• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.179-187
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• 2014

Directly searching for undiscovered hydrothermal vent sites is inefficient due to the practical difficulty of comprehensively imaging vent fields. Thus, most searches for hydrothermal vent sites rely on the detection of hydrothermal plumes from water column observation. Detecting and measuring the hydrothermal plumes are the most efficient way to infer the presence and distribution of hydrothermal vents. Both the array of vertical casting and lateral towing are the most common methods to discover hydrothermal plumes. In this study, we compared results of cast and tow-yo operations along the same section of a spreading center with a distance of 20.5 km in the North Fiji Basin for mapping hydrothermal plumes. Operation of CTD tow-yo provides a detailed pattern of plumes which enable us to locate the hydrothermal vents. On the other hand, identification of hydrothermal activity can be determined effectively by CTD cast with additional analysis of geochemical tracers. Reduction in the operating time is another advantage of CTD cast operation, especially for regional-scale survey. Our results show that the combination of CTD cast and tow-yo would improve the efficiency of the hydrothermal plume survey to locate new hydrothermal vent sites.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.162-166
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• 2011

The distribution and occurrence of Charybdis japonica larvae were investigated off Yeonpyong-do, Korea, in the Yellow Sea. C. japonica larvae were collected monthly at 15 stations from early June to late October in 2006 and 2007. At each station, a Bongo net with 303 and $505{\mu}m$ mesh was deployed once with a double oblique tow. No larvae were caught in June, in both years. Zoea I was predominant in late July in 2006 and early August in 2007, whereas Zoea I accounted for 84% of all larvae collected and no larval stages later than Zoea III were sampled. Megalopa were the most abundant larval stage at all stations in late August in both years. The timing of larval hatching of C. japonica may be related to that of phytoplankton blooms in the study area. The finding that Zoea I and Megalopa were predominant in the study are may indicate that C. charybdis larvae are carried by advection.