Environment ministry begins public Seomjin River ecosystem survey

The environment ministry said that its National Institute of Environmental Research began a public-participation ecosystem survey along the Seomjin River to assess endangered species and habitats.

The first field round began Aug. 24 and runs through Aug. 28, with a second planned for October. Teams will inspect river and riparian areas for the presence and traces of endangered organisms and their habitats, including sites where existing monitoring networks have not recorded species or where confirmation is possible. Participants were recruited in July through an open call to schools and civic groups. They will observe and record organisms and habitats with experts, while aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem specialists accompany the teams for safety and training.

The Seomjin River has drawn less attention in national large-river ecosystem surveys, which have concentrated on the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers. The institute said it planned the survey to publicize the Seomjin River's natural ecosystem and broaden public support for ecosystem conservation.

"The Seomjin River basin is a valuable ecosystem where natural conditions are especially well preserved among Korea's five river systems, with many endangered and endemic species confirmed," Kim Gyeong-hyeon, head of the institute's water environment research division, said. "I expect records observed and documented directly by residents familiar with the region will be a valuable opportunity to show the ecosystem's qualities," he added.

Similar public-participation surveys will run on the main stretches of the four rivers from August through October. Information collected will be reviewed by experts, published and used to inform conservation and management policy for Korea's large-river ecosystems.