GRADUAL DESERTIFICATION

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Meanwhile in Pohang, desertification triggered by climate change and environmental pollution, is also accelerating. One particular marine plant that survives on natural rocks has drawn attention as a possible solution to desertification in coastal areas.

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​The brown algae grows on the rocks on the east coast of Korea. This seaweed can survive even in the harshest conditions, growing as tall as 1.5 meters as long as there are natural bedrocks in the area. This sea farm cultivating the brown algae was created by the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency in waters off Yeongdeok, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. You can see various fish swim in the lush seaweed. The farming method includes gathering spores of the algae from the wild and attaching them to bedrocks. This natural breeding ground measures about 3.5 hectares. Algae clusters have been declining sharply in recent years, causing desertification of the marine environment. But thanks to this seaweed forest, the underwater landscape has changed dramatically. This is also an ideal environment for various fish species and shells such as abalone, which feed on the brown algae. The Fisheries Resources Agency says that as of 2017, 6,300 hectares of coastal areas in the East Sea had been affected by ocean desertification. The newly created brown algae forest will hopefully provide a solution to restoring the devastated marine ecosystem.