A survey was conducted to analyze seasonal dynamics of the phytoplankton community at 22 stations on the surface and bottom layers in the Anma Islands of Yeonggwang (AIY) in the southern West Sea, Korea from the spring of 2020 to the winter of 2021, using a marine survey vessel Ed Ocean. Based on the survey results, there were 87 phytoplankton species in 52 genera, diatoms accounted for 67.8%, dinoflagellates 26.5%, silicoflagellates 3.5%, and cryptomonads and euglenoids accounted for 1.1% each. By season, it was simple in spring and relatively varied in winter. The phytoplankton standing crop on the surface was low (28.8±30.1 cells mL-1) in summer and high (87.0±65.1 cells mL-1) in spring. In the phytoplankton community, diatoms showed a high share (over 80%) throughout the year, and Skeletonema costatum-ls was the dominant species with a dominance of more than 60% in spring and winter, and 34.6% and 24.2% in summer and autumn, respectively. The diversity expressing the characteristics of the community structure was high (2.79±0.45) in autumn and low (1.82±0.18) in spring, unlike the phytoplankton standing crop. However, the dominance was high at (0.86±0.08) in spring and low (0.44±0.13) in autumn. Based on the results of principal component analysis (PCA) using environmental and phytoplankton-related factors, it was estimated that the biological oceanographic environmental characteristics seen through the phytoplankton community in the AIY were dominated by nutrients supplied from open seawater and surface sediments by seawater mixing, such as tidal mixing.

Species composition and seasonal variations of fish in the Five West Sea Islands in Korea, were investigated by using otter trawls and bongo nets from 2014 to 2015. During the surveyed period using an otter trawl, a total of 53 species, 147,253 ind./km2 and 2,721,296 g/km2 of fish were collected by otter trawls. The individual dominant species were Chaeturichthys stigmatias (30.3%), Coilia nasus (18.2%), Engraulis japonicus (12.3%), and Setipinna tenuifilis (12.2%). Moreover, the biomass dominant species in biomass were Liparis tanakae (21.3%), Beringraja pulchra (18.5%), Engraulis japonicus (8.3%) and Okamejei kenojei (8.1%). Eggs by bongo nets included 1,748 ind./1,000 m3 of Engraulis japonicus and 64,691 ind./1,000 m3 of unidentified species. A total of 15 species and 2,015 ind./1,000 m3 of fish larvae were collected, and the dominant species were Johnius belengerii and Pholis fangi.

We conducted a seasonal field survey to analyze the distribution patterns of a phytoplankton community and biological oceanographic characteristics in the Geum river estuary in 2018. The results showed that the phytoplankton community consisted of 58 genera and 116 species, showing a relatively simple distribution. It was controlled by diatoms at 70.2%, a low number of species in winter and spring, and a high number in summer and autumn. The phytoplankton cell density ranged from 10.0 to 2,904.0 cells mL-1, with an average layer of 577.2 cells mL-1, which was low in autumn and high in winter. The seasonal succession of phytoplankton dominant species was mainly centric diatoms from winter to summer, including Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii, Cerataulina bergonii, and Skeletonema costatum-ls in winter, S. costatum-ls and C. bergonii in spring, and Eucampia zodiacus and Th. nordenskioeldii in summer. However, the autumn species depended upon the regions, with the inner bay dominated by the centric diatom, Aulacoseira cf. granulata, the mixed areas by S. costatum-ls, and the open sea by the dinoflagellate, Lingulodinium polyedra. According to principal component analysis (PCA), the phytoplankton community was greatly affected by the inflow and expansion of freshwater, including high nutrients, which are introduced annually through the rivermouth weir in Geum river estuary. However, the estuary, which is strongly affected by annual freshwater, was limited to areas near Geumran Island, which is adjacent to the river-mouth weir.

The feeding habits of the bighead croaker Collichthys niveatus were studied using 745 specimens collected by bottom trawl net in the West Sea, Korea, in April and October of 2016, 2017 and 2018. The size of C. niveatus ranged from 4.8 to 16.0 cm in total length. The stomach contents analysis indicated that C. niveatus consumed mainly euphausiids and copepods. C. niveatus consumed mainly euphausiids and copepods in all size classes. The dietary compositions of C. niveatus was not significantly different among size classes (One-way ANOVA, P > 0.05). As body size of C. niveatus increased, the mean weight of prey per stomach (mW/ST) tended to increase.

In order to understand the tidal current and mean flow at the west channel of Yeoja Bay in the South Sea of Korea, numerical model experiments and vorticity analysis were carried out. The currents flow north at flood and south at ebb respectively and have the reversing form in the west channel. Topographical eddies are found in the surroundings of Dunbyong Island in the east of the channel. The flood currents flow from the waters near Naro Islands through the west channel and the coastal waters near Geumo Islands through the east channel. The ebb currents from the Yeoja Bay flow out along the west and the east channels separately. The south of Nang Island have weak flows because the island is located in the rear of main tidal stream. Currents are converged at ebb and diverged at flood in the northwest of Jeokgum Island. Tidal current ellipses show reversing form in the west channel but a kind of rotational form in the east channel. As the results of tide induced mean flows, cyclonic and anticyclonic topographical eddies at the northern tip but eddies with opposite spin at the southern tip are found in the west channel of Yeoja Bay. The topographical eddies around the islands and narrow channels are created from the vorticity formed at the land shore by the friction between tidal currents and the west channel.

This study is aimed to compare stock assessment models depending on how the models fit to observed data. Process-error model, Observation-error model, and Bayesian state-space model for the Korean Western coast fisheries were applied for comparison. Analytical results show that there is the least error between the estimated CPUE and the observed CPUE with the Bayesian state-space model; consequently, results of the Bayesian state-space model are the most reliable. According to the Bayesian State-space model, potential yield of fishery resources in the West Sea of Korea is estimated to be 231,949 tons per year. However, the results show that the fishery resources of West Sea have been decreasing since 1967. In addition, the amounts of stock in 2013 are assessed to be only 36% of the stock biomass at MSY level. Therefore, policy efforts are needed to recover the fishery resources of West Sea of Korea.

Acoustic surveys were conducted in the seas surround the South Korea (South Sea A, South Sea B (waters around the Jeju Island), West Sea and East Sea) in spring and autumn in 2016. First, the vertical and horizontal distributions of fisheries resources animals were examined. In most cases vertical acoustic biomass was high in surface water and mid-water layers other than South Sea A in autumn and West Sea. The highest vertical acoustic biomass showed at the depth of 70-80 m in the South Sea A in spring (274.4 m2/nmi2) and the lowest one was 10-20 m in the West Sea in autumn (0.4 m2/nmi2). With regard to the horizontal distributions of fisheries resources animals, in the South Sea A, the acoustic biomass was high in eastern and central part of the South Sea and the northeast of Jeju Island (505.4-4099.1 m2/nmi2) in spring while it was high in eastern South Sea and the coastal water of Yeosu in autumn (1046.9-2958.3 m2/nmi2). In the South Sea B, the acoustic biomass was occurred high in the southern and western seas of Jeju Island in spring (201.0-1444.9 m2/nmi2) and in the southern of Jeju Island in autumn (203.7-1440.9 m2/nmi2). On the other hand, the West Sea showed very low acoustic biomass in spring (average NASC of 1.1 m2/nmi2), yet high acoustic biomass in the vicinity of 37 N in autumn (562.6-3764.2 m2/nmi2). The East Sea had high acoustic biomass in the coastal seas of Busan, Ulsan and Pohang in spring (258.7~976.4 m2/nmi2) and of Goseong, Gangneung, Donghae, Pohang and Busan in autumn (267.3-1196.3 m2/nmi2). During survey periods, fish schools were observed only in the South Sea A and the East Sea in spring and the West Sea in autumn. Fish schools in the South Sea A in spring were small size (333.2 ± 763.2 m2) but had a strong SV (–49.5 ± 5.3 dB). In the East Sea, fish schools in spring had low SV (–60.5 ± 14.5 dB) yet had large sizes (537.9 ± 1111.5 m2) and were distributed in the deep water depth (83.5 ± 33.5 m). Fish schools in the West Sea in autumn had strong SV (–49.6 ± 7.4 dB) and large sizes (507.1 ± 941.8 m2). It was the first time for three seas surrounded South Korea to be conducted by acoustic surveys to understand the distribution and aggregation characteristics of fisheries resources animals. The results of this study would be beneficially used for planning a future survey combined acoustic method and mid-water trawling, particularly deciding a survey location, a time period, and a targeting water depth.

In this study, total mercury (THg) variations of Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs laid on Baengnyeongdo, West Sea of Korea were compared between within- and among clutch in order to ensure statistical representativeness of an egg sampling method. In the ANOVA analysis, the THg variation (59%) among clutches was much higher than within-clutch (27%). This means that the mercury variation of sampled eggs was significantly influenced by the mercury variation among female individuals occupying different nests. In spite of relatively smaller variation of THg in the within-clutch, the THg concentration depending on an egg-laying sequence within a clutch significantly appeared higher in the first-laid eggs rather than the second-laid eggs. Therefore, it is necessary to take one egg from one nest in order to sample more nests in terms of better sampling representativeness. Also, one egg selection from one nest should be consistently applied in order to ensure comparability of mercury concentrations among monitoring sites and monitoring years.

Distribution and composition of the seabed litters in the exclusive economic zone of the West Sea of South Korea including 18 sea-blocks were investigated using a bottom trawl gear of the R/V Tamgtu 20 (National Institute of Fisheries Science) from 24th April 2011 to 4th May 2012. Each trawl shot was conducted for an hour in each sea-block and the total trawl shots was 18. As a result, 325.6 kg of seabed litter in total has been collected.　The quantity of the seabed litter was highest at No. 202 of the sea-block, close to the Heuksan-Do. The highest occupied sea material was plastic (83.1% of entire seabed litters), the second highest material was metal combined with plastic (10.6%), and glass (2.9%), metals (2.3%), vinyl (0.6%), cloth (0.4%) and wood (0.2%) in order. The origin of seabed litters was from fishing gear (89.0% of all seabed litters). Therefore, it could be assumed that most seabed litters were derived from the fishing activity for example fishing nets and ropes.

2011~2012년 보령연안 수온의 시공간적 변동특성을 장기 연속수온관측 자료를 이용하여 분석하였다. 수온은 반일 또는 일일의 단주기 변동이 전 계절에 탁월하고 그 진폭은 하계와 춘계에 크고 추계에 작다. 수온과 기온의 연변동 진폭은 기온 12.9℃, 수온 10.9℃로 기온이 더 크며, 연변동 최고위상은 기온 8월 2일, 수온 8월 22일로 기온이 20일 앞선다. 수온의 연변동 진폭은 원산도와 대천항 연안에서 가장 크다. 수온변동 중 일일주기는 대천항과 무창포항, 반일주기는 원산도 주변 협수로에서 탁월하며, 대천천 하구는 천해조 비율이 높 다. 표층수온과 기온은 대체로 풍향 변동에 따라 변동한다. 하천수가 방출되면 수온은 상승 후 하강 또는 하강 후 상승한다. 수온 탁월주 기는 0.5일, 1.0일, 15일 주기와 7~10일 전후이다. 수온변동특성에 따라 해역을 분류하면 ①원산도 남동연안의 혼합수역 ②삽시도~용도, 장 고도~삽시도, 장고도~안면도 남쪽의 서쪽 외해수역 ③용도~독산의 남쪽 외해수역 ④송도~대천항~무창포항의 조간대 연안수역으로 구분 된다.

This study was carried out to investigate insect community structure from different habitats. We performed day and night collection at three different habitats (mountain, coast and rural area) of island Deokjeok, island Soya and island Mungap from May to September in 2014. A total of 3,482 individuals of 725 species, 119 families belonging to 10 orders were collected and identified. A dominant species was Corymbia rubra (Cerambycidae) despite a very low percentage of the species among the catches. Results of ANOVA test showed a significant effect of habitats typeon species diversity. Also, combination of seasons and habitats types were significantly influential with species abundance and species diversity. Indicator species analysis (ISA) result identified 121 significant (p < 0.05) indicator species; one species for the habitats cluster, 93 species for the season cluster and 27species for combination of habitats with seasons.

Experimental fishing was carried out to compare the catches of main species and bycatch according to the codend mesh size (raschel, 15mm, 25mm, 35mm, 45mm) of stow net on anchor in the coastal waters of Seocheon after manufacturing five kinds of fishing gears and commercial fishing boat (7.93 tons) was used for it. Anchovy (Engraulis japonicus), southern rough shrimp (Trachysalambria curvirostris), beka squid (Loligo beka), cuttle fish (Sepia esculenta), swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) were dominant on the five kinds of experimental fishing gears. Southern rough shrimp was caught from all kinds of fishing gears and catches of anchovy was highest in the raschel codend, southern rough shrimp for 15mm, 25mm, 35mm codend and beka squid for 45mm codend. Bycatch proportion against total catches was 623,376g (28.7%) for 2,171,844g in raschel, 11,932g (1.7%) for 704,451g in 15mm, 3,616g (1.6%) for 221,432g in 25mm, 9,276g (4.9%) for 191,052g in 35mm and 2,724g (5.3%) for 51,431g in 45mm.

본 연구는 해안 염해지 수목 식재를 위한 내염성 및 내조성 수종을 선발하고자 한국 서해안 해안림의 식생조사와 토양염분도를 조사 분석하였다. 조사지의 토양염분은 전체 평균 EC1:5 0.11dSm-1이었고, 최저 0.00dSm-1, 최고 0.68dSm-1이었다. 토양염분(EC1:5)은 해안 정선으로 부터 내륙 방향으로 갈수록 낮았으며, Ⅰ지대〉Ⅱ지대〉Ⅲ지대〉Ⅳ 지대 순으로 각각 EC1:5 0.14dSm-1, 0.11dSm-1, 0.10dSm-1, 0.08dSm-1이었다. 출현한 자생식물은 52과 104속 24변종 157종 총 181분류군이었다. 토양염분이 가장 높은 단계인 EC1:5 0.51dSm-1를 초과하는 곳에서 EC의 특이값 또는 이상치의 수준으로 여러 번 출현하는 수종은 곰솔, 청미래덩굴, 떡갈나무, 졸참나무 등이었다. EC1:5 0.41~0.50dSm-1에서는 EC1:5 0.40dSm-1 이하에 속하는 식물들 이외에도 왕자귀나무, 멀구슬나무, 계요등으로 출현빈도가 매우 낮았다. 전체 지대에 출현하는 수종은 리기다소나무, 소나무, 곰솔, 노간주나무 등 이었고, 중요도가 높은 수종은 소나무, 곰솔, 이대, 청미래덩굴, 굴피나무 등이었다. 이러한 수종은 조사지의 자생 수종들 중에서 다른 수종에 비하여 상대적으로 내조성이 강한 것으로 판단되었다.

Experimental fishing was carried out to compare fishing status according to the codend mesh size (raschel, 15mm, 25mm, 35mm, 45mm) of stow net on anchor in the coastal waters of Seocheon after manufacturing five kinds of fishing gears and commercial fishing boat (7.93 tons) was used for it. Total catches of raschel, 15mm, 25mm, 35mm, 45mm codend were 816,949g, 203,994g, 1,405g, 51,576g, 194g in September and 40,545g, 66,974g, 14,692g, 12,647g, 12,655g in October. Dominance species were anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) in raschel codend, largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in 15mm and 35mm in September, and the amount of catches was very small in 25mm and 45mm codend due to the fishing gear damage. In October, dominance species were anchovy and beka squid (Loligo beka) in raschel, 15mm, 25mm codend, and cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) and beka squid were mainly caught in 35mm and 45mm codend. In addition, total length of anchovy and cardinal fish (Apogon lineatus) were increased according to the increase of codend mesh size but there was no difference in the mantle length of cuttlefish and loligo beka.

1971년부터 2001년까지 해양 및 기상관측 자료를 활용하여 한국 서해에서 기상인자(기온, 바람, 강수량)가 수온과 염분 변화에 미치는 영향을 분석 하였다. 그 결과 수온-기온, 수온-강수량, 염분-풍속은 정상관(+)을, 수온-풍속, 염분-기온, 염분-강수량은 역상관(-)의 관계를 보였다. 기상인자와 해양인자간의 시간지연(time lag)은 표층에서 0~4개월, 저층까지 기상의 영향이 도달하는 데에는 표층보다 0~4개월의 시간지연이 더 있었다. 수온은 같은 해의 기온 변화의 영향을 크게 받는 반면, 염분은 그 직전해의 강수량의 영향을 크게 받았다. 풍속의 강약에 따라 수온, 염분의 변동 폭 또한 함께 변하였다.

서해 배타적경제수역내 해사채취구역에서 해저지형 변화를 규명하기 위하여 2회에 걸쳐 단일빔음향측심기를 이용한 측심자료를 획득하였다. 교차점 분석에 의한 측심자료의 정확도는 IHO 표준의 2등급에 해당하였다. 지형도는 폭 300 m, 깊이 10 m의 구덩이 형태를 나타내었으며, 이러한 지형의 변화 과정이 두 지형도 수심차의 분포에서 표현되었다. 그러나 해사채취량을 정량화하기 위해서는 더욱 정확하고 정밀한 자료가 요구된다. 이러한 지형변화는 퇴적환경 및 저서생태 환경에 영향을 미칠 수 있으므로 한정된 모래자원을 관리하고 지속가능한 개발을 위해서는 과학적인 조사자료에 근거한 환경영향평가가 요구된다.