• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.338-344
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• 1999

Floating debris was recorded from a training ship, $\sharp$1 Kwanaksan, of Pukyong National University with about 10 knots speed at July 15th and 20th of 1997. The sampled area is the middle of southern sea of Korea, divided into 44 unit segments on survey routes. Debris fabrication materials were categorized with 6 items using the following; man-made or natural wood items, paper and cardboard, nylon netting and rope, styrofoam, plastics, floating metal and glass containers. All identified items within a 100 $\pm$ 2 m wide band were recorded but ignored if beyond this boundary. The results of distribution and transport of floating debris in the area are as follows: 1. The quantities of debris during the survey were distributed from $1.6\~369.7\;items/km^2$. The most obvious trend is the widespread distribution of all debris. The highest densities of all debris were discovered in the coastal waters of Namhae and Yokji island, and of about 50 km off from the southward of Yokji and about 74 km off from the eastward of Komun island. Especially many of small styrofoams within $\phi$20 cm were observed in these segments. 2. Styrofoams and plastics were composed of $83.5\%$ among all debris, next woods items, $9.8\%$. 3. The quantities, distribution shapes and composition of debris were varied as the observed duration and the natures of each items. 4. These phenomena are concluded that firstly they depend on the river discharges included debris due to precipitation falls, secondly inflow or dumping debris are drifting to the off-shore by Kuroshio currents present at their adjacent sea, But on the basis of the observed data it is difficult that source position, quantities and inflow items of debris are identified, and also the transport processes is pursue. further more surveys are continuously being investigated, and from this it is hoped that a much wider coverage can be achieved, perhaps on all sites of the Coast of Korea and contributed to the stationary area, finding of sources, removal method of debris and resistants of marine productivity.