[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The National Institute of Ecology published a guidebook titled "East Coast Estuarine Wetlands," covering ecological information on 77 estuarine wetlands along the East Coast, on the 18th.
Estuarine wetlands are formed where rivers meet the sea, exhibiting diverse environmental changes and rich biodiversity, making them areas of high conservation value.
This guidebook includes current information on 77 estuarine wetlands located along the East Coast, from Goseong-gun in Gangwon Province to Dongnae-gu in Busan, as well as explanations of the characteristics and functions of estuarine zones in Korea and general information about estuarine wetlands.
It contains various information and photos for each estuarine wetland, such as estuary type, area, land cover types, and lists of legally protected species, making it easy to understand the current status of estuarine wetlands.
The total water area of the 77 East Coast estuarine wetlands is 247.4 km², with the largest water area recorded at the Taehwa River Estuarine Wetland in Ulsan (35 km²). The estuarine wetland with the smallest water area is Sinamcheon in Ulju-gun, Ulsan (0.07 km²).
Seventy-six sites, including Gyeongpocheon in Gangwon, are natural estuaries (open estuaries), while the remaining one site, Yeocheoncheon in Ulsan, was identified as an artificial estuary (closed estuary).
The East Coast Estuarine Wetlands guidebook is available for download in electronic file (PDF) format on the National Institute of Ecology website. Printed copies will be distributed to related organizations such as local (watershed) environmental offices starting early February.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Ecology plans to publish a guidebook introducing estuarine wetlands of the South Coast by the end of this year.
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