Flow prediction was carried out through observational survey and three dimensional multi-layered numerical diagnostic model experiment to clarify the time and spatial structure of tidal current and residual flow dominant in the sea exchange and material circulation of the waters around Geumo Islands in the southern waters of Korea. The horizontal variation of tidal current is so large that it causes asymmetric tidal mixing due to horizontal eddies and the topographical effect creating convergence and dispersion of flow direction and velocity. Due to strong tidal currents flowing northwest-southeast, counterclockwise and clockwise eddies are formed on the left and right sides of the south of Sori Island. These topographical eddies are created by horizontal turbulence and bottom friction causing nonlinear effects. Baroclinic density flows are less than 5 cm/s at coastal area in summer and the entire sea area in winter. The wind driven currents assuming summer and winter seasonal winds are also less than 5 cm/s and the current flow rate is high in winter. Density current in summer and wind driven current in winter have a relatively greater effect on the net residual flows (tidal residual current + density current + density driven current) around Geumo Islands Sea area.

Species composition of fishes and the recruitment properties of jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus, in the waters around the Geumo Islands in the mid-South Sea were investigated by using both sides fyke nets every month from February to December 2010. During study period, a total of 30,503 fishes (1,380.4 kg) were collected and classified into 2 classes, 16 orders, 61 families and 121 species. The dominant species was jack mackerel occupying 80.5% of total individuals and 44.4% of total biomass. The fork length range of jack mackerel was 5.5-26.8 cm and individuals about 6 cm was appeared only in the middle and southern area of the Geumo Islands in May. The new recruitment of jack mackerel appeared from May in the waters around the Geumo Islands is probably caused by the warm water intrusion associated with the development of stratification due to the extinction of seasonal coastal cold waters by the increase of solar radiation heat. Furthermore, the jack mackerels less than 6 cm recruiting in the mid-South Sea in spring were considered as mixed ones by individuals spawned in the East China Sea and in the waters around the Jeju Island considering the collected time, migration period and spawning time of them.