Microorganisms utilizing petroleum as substrate were screened from the seawater in Pusan coastal area. Among them, fifty strains utilized bunker-A oil as a sole carbon and energy source. Five of these fifty strains were selected to experiment this study. According to the taxonomic characteristics of its morphological, cultural and biochemical properties, the selected strains were named Pseudomonas sp. EL-12, Flavobacterium sp. EL-15, Acinetobacter sp. EL-18, Enterobacter sp. EL-27 and Micrococcus sp. EL-43, respectively. The optimal medium compositions and cultural conditions for assimilation of bunker-A oil by the selected strains were 1.5-2% bunker-A oil, 0.1% NH4NO3, 1-1.5% MgSO4·7H2O, 0.05-0.15% KCl, 0.1-0.15% CaCl2·2H2O, 2.5-3.5% NaCl, initial pH 8-9, temperature 30℃ and aeration, respectively. The utilization and degradation characteristics on the various hydrocarbons by the selected strains were showed that bunker oil, n-alkane and branched alkane compounds were highly activity than cyclic alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds.

This study was carried out to evaluate off-shore water quality and to draw marine pollution map to Southern sea in Korea by bioassay using gametes and early development system of Asterias amurensis. From the bioassay, it was determined that the water qualites of Southern sea maintained the grade Ⅱ, because development of A. amurensis were moderately inhibited. However, Sunchon, Kwangyang, and Jinhae Bay belonged to grade Ⅲ, because development of A. amurensis were strongly inhibited. This could be due to the inflows of several river systems and poor water circulation. The water quality at Yosu island was the grade I, because A. amurensis were not inhibited in its early development.

The water quality and phytoplankton communities of the coastal waters of Inchon were investigated 4 times from May, 1995 to January, 1996. The characteristic of the study was shallow muddy bottom environment with high SS concentration. The water qualities were belong to the category of I-grade in DO, Ⅱ to Ⅲ grade in COD and Ⅲ-grade in inorganic nutrients such as T-N and T-P. Total 136 species of phytoplankton were observed in this study and species richness was on the decrease compared with the results of previous studies. The mean of phytoplankton species diversities was 1.93, decreased in recent years and the value in autumn was slightly higher than that in other seasons.

A study was carried out on the distribution of chlorophyll a and water quality in the dry season in Yosuhae bay and adjoining sea, Southern Korea, in July of 1994. Concentration of salinity and phosphate were lower in the outer bay than in the inner bay. While nitrate and silicate were higher in the former than in the latter. We were identified with coastal water of origin from China with the lower salinity in outer bay. The China coastal water was characteristic of high nutrients and phytoplankton biomass, such as chlorophyll a. The principal component analysis (PCA) on the analytical data proved that high density of phytoplankton biomass occurred under the condition of low salinity and high concentration of dissolved inorganic nutrients. It is thought that the thermoharine structure and biological produtions of Yosuhae bay were controlled by the China coastal water in the outer bay.

Extreme environments and freak wave characteristics in the coastal waters of Korean Peninsula are analyzed using the observed wave data. Freak wave has been intensely emphasized as an important environmental force parameter in several recent research works. However, the mechanism and occurrence probability of freak wave are not clarified. The aims of this study are: to summarize the distribution of extreme environment for wind waves, and to find occurrence probability of freak wave in the coastal waters of Korean Peninsula. These extreme sea conditions are discussed by applying extreme value analysis method, and the statistic characteristics are summarized which can be used to the design and analysis of coastal structures. The mechanism and the occurrence probability of freak wave are also discussed in detail using wave parameters in considered with wave deformation in the coastal waters.