Soft corals in Jeju sea melting as waters reaching boiling temperature

[Anchor]

The natural monument, the soft coral colony in Jeju, is facing a significant threat to its survival.

Last summer, the water temperature rose excessively, causing the corals to melt.

Reporter Moon Jun-young covers the suffering marine ecosystem due to abnormal climate conditions.

[Report]

The area around Munseom Island and Beomseom Island house the soft coral colony.

The colorful soft corals sway like a painting.

The soft coral colony, known as the "flower of the sea," resembles a flower garden.

However, the pink sea anemones that should have been in full bloom are melting away like ice cream.

The giant sea anemones are drooping helplessly and becoming limp.

The shallower the water, the more serious the condition.

There are also corals that have melted away to the point where their shapes are unrecognizable, clinging to the rocks.

The hard-bodied light maple coral is left with only its bare skeleton, having lost its solid structure.

Nearby, the green seaweed colony on Munseom Island is covered in gray calcareous marine worms, groaning in distress.

Due to the underwater heatwave, not only corals but also seaweeds are experiencing abnormal phenomena.

Last summer, the waters around Jeju had an average temperature exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, boiling for more than two months.

[Yoon Sang-hoon/Marine Citizen Science Center Specialist: "From the end of July to September this year, high-temperature warnings were issued for 61 days in Seogwipo, Jeju. There has been no investigation or assessment of the damage to the marine ecosystem."]

Due to climate change and the boiling seawater, the soft coral colonies, which play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, are facing a survival crisis.

This is KBS News, Moon Jun-young.