Seaweed resources of Korea

Abstract

Korea has a long history of utilizing seaweeds, as the country has a high biodiversity of seaweeds. The abundance and composition of seaweed species have changed over the past decades due to climate change and anthropogenic influences. Some species showed a significant extension of their distribution range to the north while some species declined. Some areas have even become barren ground. Korea has put extensive effort into restoring the seaweed resources in these deforested areas. Korea is one of the most advanced countries in the World in terms of seaweed aquaculture. However, the aquacultured species are mostly limited to three genera, Saccharina, Undaria and Pyropia/Porphyra, which represent 96% of the entire seaweed production in the country. Korea has developed highly advanced cultivation technologies as well as various cultivars using breeding and hybridization technologies for these species. There has also been considerable effort in developing environmentally sustainable aquaculture systems using seaweed cultivation (e. g. integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, nutrient bioextraction and biofloc). This study discusses the current status and challenges of the above mentioned topics in detail. In addition, the present study encourages South and North Korean scientists to collaborate in the study of seaweed resources at the border of these two countries.