• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.337-348
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• 2012

The Yellow Sea Ecoregion Conservation Project is a joint international project which is carried out under the purposes of conserving the habitats in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion and biodiversity from various threats that damage ecosystems, informing the importance and value of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, and promoting the understanding and interests of Korea, China and Japan. Subsequent to the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Planning Programme which had been performed during the period from 2002 to 2006, the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project has been performed over 7 years in total from 2007 to 2014. Panasonic is sponsoring the financing of the project, and the organizations in charge of the project by country are Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology for Korea and World Wide Fund for Nature branches for China and Japan. While the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Planning Programme was focused on the biological assessment and the selection of potential priority area by scientific review, the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project is oriented toward practical activities targeting more diversified stakeholder. Especially, this project plans to support direct conservation activities in the region and participation and cooperation from local residents. The project plan is comprised of 3 phases. During the first period from 2008 to 2009, small grant projects were operated targeting 16 institutions of Korea and China, and for the second period from 2010 to 2012, one place each was selected as demonstration site for habitat conservation in Korea and China respectively and supported for three years to introduce the conservation method based on international standards such as the management of marine protected areas, ecosystem-based management and community-based management and simultaneously to develop habitat conservation activities suitable for national and regional characteristics. During the period from 2013 to 2014 which is the last phase, the project plans to distribute the performance of small grant projects and demonstration site activities through a series of forums among stakeholder. Through the activities described above, the recognition of general public on the conservation of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion was changed positively, and community-based management began to be reflected in the policies for the marine protected areas of central and local government.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.211-223
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• 2015

Korean society has been recently promoting the restoration of coastal wetlands. These efforts might become the basis of a policy framework that compensates for the limitations of a regulation-oriented policy such as the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The shift in government policy could contribute to strengthening the socioeconomic infrastructure of coastal development through the accumulation of ecological capital. Although our scientific efforts and social demands in regard to the ecological restoration of the coastal wetlands have increased during the past years, the bases for restoration in Korea requires that scientific, technological, financial, social and legal aspects be enhanced. The present study re-examined the concept and attitudes behind coastal wetland restoration in the light of changing circumstances in Korea. Herein, we first defined coastal wetland restoration as "An act of recovering the functions of the ecosystem of coastal wetlands to a state that resembles conditions prior to being damaged." Next, this study discussed the limitations and future directions of such restoration efforts based on the descriptive analyses of recent restoration practices from social, economic, and technological aspects. Finally, we suggest future policy directions regarding coastal wetland restoration on the basis of a PFST (Policy, Financial, Social, and Technological) analysis; 1) re-arranging legal mechanisms, 2) setting multi-dimensional restoration goals, 3) establishing a multi-discipline- and convergence based R&D system, 4) linking spatial management and local development to the restoration, 5) building restoration governance at the local level, 6) implementing an ecosystem service payment system, and 7) applying test-bed projects in accordance with proper directions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.79-85
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• 2007

Many countries foster the tour and leisure industries as a national strategic industry of the 21st century. The tour and leisure industry is expected to be reorganized from the land-based industry to the ocean-based industry as the GNP in a nation is over USD $20,000{\sim}30,000$ dollars. In Korea, since we adopt a five-day week, the total working hours for a week is shortened. As the result, leisure activities in family, such as experience tour, ecological tour, travel, and overnight tour, are expected to be increased. Leisure and sports tours, which link the tour and sports to rafting, hang gliding, and marine leisure, have been also increased over 21.6%. A number of small and big islands near Ho-Nam coastal areas play an important role as natural breakwater. Thus, the ports in Ho-Nam area is safely protected from physical effects by ocean waves and is maintained without constructing a breakwater. In this paper, we analyses the required conditions as the marine leisure base in the southwest sea area which has the natural advantages for marine leisure. We also discuss how to activate the yacht business on Ho-Nam coast area. And then we analyse the present situations and obstacles of a domestic marine leisure. We also suggest the plan to build up echo-marine leisure infrastructure for industrial growth of marine leisure in Ho-Nam area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2012

To survey the seagrass distribution in Jeju and Chuja Islands, we directly observed seagrass beds using SCUBA in July, 2011. Distributional area, species composition, morphology, density, and biomass of seagrasses and environmental characteristics were examined in investigation sites. In particular, three protected seagrass species (Zostera marina, Z. caulescens and Z. caespitosa) were found in the investigation areas. While the three species were found in Chuja Island, only Z. marina was distributed in Jeju Island. Z. marina was distributed only north-eastern coast of Jeju Island, and the total coverage was $238,572m^2$. Total seagrass coverage of Chuja Island was $23,584m^2$. In detail, Z. caulescens Z. caespitosa and Z. marina were 21,216, 1,870 and $498m^2$, respectively. Of these, Z. marina was found from the intertidal to subtidal zones of 5m MSL (mean sea level) depth. Z. caespitosa and Z. caulescens were found in subtidal zones of 3~4 m and 4~6m MSL depth, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 2022

Among protected areas, National Parks are rich in biodiversity, and the benefits of ecosystem services provided to human are higher than the others. Ecosystem service evaluation is being used to manage the value of national parks based on objective and scientific data. Ecosystem services are classified into four services: supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural. The purpose of this study is to evaluate habitat quality among supporting services. Habitat Quality Model of InVEST was used to analyze. The coefficients of sensitivity and habitat initial value were reset by reflecting prior studies and the actual conditions of protected areas. Habitat quality of 21 national parks except Hallasan National Park was analyzed and mapped. The value of habitat quality was evaluated to be between 0 and 1, and the closer it is to 1, the more natural it is. As a result of habitat quality analysis, Seoraksan and Taebaeksan National Parks (0.90), Jirisan and Odaesan National Parks (0.89), and Sobaeksan National Park (0.88) were found to be the highest in the order. As a result of comparing the area and habitat quality of 18 national parks except for coastal-marine national parks, the larger the area, the higher the overall habitat quality. Comparing the value of habitat quality of each zone, the value of habitat quality was high in the order of the park nature preservation zone, the park nature environmental zone, the park cultural heritage zone, and the park village zone. Considering both the analysis of habitat quality and the legal regulations for each zone of use, it is judged that the more artificial acts are restricted, the higher the habitat quality. This study is meaningful in analyzing habitat quality of 21 National Parks by readjusting the parameters according to the situation of protected areas in Korea. It is expected to be easy to intuitively understand through accurate data and mapping, and will be useful in making policy decisions regarding the development and preservation of protected areas in the future.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2018

The transmission of solar light according to the distribution of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was measured in the Pacific Arctic Ocean. The Research Vessel Araon visited the ice-covered East Siberian and Chukchi Seas in August 2016. In the Arctic, solar [ultraviolet-A (UV-A), ultraviolet-B (UV-B), and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)] radiation reaching the surface of the ocean is primarily protected by the distribution of sea ice. The transmission of solar light in the ocean is controlled by sea ice and dissolved organic matter, such as CDOM. The concentration of CDOM is the major factor controlling the penetration depth of UV radiation into the ocean. The relative CDOM concentration of surface sea water was higher in the East Siberian Sea than in the Chukchi Sea. Due to the distribution of CDOM, the penetration depth of solar light in the East Siberian Sea (UV-B, $9{\pm}2m$; UV-A, $13{\pm}2m$; PAR, $36{\pm}4m$) was lower than in the Chukchi Sea (UV-B, $15{\pm}3m$; UV-A, $22{\pm}3m$; PAR, $49{\pm}3m$). Accelerated global warming and the rapid decrease of sea ice in the Arctic have resulted in marine organisms being exposed to increased harmful UV radiation. With changes in sea ice covered areas and concentrations of dissolved organic matter in the Arctic Ocean, marine ecosystems that consist of a variety of species from primary producers to high-trophic-level organisms will be directly or indirectly affected by solar UV radiation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.470-478
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• 2023

All people have human rights that should be protected, and today, the importance of protecting human rights is emphasized in all areas of society. The industry is also carrying out activities to protect the human rights of workers, such as implementing human rights education for human rights management and preparing a response system for human rights violations. However, due to the closed environment and special working conditions, seafarers on board are often placed in a blind spot in human rights protection. In particular, a number of cases of human rights violations concerning beginner seafarers, including cadets, have been identified, and relevant research is insufficient compared to other occupational groups. Jobs that restrict basic human rights cannot be envied by anyone. In this study, implications and problems were derived based on the results of a human rights survey of cadets, and cases of human rights violations, and improvement measures were proposed. The cadets had a very negative perception of human rights violations before boarding. However, it was found that their perception changed after boarding. It was confirmed that cadets have unnecessary fears and concerns before boarding. Improvement measures include the establishment of a legal system for the status of cadets, measures to alleviate non-physical human rights violations, improvement of human rights violations handling procedures and response systems, and enhancing the effectiveness of human rights education.