National Institute of Biological Resources in Honam Region Publishes 'Checklist of Invertebrate Species in Island Areas'

Expectations for Utilizing Basic Data to Conserve Biodiversity and Establish National Biological Sovereignty

The National Institute of Biological Resources in Honam Region (Director Ryu Tae-cheol), under the Ministry of Environment, has published the "Checklist of Invertebrates (excluding insects) in Island Areas," containing a list and distribution information of 1,992 invertebrate species native to 1,972 islands in South Korea.

According to the institute on the 12th, the checklist includes a list of islands where invertebrates are distributed along with administrative district information. It also contains the status of nationally designated management species, including 15 endangered wild species, 41 species requiring approval for overseas export, and 2 species serving as biological indicators of climate change.

One copy of the checklist of invertebrate species (excluding insects) in island areas [Photo provided by the National Institute of Biological Resources Honam Branch]

The 1,992 invertebrate species confirmed to appear in island areas correspond to about 19% of the 10,593 invertebrate species excluding insects listed in the "National Species List," which covers biological resources native to the entire Korean Peninsula. Among them, 1,022 species were identified in Jeollanam-do, the region with the most islands in South Korea.

The checklist reveals that invertebrates inhabit island areas with high distribution, suggesting the need to expand research on fauna and biodiversity targeting island areas that have not yet been surveyed.

This checklist is also freely accessible to anyone on the National Institute of Biological Resources in Honam Region’s website.

Ryu Tae-cheol, Director of the National Institute of Biological Resources in Honam Region, stated, "The newly established 'Checklist of Invertebrates in Island Areas' will serve as valuable basic data for biodiversity conservation research in response to the climate crisis and for establishing national biological sovereignty policies." He added, "We will continue to redefine and update the fauna of native invertebrates in island areas as a research institution dedicated to biological resources in island and coastal regions."

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