Distribution of Water Masses and Chemical Properties in the East Sea of Korea in Spring 2005

In order to understand the water mass properties in the southern location of the East Sea in the Korean coasts, the vertical distributions (down to 2,000 m deep) of water temperature, salinity, and dissolved inorganic nutrients were determined in April of 2005. The water mass of the surveyed location showed distinct ver- tical layers; highly saline surface, surface mixing layer, and thermocline of low temperature and salinity. The water layer below 300 m was characterized by water temperature lower than 1 o C and salinity 34.06, showing a rep- resentative water mass of the East Sea. The inorganic nutrients rapidly increased from 200 m in the northern and southern parts around Ulleung Basin. A marked environmental difference was found between two layers separated by thermocline. The upper layer of the thermocline was oligotrophic and the vertical distribution of nutrient was very stable. In the water layer between 100 and 200 m the nutrients slightly increased but remained still stable. From south- ern coasts to northeastern Ulleung, the water mass properties were site specific; the thickness of the surface mixed layer and nutricline showed a trend diminishing toward the northern locations probably due to diminished influence of Tsushima water. Redfield ratio (N:P=16:1) based on the ratio of chemical composition in organism revealed that nitrogen value continuously decreased to less than 16 with the water depth down to 100m from the thermocline. The value in the water layer deeper than 100 to 200 m, thereafter, showed an increasing trend (over 16). This result was further supported by the finding of lower chlrophyll a content in the layer.