Restoration of Endangered Native Seaweed 'Tosong Dasima' on the East Coast... Pilot Production Underway

Seed Transplantation at Gangneung Marine Surface Farm on the 27th

File photo [Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The Gangwon-do Fisheries Resources Research Institute is set to actively promote pilot production for the ecological restoration of the endangered native kelp (Yong kelp) along the East Coast.

The institute announced on the 26th that "600m of native kelp seeds (with blade width around 5mm) will be transplanted to the seaweed farm in Gangneung starting on the 27th."

The native kelp growing naturally along the East Coast contains a large amount of a functional substance called 'fucoidan,' which is known to be highly effective in adsorbing fine dust and expelling heavy metals, drawing attention in the bio-industry sector.

Until the 1990s, 1,000 tons of wild 'Yong kelp' were harvested annually, but since the 2000s, due to marine environmental changes such as typhoons and large wildfires, the natural colonies have disappeared, making it a very rare seaweed urgently in need of restoration.

Accordingly, the institute has been conducting a seaweed seed production project for ecological restoration along the East Coast since 2018 to protect native seaweed resources and restore coastal ecological environments, carrying out experimental research on seed production of three seaweed species (kelp, Yong kelp, and sea mustard).

The 'Yong kelp' seeds to be transplanted this time were obtained through a process of separating and propagating male and female gametophytes from parent kelp fragments, which were difficultly secured in 2012 by the National Institute of Fisheries Science, at the Fisheries Seed Breeding Research Institute in Haenam, Jeollanam-do.

After successfully producing artificial seeds, the fully grown kelp was received and transplanted to the Gangmun fishing village cooperative farm in Gangneung.

The 'sea mustard' currently being cultivated will be distributed to the fishing village cooperative in February, and the kelp will be distributed in March to April.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.