• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.475-484
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• 2008

The word 'Saemangeum' indicates an estuarine tidal flat in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. The Saemangeum Reclamation Project was launched as a national project in 1991 to reclaim a large coastal area of $401\;km^2$ by constructing a 33-km long dyke. The final dyke enclosure in April 2006 has transformed the tidal flat into lake and land. An integrated oceanographic study has been conducted since 2002 as a part of the Government Action Plan to monitor and assess changes in the marine environment. Prior to the dyke enclosure, the coastal environment in the Saemangeum was a complex system governed by tidal motion, estuarine processes, and coastal circulation of the Yellow Sea. The dyke construction has radically changed not only the estuarine tidal system inside the dyke, but also the coastal marine environment outside the dyke. Post to the dyke enclosure, subsequent changes such as red tide, hypoxia, and coastal erosion/deposition occur successively. Red tides appear almost the year round in the inner area. Even under the condition that the sluice gates are fully open, the water quality does not improve as much as the developers would expect, mainly due to the critical reduction of the hydrodynamic stirring power. We will introduce details of our monitoring program and significant changes in the Saemangeum marine environment, based on observations and model results.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.138-150
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• 2003

In the mid-west coast of Korea where Mankyung and Dongjin rivers discharge fresh water, Saemangeum tidal dyke of 33 km long is under construction to reclaim the very shallow estuary region of 41,000ha. Main source of freshwater in this coastal area is Keum River locating closely north of the dyke. At present, the dyke connected with Gogunsan-Gundo separates this area into three regions; northwestern, southwestern and eastern (Saemangeum) region of the dyke, and the water in Saemangeum region is exchanged through one gap in the northern dyke and two gaps in the southern dyke. We have observed distributions and structures of temperature and salinity to examine the summer circulation related with low-salinity water in this coastal area in 1998 and 1999. In the surface layer off the northern dyke a tongue-like distribution of low-salinity extends 60 km long from Keum River estuary mouth to the northwest, forming plume front bounded by offshore water. In the inner region of Saemangeum dykes salinity distributions show that two river waters are merged together and the low salinity water is deflected toward northern gap of the dyke. In the surface layer off the southern dyke we observed small tongue-like distribution of another low-salinity water extending to the north from Gomso Bay. Based on the analysis of distributions of low-salinity water and frontal structures, we can suggest an anticlockwise circulation of coastal water around the dyke, composed by the estuarine water outgoing from the inner region of the dyke through the northern dyke's gap and the inflow through two gaps of southern dyke from offshore. After completing the dyke construction, this coastal circulation around the dyke will be, however, changed because fresh water discharge of Mankyung and Dongjin rivers will be routed artificially and directly into the area offshore of the southern dyke.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.293-303
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• 2006

The topography of the sea floor and textural characteristics of surface sediments are documented in areas off sectors 1,2, and 4 of the Saemangeum dyke and inside the dyke. These were investigated during the years 2002 to 2005, when the dyke construction almost came to an end, and were compared with natural topographic analogs before the dyke construction from the maritime maps of 1982 and 1994. Along and across the dyke are a number of erosional troughs formed by intensified currents during the dyke construction. The sea floor off sector 4 has undergone gradual accumulation of sands moving from the north by currents varying in direction from normal to parallel to the dyke. This is in a strong contrast with a slight erosional environment prevailing over the sea floor before dyke construction. off sectors 1 and 2, a topography with an alterative pattern of erosional troughs and sand shoals develops normal to the dyke. Eroded materials from the troughs seem to have added to the sand shoals. As a result, the troughs, former natural tidal channels, have become increasingly deeper, whereas the sand shoals have become somewhat shallower. The sea floor inside the dyke has also been remarkably shallower with expanding tidal flats due to trapping by the dyke of continuous sediment input from the Dongjin and Mangyeong rivers. Sands, all of which are considered to have originated originally from the two rivers, dominate the entire Saemangeum area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.327-338
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• 2009

Zooplankton community structure was investigated in the Saemangeum region in March, May, July and October of 2007 and 2008 in order to understand the potential effect of post construction of Saemangeum dyke on their temporal and spatial distribution. Mean abundance of zooplankton in the inner and outer area of the dyke, except for dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans, ranged from 173 to 15,830 ind.m$^{-3}$, showing higher variability in the inner area compared to the outer area. Zooplankton abundance was higher in the outer area than the inner area in 2007, and vice versa in 2008. In the inner area of the dyke, zooplankton abundance was the highest in May 2007 and March 2008. In the outer area of the dyke, abundance was the highest in October 2007 and July 2008. Brackish species such as Tortanus derjugini and Pseudodiaptomus inopinus were dominant prior to construction of the dyke, and appeared less frequently in the inner area. Marine zooplankton taxa such as juvenile hydromedusa, and calanoid copepods Acartiahongi and Paracalanus parvus s.l. dominated both areas of the dyke. In CCA analysis, zooplankton community structure in the inner and outer area was similar in March and May, but different in July and October. Temperature, salinity and COD were important environmental factors affecting zooplankton community structure. These results suggest that zooplankton community structure in the inner and outer area of Saemangeum dyke are significantly affected by whether the sluice gates are closed or open.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.485-495
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• 2008

Tidal ranges of inner Saemangeum were largely reduced after the final dyke enclosure, resulting in the former tidal flats becoming either permanently exposed, still influenced by changing tide, or permanently submerged. The effect of reduced tidal range on survival and population stability of tidal flat macrofauna were investigated at three shifted habitats after the dyke completion. At the exposed area, several species survived for 80 days after the dyke enclosure. However, within 120 days, all macrofauna died off due to the elevated temperature during summer. At the intertidal area, some species were maintained until 170 days after the dyke enclosure with a large decrease of the faunal abundance. Species of the submerged area were seen to be more tolerant of the changed environments. The opportunistic species, such as Sinocorophium sinensis, Theora fragilis and Pseudopolydora Kempi, were massively introduced into the submerged area after the dyke enclosure, in which the benthic ecosystem was severely disturbed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 2011

The Saemangeum embankment construction have changed the flowing on the topography of the coastal marine environment. However, the variety of ecological factors are changing from outside of Saemangeum embankment area. The ecosystem of various marine organisms have led to changes by sea surface temperature. The aim of this study is to monitoring of sea surface temperature(SST) changes were measured by using thermal infrared satellite imagery, MODIS and Landsat. The MODIS data have the high temporal resolution and Landsat satellite data with high spatial resolution was used for time series monitoring. The extracted informations from sea surface temperature changes were compared with the dyke to allow them inside and outside of Saemangeum embankment. The spatial extent of the spread of sea water were analyzed by SST using MODIS and Landsat thermal channel data. The difference of sea surface temperature between inland and offshore waters of Saemangeum embankment have changed by seasonal flow and residence time of sea water in dyke.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2008

Subtidal surface currents are derived from HF radar measurements in the Saemangeum coastal ocean of the Yellow sea in July 2002 and from September to November 2004. The surface current field is analyzed to examine the effect of wind, river plume and coastline change on the spatial distribution and temporal variation of the surface currents. In July 2002, average wind speed was 0.5 m/s and freshwater discharge from the Keum River was $0.88{\times}10^7\;ton/day$. Temporal mean currents ($\overline{U}$) flow to the northwest with speed of $7{\sim}10\;cm/s$ near the Keum River estuary, to the west as fast as 13 cm/s near the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke, and to the northwest off the Gogunsan-archipelago. This flow pattern is a result of the Keum River plume dispersal and tide-residual currents from the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. Time series of spatially-averaged current (<$U-\overline{U}$>) direction is highly (r=0.98) correlated with wind direction. From September to November 2004, the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke was closed, northwesterly wind blew with speed of 2.5 m/s on average and the Keum River discharge was $1.19{\times}10^7\;ton/day$. Temporal mean current field ($\overline{U}$) has weak surface flow in most of the coastal ocean and relatively strong currents flow to the southwest with speed of 10 cm/s along the shape coastline of the Gogunsan-archipelago and the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. The strong flow is generated by the prevailing northwesterly wind which pushes the Keum River plume toward the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. The residual currents from the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke disappeared and correlation coefficient between time series of spatially-averaged current () direction and the wind direction is 0.69.