'Slumping' South Korean corals worry divers, scientists studying climate change
Researchers say roughly half of one Beomseom coral cluster is struggling again as marine heatwaves and heavy rains disrupt the colonies’ internal pressure.
- Soft corals off South Korea's Jeju Island are suffering a recurring 'slumping' phenomenon this year, the Paran Ocean Citizen Science Center reported, with colonies sagging and deteriorating amid persistent heatwaves and heavy rains.
- Unlike rigid hard corals, soft corals rely on internal fluid pressure to maintain structure; environmental stress disrupts this pressure, leading to collapse. Researchers identified potential triggers including rising temperatures and salinity changes from China's Yangtze River.
- "Watching the coral garden collapse and turn white, it was so disorienting," said Ko Myeong-hyo, a third-generation Jeju "sea woman." Paran divers document deteriorating corals, noting recovery capacity declines after repeated slumping events.
- Soft corals serve as a foundational nursery for Jeju's marine ecosystem; their deterioration threatens broader biological stability. Environmental expert Yoon Sanghoon at Paran warned that if this base ecosystem collapses, the entire marine ecosystem could follow.
- Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology researcher Kim Taihun warned the 2026 event could worsen if high water temperatures persist through September, as El Nino weather patterns may trigger typhoons and heavy rains.
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‘Slumping’ S Korean corals worry divers
Ko Myeong-hyo loved the vibrant color and thriving life of South Korea’s soft corals when she first began diving off the coast of Jeju island six years ago, looking to harvest seafood for sale.“Watching the coral garden collapse and turn white, it was so disorienting,” Ko said after two years of ris
The phenomenon of the habitat subsidence of South Korean soft corals, listed on UNESCO's list of endangered species, is worrying divers and scientists studying climate change, and is happening due to a heat wave accelerated by climate change and extreme weather conditions, further fueled by El Niño. […] The post “Subsidence” of South Korean corals worries scientists and divers first appeared on Novi list.
SCIENTISTS are concerned about the subsidence of protected soft corals off Jeju Island due to heat waves that are seriously threatening the marine ecosystem.
Soft coral colonies around Jeju Island in South Korea have been dying dramatically in recent years. Heat waves and extreme weather caused by climate change are causing corals to collapse and die, threatening the entire marine ecosystem.
'Slumping' South Korean corals worry divers, scientists studying climate change, Asia News
JEJU, South Korea — Ko Myeong-hyo loved the vibrant colour and thriving life of South Korea's soft corals when she first began diving off the coast of Jeju island six years ago, looking to harvest seafood for sale."Watching the coral garden collapse and turn white, it was so disorienting," Ko says now, after two years of rising temperatures and harsher...
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