Hyoryeon Kim, Ph.D. Student in Oceanography, and Research Findings

A joint research team comprising Hyoryeon Kim, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Oceanography at Incheon National University (INU) and first author of the study; Professor Ilnam Kim, academic advisor and corresponding author; and Professor Joohyung Kim of Kunsan National University examined changes in inorganic nitrogen concentrations and microorganisms during different cultivation stages at a laver farm in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do. The findings were published in Marine Environmental Research (IF: 3.4), an international SCIE-indexed journal.

The research team monitored the laver farm from the early to late stages of cultivation and observed changes in the marine environment as the laver grew. Inorganic nitrogen concentrations in seawater decreased during growth and later recovered.

During the early cultivation stage, changes in nitrogen were mainly associated with nutrients and organic matter supplied from outside the farm. During the middle stage, when laver growth was most active, the role of microorganisms in the reuse of nitrogen became relatively more important as nitrogen levels decreased. During the late stage, changes associated with residual organic matter became more noticeable.

The results show that conditions at laver farms change throughout the cultivation period and that nitrogen-related processes vary according to the growth stage of the laver.

The study examined nutrient changes during laver cultivation by considering both laver growth and the activities of microorganisms in the surrounding environment. The findings provide information that can help researchers better understand changes in nutrients during the cultivation period and may be useful for future studies of laver farming environments.