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Abstract: This is the first study to report the concentrations and accumulation profiles of PFCs in marine mammals from Korea. The concentrations and profiles of 10 PFCs in the liver of minke whales and common dolphins from Korean coastal waters were recorded in this study. The mean concentrations of PFOS and PFUnDA were 3–20 times higher than that found for other PFCs analyzed. The concentrations of PFOS in cetaceans from Korea were relatively lower than those reported in other countries. Inter-species differences in the concentrations of PFOS, PFOSA and PFNA were found between two cetacean species, while no difference was observed in the concentrations of PFDA, PFUnDA and PFDoDA between the species. The dominant PFC compounds found in cetaceans were PFUnDA and PFOS, accounting for 70–80% of the PFCs. The accumulation profiles and correlation analysis indicated that two cetacean species have different exposure routes and metabolic capacity for PFCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on the study on the genetic characterization of four East Asian giant scallop populations using microsatellite markers in Korea, China, Russia and Japan. It states that knowledge of scallop population genetics is essential for the adequate management and the improvement of genetic resources of cultivated stocks. The study found high levels of polymorphism in the East Asian giant scallop, which permitted a fine-scale analysis of population relationships. Also, the study revealed that microsatellite markers are a powerful approach by which to monitor genetic diversity in the said population.

Abstract: Large amounts of the manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, have been imported from Dalian (China) recently to meet the increasing demand in Korea. To ensure the quality and safety of the domestic marine product, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between domestic manila clams and clams that are imported from Dalian, China. We developed expressed sequence tags (ESTs)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism markers using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 780,000 ESTs were assembled, and 49,540 putative SNPs were identified from 46,405 contigs. Twenty-one polymorphic SNPs from 11 primers were finally selected as diagnostic markers. Genotype analysis showed that 21 SNP markers had the opposite alleles (transitions or transversions) between domestic and imported samples, which were useful for distinguishing clam origins. The GENECLASS 2.0 program was used to estimate the ability of the markers in the discrimination between domestic and imported populations. The 21 SNP markers had 98.96% ability to discriminate domestic manila clams and 100% ability to identify those imported. These markers could be useful for discriminating between domestic and imported manila clams and can contribute to the prevention of falsified labeling of this species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two species of mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis and Eriocheir japonica, are commercially valuable in Korea. Millions of their juveniles have been released in attempts to restore ecological habitat and enhance fishery resources. Due to their habitat's singularity, exact species identification should be conducted before juveniles are released. In this study, we used a highly conserved region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene to distinguish E. sinensis from E. japonica. We designed a primer set to amplify part of the mitochondrial cyt b gene of both species and obtained 1024 base pairs (bp) of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product. These PCR products were digested with the restriction enzyme MboII and the species-specific restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns were analyzed. Also, we designed primers for the rapid identification of cyt b gene (498 bp) to distinguish E. sinensis. PCR-RFLP and PCR using new primers are a fast and inexpensive method to access species identification. This simple and rapid method can provide useful information for E. sinensis and E. japonica species identification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite several studies that report accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT in marine mammals worldwide, very few have examined polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs. In particular, no earlier studies have reported concentrations and accumulation profiles of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in marine mammals from Korea. In this study, concentrations and accumulation features of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs were measured in liver and blubber of minke whales and long-beaked common dolphins collected from Korean coastal waters. The concentrations of PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in blubber were 3–10 times higher than the concentrations measured in liver, but PCDDs were higher in liver than blubber. Total toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations in blubber of minke whales and common dolphins from Korean coastal waters were similar to, or higher than those reported for cetaceans and seals from other countries. Homologue and congener profiles of PCDD/Fs were different between livers and blubbers, while the profiles of dioxin-like PCBs were similar between the tissues. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in liver and blubber of dolphins were significantly higher than those measured in whales, due to differences in habitat and diet. The relative contribution of individual chemical groups to total TEQs was different between the two cetacean species, suggesting different exposures and metabolic activity. The TEQ levels in minke whales did not exceed the threshold level suggested for immunomodulation, while TEQs in all dolphin samples exceeded the suggested threshold level, implying potential adverse health effects from exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Information on the occurrence and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in marine mammals from Korean coastal waters is not available to date. This is the first study to investigate concentrations and accumulation of PCBs, OCPs, and PBDEs in liver and blubber of minke whales and common dolphins from Korean coastal waters. The concentrations of organochlorines and PBDEs in blubber were several times higher than in liver. The concentrations of PCBs and OCPs were generally low, but the concentrations of PBDEs were similar to those reported for cetaceans elsewhere. The accumulation profiles of OCPs differed between liver and blubber, while the profiles of PCBs and PBDEs were relatively similar in both tissues. The concentrations of PCBs, DDTs, CHLs and PBDEs in common dolphins were significantly higher than those in minke whales, while there were no inter-species differences for HCHs and HCB. The predominant OCP, PCB and PBDE congeners in cetaceans were p,p'-DDE, PCB 153 and BDE 47, respectively. The concentrations of PCBs and DDTs in Korean cetaceans were close to the threshold for adverse health effects., (2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)