annex II of 72LC, a few of items in characteristics and composition for the matter in relation to criteria governing the issue of permits for the dumping of matter at sea in Annex III of 72LC, and a few of items in wastes or other matter that may be considered for dumping in Annex I of 96 Protocol have not been accepted in KMPPL yet. The major contents of OPRC 90 have been accepted in KMPPL. However, oil pollution emergency plans for sea ports and oil handling facilities, and national contingency plan for preparedness and response have not been accepted in KMPPL yet. The waste oil related articles if Basel Convention, which shall regulate and prohibit transboundary movement of hazardous waste, should be accepted in KMPPL in order to prevent the transfer if scrap-purpose tanker ships containing oil/water mixtures and chemicals remained on beard from advanced countries to developing and/or underdeveloped countries. International Convention for the Control if Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on the Ships should be accepted in KMPPL rather tlnn in Korea Noxious Chemicals Management Law. International Convention for Ship's Ballast Water/Sediment Management should be accepted in KMPPL or by a new law in order to prevent domestic marine ecosystem and costal environment from the invasion of harmful exotic species through the discharge of ship's ballast water.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 1999

The optimum sampling area which can be applied to the benthic community study is estimated from large survey data in the Songdo tidal flat and subtidal zone of Youngil Bay, Korea. A total of 250 samples by 0.02 $m^2$ box corer for the benthic fauna in Songdo tidal flat and 50 samples by 0.1 $m^2$ van Veen grab in Youngil Bay were taken from the total sampling area of 5 $m^2$. It was assumed that the sampling area could contain sufficient information on sediment fauna, if cumulative number of species, ecological indices, and similarity index by cluster analysis reflect the similarity level of 75% to those found at total sampling area (5 $m^2$). A total of 56 and 60 species occurred from Songdo tidal flat and Youngil Bay, respectively. The cumulative curve of the species number ($N_{sp}$) as a function of the sampling area (A in $m^2$ ) was fitted as $N_{sp}=37.379A^{0.257}$ ($r^2=0.99$) for intertidal fauna and $N_{sp}=40.895A^{0.257}$ ($r^2=0.98$) for subtidal fauna. Based on these curves and 75% of similarity to the total sampling area (5 $m^2$), the optimum sampling area was proposed as 1.6 $m^2$ for the intertidal and 1.5 $m^2$ for the subtidal fauna. Ecological indices (species diversity, richness, evenness and dominance indices) were again calculated on the basis of species composition in differently simulated sample sizes. Changes in ecological indices with these sample sizes indicated that samplings could be done by collecting fauna from < 0.5 $m^2$-1.5 $m^2$ on the Songdo tidal flat and from < 0.5 $m^2$-1.2 $m^2$ in Youngil Bay. Changes in similarity level of all units of each simulated sample size showed that sampling area of 0.3 $m^2$ (Songdo tidal flat) and 0.6 $m^2$ (Youngil Bay) should be taken to obtain a similarity level of 75%. In conclusion, sampling area which was determined by cumulative number of species, ecological indices and similarity index by cluster analysis could be determined as 1.5 $m^2$ (0.02 $m^2$ box corer, n=75) for Songdo tidal flat and 1.2 $m^2$ (0.1 $m^2$ van Veen grab, n=12) for Youngil Bay. If these sampling areas could be covered in the field survey, population densities of seven dominant species comprising 68% of the total faunal abundance occurring on Songdo tidal flat and six species comprising 90% in Youngil Bay can be estimated at the precision level of P=0.2.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.195-207
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• 2000

Organic and inorganic characteristics including bacterial cell number, enzyme activity, nutrients, and heavy metals have been monitored in twelve acrylic experimental tanks for two weeks to estimate and compare self-purification capacities in two Korean wet-land environments, tidal flat and rice field, which are possibly different with the environments in other countries because of their own climatic conditions. FW tanks, filled with rice field soils and fresh water, consist of FW1&2 (with paddy), FW3&4 (without paddy), and FW5&6 (newly reclaimed, without paddy). SW tanks, filled with tidal flat sediments and salt water, are SW1&2 (with anoxic silty mud), SW3&4 (anoxic mud), and SW5&6 (suboxic mud). Contaminated solution, which is formulated with the salts of Cu, Cd, As, Cr, Pb, Hg, and glucose+glutamic acid, was spiked into the supernatent waters in the tanks. Nitrate concentrations in supernatent waters as well as bacterial cell numbers and enzyme activities of soils in the FW tanks (except FW5&6) are clearly higher than those in the SW tanks. Phosphate concentrations in the SW1 tank increase highly with time compared to those in the other SW tanks. Removal rates of Cu, Cd, and As in supematent waters of the FW5&6 tanks are most slow in the FW tanks, while the rates in SW1&2 are most fast in the SW tanks. The rate for Pb in the SW1&2 tanks is most fast in the SW tanks, and the rate for Hg in the FW5&6 tanks is most slow in the FW tanks. Cr concentrations decrease generally with time in the FW tanks. In the SW tanks, however, the Cr concentrations decrease rapidly at first, then increase, and then remain nearly constant. These results imply that labile organic materials are depleted in the FW5&6 tanks compared to the FW1&2 and FW3&4 tanks. Removal of Cu, Cd, As from the supernatent waters as well as slow removal rates of the elements (including Hg) are likely due to the combining of the elements with organic ligands on the suspended particles and subsequent removal to the bottom sediments. Fast removal rates of the metal ions (Cu, Cd, As) and rapid increase of phosphate concentrations in the SW1&2 tanks are possibly due to the relatively porous anoxic sediments in the SW1&2 tanks compared to those in the SW3&4 tanks, efficient supply of phosphate and hydrogen sulfide ions in pore wates to the upper water body, complexing of the metal ions with the sulfide ions, and subsequent removal to the bottom sediments. Organic materials on the particles and sulfide ions from the pore waters are the major factors constraining the behaviors of organic/inorganic elements in the supernatent waters of the experimental tanks. This study needs more consideration on more diverse organic and inorganic elements and experimental conditions such as tidal action, temperature variation, activities of benthic animals, etc.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2009

Esterase EM2L8 gene isolated from deep sea sediment was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the esterase activity of the cell-free extract was assayed using p-nitrophenyl butyrate-spectrophotometric method. Its optimum temperature was $40-45^{\circ}C$ and 45% activity of the maximum activity was retained at $15^{\circ}C$. The activation energy at $15-45^{\circ}C$ was calculated to be 4.9 kcal/mol showing that esterase EM2L8 was a typical cold-adapted enzyme. Enzyme activity was maintained for 6 h and 4 weeks at $30^{\circ}C$ and $4^{\circ}C$, respectively. When each ethanol, methanol, and acetone was added to the reaction mixture to 15% concentration, enzyme activity was maintained. In the case of DMSO, enzyme activity was kept up to 40% concentration. (S)-4-Chloro-3-hydroxy butyric acid is a chiral intermediate for the synthesis of Atorvastatin, a hyperlipemia drug. When esterase EM2L8 (40 U) was added to buffer solution (1.2 mL, pH 9.0) containing ethyl-(R,S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate (38 mM), it was hydrolyzed into 4-chloro-3-hydroxy butyric acid with a rate of $6.8\;{\mu}mole/h$. The enzyme hydrolyzed (S)-substrate more rapidly than (R)-substrate. When conversion yield was 80%, e.e.s value was 40%. When DMSO was added, hydrolysis rate increased to $10.4\;{\mu}mole/h$. The plots of conversion yield vs e.e.s in the presence or absence of DMSO were almost same, implying that the reaction enantioselectivity was not changed by the addition of DMSO. Taken together, esterase EM2L8 had high activity and stability at low temperatures as well as in various organic solvents/aqueous solutions. These properties suggested that it could be used as a biocatalyst in the synthesis of useful pharmaceuticals.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2003

As a part of an on-going project investigating flux of materials in Gomso Tidal Flat, we have monitored temporal and spatial distribution of nitrogen components(TN, PON, DON, DIN) and have sought the relationships with the freshwater input(tidal range, salinity), the biological activities(chlorophyll-${\alpha}$, TP, DIP, silicate) and the resuspended bottom sediment in seawater(SPM) from 1999 to 2000. TN in seawater was 39.05 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/ (31.03∼42.93 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/) without any statistical difference(p<0.05) between the studied periods. Organic nitrogen (DON and PON) occupied 75％, 95％, 73％, and 75％ in April, August, September and November, respectively. DON and PON have been found within the narrow concentration ranges of 11.30∼16.38 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/ and 13.16∼20.04 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/ in spite of severe environmental differences through the studied periods. Dissolved fractions of nitrogen(DON and DIN) occupied 53∼65％ of TN. Only DIN varied with an evident temporal variability: low concentrations(1.325∼1.616 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/) in August and high enrichment(8.377∼14.65 $\mu\textrm{m}$ol 1$\^$-1/) in September. High consumption rate of DIN by phytoplankton and a long-lasted drought probably induced such low concentration of DIN in August. Eventually heavy precipitation probably introduced plenty of new nitrogen sources into Gomso Bay in September. The portion of PON, DON and DIN in the total nitrogen was 40％, 38％ and 22％, respectively. Their contents were in the order of DON>PON>DIN for the year round except PON>DON>DIN only in September. The highest DON portion in August probably due to the active microbial decomposition of organic material in summer. Only in April, some evident negative correlations have been found between chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ and DIN mostly nitrate(-0.64, p<0.01), phosphate(-0.46, p<0.01) and silicate(-0.55, p<0.01). The Si(OH)$_4$/DIN/DIP ratios in the water column suggests the limitation of DIN for the growth of phytoplankton during the dry summer in Gomso Bay, which was the case of August in this work. Even with some difference between the studied periods, the primary factors on the distribution of nitrogen components in seawater overlying the Gomso Tidal Flat have been the tidal range and the freshwater input, but the additional variations were due to the biological activities.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.175-187
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• 1997

Benthic community structure was studied in Chinhae Bay during 3 years from June 1987 to May 1990, based on the samples from 12 stations on the seasonal, bimonthly or monthly basis (lim and Hong, 1994a, b). A total of 287 species was sampled with mean density of $1045.5\;ind./m^2$ and biomass of $98.48g/m^2$ during studyperiods. Of these species, there were 91 species of crustaceans $(31.7\%)$, 88 of polychaetes $(30.7\%)$, 56 of molluscs $(19.5\%)$, 22 of echinoderms and 30 of the micellaneous species. Polychaetes were density-dominant faunal group with a density of $824.7\;ind./m^2$, comprising of $18.6\%$ of the total density of the benthic animals. It was followed by molluscs with $14.62\;ind./m^2$ $($14.4\%\;of\;the\;total\;density)$ crustaceans with $50.5\;ind/m^2\;(4.6\%)$ and echinoderms with $13.4\;ind/m^2\;(4.6\%)$. Molluscs were the biomass-dominant faunal group with a mean biomass of $54.62\;g/m^2$. It was followed by polychaetes with $21.74\;g/m^2$ and echinoderms with $6.66\;g/m^2$. Based on community analysis, species richness, diversity and evenness showed decreasing trends toward the inner bay from outer stations, whereas dominance showed increasing. The three most dominant species Lumbrineris longifolia, Paraprionospio pinnata and Theora fragilis had densities over $40\%$ of the total density of benthic organisms in Chinhae Bay. Seasonal changes of benthic communities in the inner bay were high compared to those of the outer bay. It was mainly due to the occurrence of hypoxic condition in the inner area of the bay. Cluster analysis showed that the benthic community could be divided into four stational groups, that is, Group 1, the innermost area, which received the most heavy anthropogenic effects including seawage and waste water, Group II, the central area of the bay, Group III, the transitional area, Group IV, the mouth pan of the bay exposed to the open sea. The areal groups based on the environmental factors coincided with the zonal groups from the species composition. This fact suggests that the overall spatial distribution of macrobenthos in Chinhae Bay was controlled by the sediment organic carbon content of the bay.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.32-41
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• 2001

We measured the fluxes of COD, TN and 55 in addition to composition and quality of sediment in Komso Bay, West Coast of Korea. The fluxes of TN, SS and COD were measured during flood tide and ebb tide in April and August, 2000. Denitrification rates in the sediments was also measured by direct produced $N_2$ gas technique on April and August from 1999 to 2000 in the same sea area. The composition of the sediments were 0.33~5.67 % of sand, 20.2~25.6 of gravel and 68.7~77.0 % of silt. Ignition loss of the sediments were 6.58~7.50 %. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the sediments were 0.028~0.326 mg/gㆍdry and oxidation reduction potential of the sediments were -28~-15 mV Diurnal fluxes of COD, total nitrogen, and suspended solids with tidal current and denitrification rate in the tidal flat have been determined in Komso Bay The diurnal net flux of COD was same in April. While 14.4 ton COD/hr of net influx into the tidal flat was recorded in August. The diurnal net influx of total nitrogen was 0.16 ton N/hr in April and 1.13 ton N/hr in August. The diurnal net influx of suspended solids was 0.05 ton SS/hr in April, and also net influx of suspended solids was 0.29 ton SS/hr in August. The overall purification ability of the tidal flat were estimated 0.00~5.69 g COD/$m^2/day$, 0.06~0.45 g N/m²/day and 0.02~0.12 g SS/$m^2/day$ for COD, TN and SS, respectively. Denitrification rate was 0.009~1.720 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$ (average 0.702 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$) in April and 0.033~0.133 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$ (average 0.077 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$) in August, 1999. 0.000~l.909 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$ (average 0.756 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$) in April, 0.000~1.691 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$ (average 0.392 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$) in August, 2000. Even with a wide range of denitrification rate depending on the sampling location and studied periods, the average denitrification rate was estimated 0.482 m mole ${N_2}/m^2/day$ in the tidal flat of Komso Bay.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.169-181
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• 2014

Korea government has consistently investigated the development of economic mineral deposits in the Tofua volcanic arc, Tonga since 2008 for the secure of sea floor mineral resources. We studied the composition and distribution of minerals formed by hydrothermal activity around TA 25 seamounts of the Tofua volcanic arc, Lau Basin, Tonga, using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. We used 7 core samples and 9 surface sediment samples. Barite, sphalerite, and clinoclase are present in the most volcanic vent area. Gypsum, smectite, and kaolin mineral are distributed in vent A area, chalcopyrite, pyrite, smectite, and kaolin mineral are in vent B and C area, and gypsum, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and goethite are in vent D area. From the study of clay fraction, smectite and few kaolinite are detected in the most studied area except inner part of caldera, which suggest that argillic alteration are dominant in the volcanic vent areas. Various sulfide or arsenide minerals were found in the hydrothermal vent B, C, and D. The mineralogy and geochemistry suggest higher hydrothermal activities in volcanic vent B, C, and D compared to vent A and inner caldera area. Therefore higher probabilities of massive sulfide deposits may occur in hydrothermal vent B, C, and D.