• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2003

Mastoparan B (MPB), an antimicrobial cationic peptide isolated from the venom of the hornet Vespa basalis, is a basic amphipathic α-helical peptide composed of fourteen amino acid residues. In this study, we have investigated the algicidal effect of MPB against harmful algae blooms (HABs) casative Alexandrium tamarense, Chattonella marina, Cochlodinium polykrikoides and Gymnodinium catenatum. The algicidal effect of MPB showed in the concentration of 31.3 $\mu{g}$/mL to 500 $\mu{g}$/mL against 4 HAB species and observed cell lysis or cell ecdysis by microscopy. MPB reacted more sensitive to C. marina and C. polykrikoides than A. tamarense and G. catenatum. The algicidal study of MPB against HABs will provides much insight into development of new algicidal substances.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2013

The toxic, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) caused by the Cochlodinium polykrikoides have a serious impact on the coastal waters of Korea. In this study, the acoustic detection system was developed for rapid HABs detection, based on the acoustic backscattering properties of the C. polykrikoides. The developed system was mainly composed of a pulser-receiver board, a signal processor board, a control board, a network board, a power board, ultrasonic sensors (3.5 and 5.0 MHz), an environmental sensor, GPS, and a land-based control unit. To evaluate the performance of the system, a trail was done at a laboratory, and two in situ trials were conducted: (1) when there was no red tide, and (2) when there was red tide. In the laboratory evaluation, the system performed well in accordance with the number of C. polykrikoides in the received level. Second, under the condition when there was no red tide in the field, there was a good correlation between the acoustic data and sampling data. Finally, under the condition when there was red tide in the field, the system successfully worked at various densities in accordance with the number of C. polykrikoides, and the results corresponded with the sampling data and monitoring result of NFRDI (National Fisheries Research & Development Institute). From the laboratory and field evaluations, the developed acoustic detection system for early detecting HABs has demonstrated that it could be a significant system to monitor the occurrence of HABs in coastal regions.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

Harmful algal blooms (HABs or red tides), caused by uncontrolled proliferation of marine phytoplankton, impose a severe environmental problem and occasionally threaten even public health. We sequenced the genome of an EPS-producing marine bacterium Hahella chejuensis that produces a red pigment with the lytic activity against red-tide dinoflagellates at parts per billion level. H. chejuensis is the first sequenced species among algicidal bacteria as well as in the order Oceanospirillales. Sequence analysis indicated a distant relationship to the Pseudomonas group. Its 7.2-megabase genome encodes basic metabolic functions and a large number of proteins involved in regulation or transport. One of the prominent features of the H. chejuensis genome is a multitude of genes of functional equivalence or of possible foreign origin. A significant proportion (${\sim}23%$) of the genome appears to be of foreign origin, i.e. genomic islands, which encode genes for biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides, toxins, polyketides or non-ribosomal peptides, iron utilization, motility, type III protein secretion and pigment production. Molecular structure of the algicidal pigment was determined to be prodigiosin by LC-ESI-MS/MS and NMR analyses. The genomics-based research on H. chejuensis opens a new possibility for controlling algal blooms by exploiting biotic interactions in the natural environment and provides a model in marine bioprospecting through genome research.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.591-597
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• 2017

Maribacter dokdonensis DSW-8 was isolated from the seawater off Dokdo in Korea. To investigate the genomic features of this marine bacterium, we sequenced its genome and analyzed the genomic features. After de novo assembly and gene prediction, 16 contigs totaling 4,434,543 bp (35.95% G+C content) in size were generated and 3,835 protein-coding sequences, 36 transfer RNAs, and 6 ribosomal RNAs were detected. In the genome of DSW-8, genes encoding the proteins associated with gliding motility, molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, and utilization of several kinds of carbohydrates were identified. To analyze the genomic relationships among Maribacter species, we compared publically available Maribacter genomes, including that of M. dokdonensis DSW-8. A phylogenomic tree based on 1,772 genes conserved among the eight Maribacter strains showed that Maribacter speices isolated from seawater are distinguishable from species originating from algal blooms. Comparison of the gene contents using COG and subsystem databases demonstrated that the relative abundance of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism are higher in seawater-originating strains than those of algal blooms. These results indicate that the genomic information of Maribacter species reflects the characteristics of their habitats and provides useful information for carbon utilization of marine flavobacteria.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.148-162
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• 2004

The monitoring activities at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) in Korea have been extended to include all the coastal waters of Korea after the outbreak of Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms in 1995. We used several alternative methods including climatological analysis, spectral and optical methods which may offer potential detection of the major species of red tide in Korean waters. In the climatological analysis, NOAA, SeaWiFS, OCM satellite data was chosen using the known C. polykrikoides red tide bloom data and the area was mapped by helicopter reconnaissance and ground observation. The relationship between the distribution of sea surface temperature to C. polykrikoides bloom areas was studied. The anomalies of SeaWiFS chlorophyll a imageries against the imageries of non-occurring red tide for August, 2001 showed where the C. polykrikoides occurred. The anomalies of chlorophyll a concentrations from the satellite data during red tide outbreaks showed a similar distribution of C. polykrikoides in the red tide in August, 2001. The distribution between differences in sea surface temperatures during the day and at night also showed a possibility for red tide detection. We used a corrected vegetation index (CVI) to detect floating vegetation and submerged vegetation containing algal blooms. The results of from the optical absorption of C. polykrikoides in the ultraviolet band (340 nm) showed that if we use the optical characteristics from each red tide, we will be able to establish the feasibility of red tide detection.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.130-139
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• 2017

With the need to evaluate accuracy of real-time measurement of cyanobacterial fluorescence to determine cyanobacterial blooms, this research examined 357 paired data (2013-2016) comprising both microscopic toxic cyanobacterial cell counts and concurrent real-time cyanobacterial concentrations at 2 sites (YS1 and YS2) in Yeongsan river. The increase in real-time cyanobacterial concentration was closely associated with the exceedance of 5,000 cyanobacterial cells/ml (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.12) and 10,000 cells/ml (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.12) at YS2 site. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the real-time cyanobacterial measurement at the YS2 site was 0.93, which indicates the measurement provides a high accurate detection of cyanobacterial blooms. On the ROC curve, the early alert levels of real-time cyanobacteria ranging $16-23{\mu}g$ chl-a/L would produce acceptable sensitivity of 79% and specificities greater than 90%. The real-time fluorescence measurement was found to be an accurate indicator of cyanobacteria and can serve as a tool for detecting toxic cyanobacterial bloom events in Youngsan river.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2000

Monospecific red tide by a toxic dinoflagellate belonging to the genus Alexandrium occurred at Chindong Bay in the southern coast of Korea and continued from April 6th to 15th in 1997. The ratio of its cell number to total phytoplankton cell number was much higher than $95\%$. This organism was identified as Alexandrium tamarense, although slight morphological differences were found comparing to the original and successive descriptions of the species. We found neither anterior nor posterior attachment pores in these cells of the bloom population. The occurrence of red tide caused by A. tamarense was first reported in Korea. Its plate formula is Po, Pc, 4', 6"c, 8s, 5"' and 2"". Thecal plates are thin with pore-like ornamentation. In those plates, the anterior part of the first apical plate (1') is narrower and its posterior end has sometimes a block-like accessory, but this variation was considered within the range of the morphological variability of this taxon. The cell density during the red tide exhibited a wide range of variation by the depth of water column, ranging from $2\times10^6$ cells$l^{-1}$ to $5\times10^6$ cells·$l^{-1}$. Water temperature varied from 11.8 to $12.3^{\circ}C$. Toxicity of A. tamarense during red tide was measured as $8.8\times10^5$. $MU\;\cdot\;cell^{-1}$ by mouse bioassay.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.580-585
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• 2009

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), caused by Cochlodinium polykrikoides that causative fishery mortality, impact on aquaculture and economic loss appear particularly in summer and fall seasons in the Korean seas. It was studied on characteristics of HABs in the South Sea of Korea by using satellite and in-situ data. The in-situ data encompassed oceanic and meteorological data from July to October 2002-2008 and satellite data from July to October 2002-2006. Chlorophyll concentrations were calculated using Seaviewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor images by an Ocean Color (OC4) algorithm, and HABs were estimated using the Red tide index Chlorophyll Algorithm (RCA). The HAB occurrences were dominant when water temperature was $22.6-28^{\circ}C$ in August. The frequency of the individual numbers during 2002-2008, the HABs more than 1000 cells/ml (alert condition), were 73.57 %. In meteorological data from July to September during 2002-2008, the average precipitation, the mean air temperature, the mean wind speed and direction, and the sunshine were 9.31 mm/day, $24.07^{\circ}C$, 2.34 m/s and easterly, and 1-11 h, respectively. Our results suggest that the upwelling is caused by southwesterly wind in summer season and the Tsushima Warm Current which have influenced on the dispersion and moving of HAB (chlorophyll). In addition, the fresh water from Nakdong River, as the source of nutrients, also influences the occurrence of HABs.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.230-236
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• 1987

The correlation between tintinnid and dinoflagellate by means of seasonal variation of standing crops was investigated at two selected stations in Masan Bay, well-known as a red tide zone in southern coastal waters of Korea, during the period from January 1981 to December 1982. The most dominant dinoflagellates mainly belonged to $20-60\;{\mu}m$ of size class, and Gymnodinium and Prorocentrum were predominant from spring to summer season. Of tintinnid, Favella spp. were most dominant and associated with dinoflagellate blooms at the same season. Especially, Favella spp. were most positively correlated with $40-60\;{\mu}m$ size class of dinoflagellate, and also represented higher multiple corrleation with outer station (St.2), comprising relatively large species of Gymonodinium and Protogonyaulax, than with inner station (St. 1), dominated by Prorocentrum blooms. Thus, the interspecific food selection by size and morphology between tintinnid including Favella and dinoflagellate is recognized and it is considered to be an important factor influenecing on the prey-predator relationship in lower trophic level in the surveyed area.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.373-378
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• 2016

Cochlodinium polykrikoides is a red-tide forming dinoflagellate that causes significant worldwide impacts on aquaculture industries and the marine ecosystem. There have been extensive studies on managing and preventing C. polykrikoides blooms, but it has been difficult to identify an effective method to control the bloom development. There is also limited genome information on the molecular mechanisms involved in its various ecophysiology and metabolism processes. Thus, comprehensive genome information is required to better understand harmful algal blooms caused by C. polykrikoides. We estimated the C. polykrikoides genome size using flow cytometry, with detection of the fluorescence of DNA stained with propidium iodide (PI). The nuclear genome size of C. polykrikoides was 100.97 Gb, as calculated by comparing its mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) to the MFI of Mus musculus, which is 2.8 Gb. The exceptionally large genome size of C. polykrikoides might indicate its complex physiological and metabolic characteristics. Our optimized protocol for estimating the nuclear genome size of a dinoflagellate using flow cytometry with PI can be applied in studies of other marine organisms.