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Article

Distributions of Dissolved Organic Matter and Nutrients in Spring Waters along Jeju Island’s coast

제주 연안 용천수의 용존유기물 및 영양염의 분포 특성

Byung-Chan Song1
,
Jeonghyun Kim1*
송 병찬1
,
김 정현1*
1Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
1제주대학교 해양과학대학 지구해양과학과 (63243) 제주특별자치도 제주시 제주대학로 102
*Corresponding Author
5 September 2025. pp. 1-12
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Abstract

This study systematically investigated the nutrients and optical characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in 16 coastal spring waters distributed around Jeju Island. Significant spatial differences in water quality were observed, primarily reflecting regional geological settings, groundwater residence time, and anthropogenic activities such as fertilizer application. Notably high concentrations of nitrate were found in western sites, indicating strong influences from agricultural nitrogen loading. An optical analyses of both chromophoric (CDOM) and fluorescent DOM (FDOM), including optical indices, revealed that humic-like terrestrially derived DOM dominated most springs, while microbially-derived and protein-like DOM were also prominent in some locations. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the variation in DOM and nutrient composition was governed by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. The findings highlight marked spatial heterogeneity in chemical and optical DOM properties and nitrogen pollution status among Jeju’s spring waters. This research provides an important scientific basis for the conservation of coastal water quality and a biogeochemical understanding of groundwater-coastal system interactions in a volcanic island context.

Keywords
dissolved organic matter
nutrient
chromophoric dissolved organic matter
fluorescent dissolved organic matter
spring water
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Information
  • Publisher :Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국해양과학기술원
  • Journal Title :Ocean and Polar Research
  • Journal Title(Ko) :Ocean and Polar Research
  • Volume : 47
  • Pages :1-12
  • Received Date : 2025-07-21
  • Revised Date : 2025-08-18
  • Accepted Date : 2025-08-22
  • Published Date : 2025-09-05
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.4217/OPR.2025014
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