Marine Environment Ecology Institute, Pohang City, and Gunsan University Conduct Research Service for Creating Sea Forests

The Marine Environment and Ecology Research Institute recently conducted a sea forest creation research project in collaboration with Pohang City and Kunsan National University.

A sea forest refers to an area where seaweed is artificially planted in shallow coastal waters to prevent phenomena such as seabed desertification (whitening phenomenon) and to restore habitats for marine resources.

Seaweed has attracted attention as a candidate for blue carbon, a carbon sink known to absorb carbon up to 50 times faster than terrestrial ecosystems according to various studies.

As seaweed grows and performs photosynthesis, consuming carbon dioxide in the process, the carbon neutrality value of sea forests is difficult to compare with that of terrestrial forests.

An underwater chamber is being installed to create a sea forest.

Since 2009, the government has been promoting sea forest creation projects to restore ecosystems in coastal areas damaged by marine desertification.

However, the project has faced many difficulties due to abnormal climate events such as typhoons and the impact of herbivorous marine animals like sea urchins that graze on seaweed.

The research report from the Marine Environment and Ecology Research Institute includes a Pohang-type marine carbon complex strategy featuring scientific responses and post-management technologies differentiated from existing sea forest creation projects.

Specifically, the institute developed Korea’s first underwater chamber to evaluate the carbon dioxide removal capacity of the seaweed 'Gamtae' used in sea forest creation and quantified the reduction amount of carbon dioxide by water layer in the sea.

Considering the high waves and rocky seabed conditions of the East Coast, a seaweed fixation anchor using natural cement was developed, and a region-customized seaweed transplantation technique was introduced.

In particular, an eco-friendly buffer device was established to block access by herbivorous organisms that feed on seaweed, enhancing the effectiveness of the sea forest creation project.

Based on the results of this research project, the Marine Environment and Ecology Research Institute plans to secure external credibility for the sea forest project outcomes and contribute to the government’s carbon neutrality policy in the marine and fisheries sector.