In order to elucidate temporal variations of temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), suspended particulate matter (SPM), dissolved inorganic nutrients, and chlorophyll a, we performed 25-hour continuous monitoring in the Seomjin River Estuary in March (dry season) and July (rainy season) 2006. We also investigated spatial variations of marine environmental parameters across a saline gradient. In the Seomjin River Estuary, continuous monitoring results revealed that salinity variations were mainly affected by tidal cycle in the dry season and by river discharge in the rainy season. In the dry season, the spatio-temporal distribution of dissolved inorganic nutrient (nitrate, nitrite, and silicate) concentrations showed a good correlation with tidal cycle. While nutrient concentrations in rainy season showed not much variance in time. There were 6 and 4 times higher dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the rainy season than those in the dry season, respectively. Silicate concentration was 43 times higher in the rainy season than that in the dry season. Chlorophyll a concentration was higher in the dry season than that in the rainy season showing high nutrient concentrations. The results of this study, spatio-temporal variations of marine environmental factors are determined by both tidal cycle and river discharge. It seems that chlorophyll a concentration is related to the river discharge than dissolved inorganic nutrient distribution.

) in this study was higher compared to the other Korean coast measured with the same method. Denitrification showed the same seasonal variation as oxygen fluxes. Denitrification rate based on 15 N-nitrate showed a strong correlation with nitrate flux into the sediments from the overlying water. Denitrification via "water column supplied nitrate (D w )", calculated from Isotope pairing technique, also correlated well with nitrate flux into the sediments. Nitrate from water column seems to account for seasonal variation of denitrification in Nakdong River Estuary. To understand general patterns and trends of biogeochemical processes of sediments in the Nakdong River Estuary, we categorized biogeochemical fluxes measured in this study according to direction and sizes of fluxes. Type 1(high oxygen and inorganic nitrogen fluxes into the sediments and high denitrification) occurred in summer, whereas Type 2(low oxygen and inorganic nitrogen fluxes into the sediments and low denitrification) occurred in rest of the season. Intertidal flat sediments seem to react sensitively to influence of freshwater from the Nakdong River.