• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1120-1122
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• 2004

Fucosterol isolated from Pelvetia siliquosa was tested for its anti-diabetic activity in vivo. Fucosterol, when administered orally at 30 mg/kg in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, was caused a significant decrease in serum glucose concentrations, and exhibited an inhibition of sorbitol accumulations in the lenses. Fucosterol, when administered orally at 300 mg/kg in epinephrine-induced diabetic rats, was also caused an inhibition of blood glucose level and glycogen degradation. These results demonstrated that fucosterol is a main anti-diabetic principle from the marine algae P. siliquosa.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2007

This study deals with the taxonomy of the marine diatom Ditylum brightwellii (West) Grunow: shape, size and ratio, marginal ridge, labiate process, areolation, and seasonal distribution are all considered. Ditylum brightwellii were divided into two type; prism- and cylinder-shaped. Comparisons between specimens from the Yellow Sea were made on, (1) shape- prism types are prismatic-shaped and/or regular square or right-angled tetragon, cylinder types are cylinder-shaped and/or long right-angled tetragon in the girdle view, respectively; (2) size and ratiodiameters of prism types are 82.1 ± 2 μm, while those of cylinder types are 21.2 ± 5 μm and ratio of pervalvar axis/diameter- prism types cells are 1.0-1.5, but cylinder types are 3.9-5.5; (3) marginal ridges- prism types have dotted, while those of the cylinder-type cells have piece, slotted or fimbriated on the marginal ridge; (4) labiate process- both prism- and cylinder-types are central part in valve face, but length of labiate processes of prism types are longer than those of cylinder types; (5) cell margin- the girdle margin show many shallow furrows in prism type and smooth in cylinder type; (6) areolation- both prism- and cylinder-types are a radial pattern in the valve center, but areolae of prism types are larger than those of cylinder types; (7) seasonal distribution- cylinder types are dominated in summer and prism types in the other seasons.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.203-215
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• 2014

As global warming continues over the coming century, marine organisms will experience a warmer, more acidic ocean. Although these stressors may behave antagonistically or synergistically and will impact organisms both directly (i.e., physiologically) and indirectly (i.e., through altered species interactions), few studies have examined the complexities of these effects in combination. To address these uncertainties, we examined the independent and combined effects of elevated temperature and $pCO_2$ on the physiology of the adult sporophyte stage of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, and the grazing of the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. While elevating $pCO_2$ alone had no effect on M. pyrifera growth or photosynthetic carbon uptake, elevating temperature alone resulted in a significant reduction in both. However, when M. pyrifera was grown under elevated temperature and $pCO_2$ together, growth and photosynthetic carbon uptake significantly increased relative to ambient conditions, suggesting an interaction of these factors on photosynthetic physiology. S. purpuratus held under future conditions generally exhibited reduced growth, and smaller gonads than urchins held under present-day conditions. However, urchins fed kelp grown under future conditions showed higher growth rates, partially ameliorating this effect. Feeding rates were variable over the course of the experiment, with only the first feeding rate experiment showing significantly lower rates for urchins held under future conditions. Together, these data suggest that M. pyrifera may benefit physiologically from a warmer, more acidic (i.e., higher $pCO_2$) ocean while S. purpuratus will likely be impacted negatively. Given that kelp-urchin interactions can be important to kelp forest structure, changes to either of these populations may have serious consequences for many coastal environments.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.368-378
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• 1983

The community structure of intertidal benthic marine algae were studied seasonally at Odongdo, southern coast of Korea, from June 1982 to May 1983. Algal coverage in $50{\times}50\;cm$ quadrat were recorded for each species by line transect method. The vertical zonation investigated by line transects is recognized into three groups : Upper, middle, and lower zones. The representative species are Gelidium divaricatum, Enteromorpha linza, Porphyra yezoensis, Scytosiphon lomentaria, Blidingia nana, Ectocarpus confervoides in the upper, Ulva pertusa, Chondria crassicaulis in the middle, and Sargassum sagamianum, S. thunbergii, Undaria pinnatifida, Gelidium amansii and various other red algae in the lower zone. The number of algal species and coverage were generally highest in April and lowest in August. Species which appear dominant at least once a year were all of the spring type and the others were autumn type. According to the cluster analysis by similarity index community coefficient(SICC) among 5 transects, the algal communities are divided into two groups, i. e. open-sea group and inland-sea group.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.195-203
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• 2009

Most Skeletonema species have been identified under the name of S. costatum. To assess the morphological species diversity in the genus Skeletonema, we surveyed the nine localities in the coastal waters of South Korea. The light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations in this study showed that ultrastructural features of genus Skeletonema discriminated among four species: S. dohrnii Sarno & Kooistra, S. marinoi Sarno & Zingone, S. subsalsum (Cleve) Bethge, and S. tropicum Cleve. In S. dohrnii, cell diameters were 3-6 ${\mu}m$ and the pervalvar axes were 13-19 ${\mu}m$. One or two partial chloroplasts were visible in a cell. Cells of S. marinoi were 4-10 ${\mu}m$ and the pervalvar axes were 8-18 ${\mu}m$. Each cell contained one chloroplast. Cells of S. subsalsum which contained 1-2 chloroplasts were 8-13 ${\mu}m$ and the pervalvar axes were 11-20 ${\mu}m$. Cells of S. tropicum were 10-18 ${\mu}m$ and the pervalvar axes were 4-9 ${\mu}m$. 2-4 chloroplasts were seen in each cell. Tip width of fultoportula in S. dohrnii and S. marioni was flared and flat, but that in S. subsalsum and S. tropicum was narrow. Morphological groups among them, S. dohrnii and S. marinoi were the most widely distributed in all seasons, while S. tropicum was only occurred in a summer season.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2017

Korean mariculture Undaria pinnatifida was collected during the months of January, February, March, and December of 2010, as well as from January of 2011 to investigate the changes in the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$) and heavy metal with respect to it growth and to identify the factors that influence such changes. The blades of U. pinnatifida showed ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ in the range (mean) of -13.11 to -19.42‰ (-16.93‰) and 2.99 to 7.57‰ (4.71‰), respectively. Among samples with the same grow-out period, those that weighed more tended to have higher ${\delta}^{13}C$ suggesting a close association between the carbon isotope ratio and growth rate of U. pinnatifida. Indeed, we found a very high positive linear correlation between the monthly average ${\delta}^{13}C$ and the absolute growth rate in weight ($r^2=0.89$). Nitrogen isotope ratio tended to be relatively lower when nitrogen content in the blade was higher, probably due to the strengthening of isotope fractionation stemming from plenty of nitrogen in the surrounding environment. In fact, a negative linear correlation was observed with the nitrate concentration in the nearby seawaters ($r^2=0.83$). Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and Fe in the blades showed a rapid decrease in their concentration per unit weight in the more mature U. pinnatifida. Specifically, compared to adult samples, Cu, Hg, and Pb were concentrated by 30, 55, and 73 folds, respectively, in the young blades. Therefore, U. pinnatifida tissue ${\delta}^{13}C$ is as an indirect indicator of its growth rate, while ${\delta}^{15}N$ values and heavy metal concentrations serve as tracers that reflect the environmental characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.524-532
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• 2011

The intertidal benthic macroalgal floras of 19 uninhabited islands were investigated in the Goheung area, South Sea, Korea, in June 2008. Seaweed community structures on the rocky shores of four (Naemaemuldo, Ceoldo, Araedombaeseom, and Jinjioedo) of the 19 islands were also examined. Eighty macroalgal species were identified, including 13 green, 19 brown, and 48 red algae. The maximum number of species was found at Naemaemuldo, with 35 species, and the minimum was at Aredombaeseom, with 21 species. Seaweed biomass ranged from 21.39-76.22 g dry wt/$m^2$, with a maximum at Naemaemuldo, and minimum at Jinjioedo. Sargassum thunbergii was a representative species, distributed widely in the intertidal zone of the four islands. Subdominant seaweeds were Corallina pilulifera and Ulva pertusa at Naemaemuldo and Jinjioedo, respectively. Also, Ishige okamurae was dominant at Ceoldo and Araedombaeseom. Six functional seaweed forms were found at each study site, except for Araedombaeseom, which had four functional groups. On the rocky shores of the four sites, a coarsely-branched form was the most dominant functional group ranging from 44.44-61.90% in species number and 72.42-91. 09% in biomass. In conclusion, among the four study sites, the shore of Naemaemuldo Island had the best ecological status, with the highest number of species, and greatest biomass (mainly brown and red algae) and functional form diversity of seaweeds. Furthermore, on the rocky shore of Naemaemuldo, coarsely branched- and joint calcareous-form seaweeds, which grow in clean and undisturbed environmental conditions, were the representative functional forms.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2021

Radicilingua Papenfuss and Calonitophyllum Aregood are two small genera of the family Delesseriaceae that consist of only three and one taxonomically accepted species, respectively. The type species of these genera, Radicilingua thysanorhizans from England and Calonitophyllum medium from the Americas, are morphologically very similar, with the only recognized differences being vein size and procarp development. To date, only other two species were recognized inside the genus Radicilingua: R. adriatica and R. reptans. In this study, we analysed specimens of Radicilingua collected in the Adriatic and Ionian Sea (Mediterranean), including a syntype locality of R. adriatica (Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea), alongside material from near the type locality of R. thysanorhizans (Torpoint, Cornwall, UK). The sequences of the rbcL-5P gene fragment here produced represent the first molecular data available for the genus Radicilingua. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the specimens from the Adriatic and Ionian Seas were genetically distinct from the Atlantic R. thysanorhizans, even if morphologically overlapping with this species. A detailed morphological description of the Mediterranean specimens, together with an accurate literature search, suggested that they were distinct also from R. adriatica and R. reptans. For these reasons, a new species was here described to encompass the Mediterranean specimens investigated in this study: R. mediterranea Wolf, Sciuto & Sfriso. Moreover, in the rbcL-5P tree, sequences of the genera Radicilingua and Calonitophyllum grouped in a well-supported clade, distinct from the other genera of the subfamily Nitophylloideae, leading us to propose that Calonitophyllum medium should be transferred to Radicilingua.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 2022

To examine the effects of substratum types on the growth of Caulerpa okamurae, sand surface and sand burial experiments were conducted. Five assimilators (erect fronds) per replicate were cultured for 15 d on the surface of three different treatments: fine sand (200 ㎛), coarse sand (600 ㎛), and no sand (control). Also, three stolons and three assimilators were buried by fine grain or coarse grain sands and incubated for 15 d. In both experiments, other culture conditions included 25℃, 30 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1, and 16 : 8 h L : D (light : dark). In both experiments, stolon + assimilator-, assimilator-, and stolon-weights were measured. Relative growth rates (RGRs) of stolon + assimilator weights ranged from 0.43 to 1.95% d^-1 at no sand and fine sand treatment, respectively. RGRs for the weight of stolon + assimilator and new assimilators were significantly greater on the fine- and coarse sand surface than the control. In the burial experiments, RGRs of stolons (4.28% d^-1 at coarse sand and 5.57% d^-1 at fine sand, respectively) were significantly greater than those of assimilators (1.38% d^-1 at fine sand and 1.82% d^-1 at coarse sand, respectively). When stolons were buried, RGRs for assimilators were greater at the fine sand than at the coarse sand treatment. On the other hand, RGRs of buried assimilators for total frond weights and for newly produced stolons were significantly greater at the coarse sands than at the fine sands. In conclusion, C. okamurae grew well with all substrates of sands and showed better growth on fine sands than coarse ones. This result suggests that the growth of stolons and assimilators of C. okamurae is stimulated after stable attachment to the sand substrates by rhizophores. In addition, stolons showed higher growth rates than the assimilators in the sand burial states, indicating that stolons are more tolerant to low light than assimilators of C. okamurae.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.262-277
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• 2024

The mid-eastern coast of Korea is located at the boundary between cold and warm currents, which causes changes in the distribution and composition of marine organisms in response to fluctuations in the marine environment. To understand the seasonal changes in the seaweed community, we investigated its species composition, biomass, coverage, and frequency from November 2022 to August 2023. A total of 45 species (7 green, 18 brown, and 20 red algae) were found in the study area. In the intertidal zone, the number of species decreased from autumn to summer; the biomass peaked during winter (471.94 g wet weight m^-2). Seaweed groups were the dominant functional groups, which were coarsely branched, filamentous, and sheet-like during autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The morpho-functional group was dominated by turf species. In the subtidal zone, the number of species increased during autumn to spring, whereas the biomass peaked during spring (655.27 g wet weight m^-2). The functional group was dominated by coarsely branched species throughout all four seasons, whereas the morpho-functional group was dominated by canopy species. Consequently, changes in the biomass of brown and red algae are recognized as key drivers of seasonal changes in seaweed communities.