• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.82-91
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• 2024

In this study, research cases related to blue carbon storage were collected and analyzed, and various definitions of blue carbon were considered in terms of spatiotemporal scope and scientific aspect. 444 papers were selected as research cases related to blue carbon storage, and analysis of the number of papers published by year/country and keywords was performed. Publication of papers related to blue carbon storage has continued to increase since 2011, and more than 50 papers have been published annually since 2018. The most publications by country were in Australia with more than 100 papers, and the United States and China also published more than 60 papers. Key terms related to "natural environment" and "storage characteristics" were analyzed in the sentences defined in the 23 papers that presented the definition of blue carbon. The natural environments where blue carbon was stored were mostly mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds, and blue carbon repository included sediments and even plants themselves. The existing definition of blue carbon focused on the vegetation environment as the storage environment for blue carbon. However, since blue carbon is stored in the sediments of coastal wetlands, it would be appropriate to define the coastal ecosystem, including non-vegetated mudflats, as the storage environment for blue carbon.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.134-146
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• 2023

The issue of 'carbon reduction' can be said to be one of the most important issues worldwide. For efficient carbon reduction, it is necessary to consider ways to increase absorption and reduce emissions. Accordingly, much attention has been paid to increasing carbon absorption using blue carbon biomass. Blue carbon biomass refers to an ecosystem related to blue carbon, which has a higher carbon absorption rate than inland ecosystems and a longer collection period. It is very efficient in reducing carbon. Therefore, in this study, a current status survey was conducted on domestic and foreign policies, studies, and plans related to the preservation of blue carbon biomass habitats. Basic research was conducted to prepare plans for future preservation of blue carbon biomass habitats suitable for the domestic environment.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.6_1
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• pp.1505-1515
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• 2023

As extreme weather events caused by climate change are occurring around the world, blue carbon has recently been gaining attention as a carbon sink. Blue carbon has been officially recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a means of reducing greenhouse gases, and various studies are underway to discover new blue carbon sources both domestically and internationally. Domestic blue carbon research is centered on carbon absorption and storage in tidal flats, which account for most of the coastal wetlands, but there is a lack of research on spatial information. This study utilized the carbon storage of tidal flats from previous studies and converted it into location and spatial information for each basin of the Geumgang and Nakdong rivers. In addition, a proxy value of carbon storage per area by basin was calculated to compare and analyze the total carbon storage of various tidal flats in Korea and abroad. As a result of the analysis, both the Geumgang and Nakdong River basins showed different amounts of carbon storage depending on the tidal flats data, with the highest amount in the Geumgang basin coming from the National Ocean Survey (469,810.1 Mg C) and the highest amount in the Nakdong River basin coming from the Ministry of Environment (217,145.01 Mg C). The results of this study can be used as a basis for future research on the establishment of domestic blue carbon spatial information.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 2024

Global warming is causing abnormal climates worldwide due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, negatively affecting ecosystems and humanity. In response, various countries are attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in numerous ways, and interest in blue carbon, carbon absorbed by coastal ecosystems, is increasing. Known to absorb carbon up to 50 times faster than green carbon, blue carbon plays a vital role in responding to climate change. Particularly, the tidal flats of South Korea, one of the world's five largest tidal flats, are valued for their rich biodiversity and exceptional carbon absorption capabilities. While previous studies on blue carbon have focused on the carbon storage and annual carbon absorption rates of tidal flats, there is a lack of research linking tidal flat area changes detected using satellite data to carbon storage. This study applied the direct difference water index to high-resolution satellite data from PlanetScope and RapidEye to analyze the area and changes of the Nakdong River estuary tidal flats over six periods between 2013 and 2023, estimating the carbon storage for each period. The analysis showed that excluding the period in 2013 with a different tidal condition, the tidal flat area changed by up to approximately 5.4% annually, ranging from about 9.38 km² (in 2022) to about 9.89 km² (in 2021), with carbon storage estimated between approximately 30,230.0 Mg C and 31,893.7 Mg C.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.578-587
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• 2022

Korea, as the world's 7^th largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has raised the national greenhouse gas reduction target as international regulations have been strengthened. As it is possible to utilize coastal and marine ecosystems as important nature-based solutions (NbS) for implementing climate change mitigation or adaptation plans, the blue carbon ecosystem is now receiving attention. Blue carbon refers to carbon that is deposited and stored for a long period after carbon dioxide (CO₂) is absorbed as biomass by coastal ecosystems or oceanic ecosystems through photosynthesis. Currently, there are only three blue carbon ecosystems officially recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses. However, the results of new research on the high CO₂ sequestration and storage capacity of various new blue carbon sinks, such as seaweeds, microalgae, coral reefs, and non-vegetated tidal flats, have been continuously reported to the academic community recently. The possibility of IPCC international accreditation is gradually increasing through scientific verification related to calculations. In this review, the current status and potential value of seaweeds, seagrass fields, and non-vegetated tidal flats, which are sources of blue carbon on the east coast, are discussed. This paper confirms that seaweed resources are the most effective NbS in the East Sea of Korea. In addition, we would like to suggest the direction of research and development (R&D) and utilization so that new blue carbon sinks can obtain international IPCC certification in the near future.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2023

In this study, sediment cores from unvegetated tidal flats in the Hampyeong Bay (west coastal wetland) and Dongdae Bay (south coastal wetland) were sampled, the blue carbon stock in the sediments was calculated, and the characteristics of the blue carbon stock were analyzed based on particle size of the sediments. The sediments in the Hampyeong Bay tidal flat had large particle size and low mud content, and the Dongdae bay tidal flat had small particle size and high mud content. The organic carbon content and blue carbon stock in the sediments were higher in the Dongdae tidal flat than in the Hampyeong Bay tidal flat. As a result of the regression function, in both the Hampyeong Bay and Dongdae Bay tidal flats, the sediments had the smaller particle size and higher mud contents the higher the organic carbon content and blue carbon stock. The sediments with smaller particle size had the larger specific surface area, so were feasible to adsorb and store more organic matters.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.767-779
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• 2022

In this study, sediment cores were sampled from tidal flats (six sites) in the west and south coastal wetlands, the blue carbon stock in the tidal flat sediments was calculated, and the blue carbon stock characteristics and influencing factors were analyzed. The sediment particle size of the west coastal tidal flats was larger than that of the south coastal tidal flats, and the organic carbon content in the south coastal tidal flats was more than twice that of the west coastal tidal flats. Blue carbon stock per unit area was 28.4~36.8 Mg/ha on the west coastal tidal flats and 69.8~89.8 Mg/ha on the south coastal tidal flats, which was more than twice higher in the south coastal tidal flats than in the west coastal tidal flats. The total amount of blue carbon stock in the tidal flats was the highest in Suncheon Bay tidal flats at 153,626 Mg, and followed by Gomso Bay tidal flats at 141,750 Mg, Hampyeong Bay tidal flats at 58,420 Mg, Dongdae Bay tidal flats at 44,900 Mg, Cheonsu Bay tidal flats at 36,880 Mg, and Jinhae Bay tidal flats at 26,205 Mg. Blue carbon stock per unit area was higher in the south coastal tidal flats, but the total amount of blue carbon stock in the tidal flats was higher in the west coast. The slope of the regression function of blue carbon stock with respect to the organic carbon content in the tidal flat sediments was estimated to be about 0.05 to 0.07, and the slope of the regression function was higher in the west coastal tidal flats than in the south coastal tidal flats.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to determine the origin of organic matter on sediment at Sindu-ri tidal flat. Grain size, organic matter, C/N ratio and the 13C and δ15N ratio were measured at three stations (Stn. A, B, C) of the tidal flat. As a result, the spatial variation in sediment properties showed that organic matter was related positively to the sediment mud content. Organic matters originating from marine particulate organic matter (marine POM) and fish farm particulate organic matter (fish farm POM) showed sedimentation of organic matters at Stn. A, sandy tidal flat, though terrestial plant (TP) and benthic microalgae (BMA) did at Stn.C, muddy tidal flat. Meanwhile, Stn. B, the intermediate property of Stn. A and C, was affected by marine POM and BMA. Furthermore, it was revealed that the amount and origin of organic matters in the sediments depended on spatial variation, and the factors were different from the stations. Particularly, at the Stn. C, the sediment showed high concentration of TOC in terrestrial organic matter and smaller size particles (< 63 ㎛). These facts suggest the many small size particles and organic matter will affect the sediment environmental condition in the Stn. C.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.158-177
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• 2023

An estuary is a transitional water area that links the land and sea through rivers and streams, transporting various components from the land to the sea, which plays an important role in determining primary productivity in the coastal environment, and this coastal ecosystem captures a huge amount of carbon into biomass, known as blue carbon, which mitigates climate change as a potential carbon reservoir. This study examined the variation of mean grain size and organic carbon content of the surface sediments for 6 years and analyzed their relationship in the western and southern estuarine areas (Han River Estuary, Geum River Estuary, Yeongsan River Estuary, Seomjin River Estuary, and Nakdong River Estuary) and the East Sea upwelling area. During the sampling period (2015 to 2020), seasonal variation of both properties was not observed, because their variations might be controlled by diverse oceanographic environments and hydrographic conditions within each survey area. However, despite the synoptic problem of all samples, the positive relationship was obtained between the averages of mean grain size and organic carbon content, which clearly distinguishes each survey area. The unique positive relationship in all estuarine areas implies that the same process by sediment clay particles is important in the organic carbon accumulation. However, additional important factor may be expected in the organic carbon accumulation in the East Sea upwelling area. Further necessary data (sedimentation rate, dry bulk density etc) should be required for the estimation of carbon stock to evaluate the major estuaries in Korea as potential carbon reservoirs in the coastal environment.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_3
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• pp.1043-1060
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• 2023

An acceleration of climate change in recent years has led to increased attention towards 'blue carbon' which refers to the carbon captured by the ocean. However, our comprehension of marine ecosystems is still incomplete. This study classified and analyzed global marine eco-provinces using k-means clustering considering carbon cycling. We utilized five input variables during the past 20 years (2001-2020): Carbon-based Productivity Model (CbPM) Net Primary Production (NPP), particulate inorganic and organic carbon (PIC and POC), sea surface salinity (SSS), and sea surface temperature (SST). A total of nine eco-provinces were classified through an optimization process, and the spatial distribution and environmental characteristics of each province were analyzed. Among them, five provinces showed characteristics of open oceans, while four provinces reflected characteristics of coastal and high-latitude regions. Furthermore, a qualitative comparison was conducted with previous studies regarding marine ecological zones to provide a detailed analysis of the features of nine eco-provinces considering carbon cycling. Finally, we examined the changes in nine eco-provinces for four periods in the past (2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2020). Rapid changes in coastal ecosystems were observed, and especially, significant decreases in the eco-provinces having higher productivity by large freshwater inflow were identified. Our findings can serve as valuable reference material for marine ecosystem classification and coastal management, with consideration of carbon cycling and ongoing climate changes. The findings can also be employed in the development of guidelines for the systematic management of vulnerable coastal regions to climate change.