- Seoul National University research team reveals the role and function of Korean tidal flats in carbon absorption -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced that a Seoul National University research team (led by Professor Khim Jong-Seong) has revealed for the first time in the world the carbon-absorption role and function of Korea’s tidal flats in its national research. The research findings are published in the latest issue of the globally renowned journal, Science of the Total Environment.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has continued to support the ’Project on Building Blue Carbon Information System and R&D of the Evaluation Management Technology’ (led by Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation) since 2017 to comprehensively understand the tidal flats’ absorption volume and range of blue carbon. The research team led by Professor Khim Jong-Seong of Seoul National University has been driving the research necessary for understanding the carbon absorption capacity of Korea’s tidal flats and to bulid a national list (inventory) of blue carbon on Korea’s coastal wetlands.

Professor Khim’s research team studied the total organic carbon content and the organic carbon deposit ratio of sediments collected from 20 tidal flats around the coasts of Korea over the last four years (2017-2020). By utilizing remote sensing via satellite images, the team has evaluated the absorption volumes of blue carbon and greenhouse gases in the coastal wetlands throughout Korea.

The results showed that about 13 million tons of carbon were stored in Korea’s tidal flats, which absorbed 260,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. It was scientifically proven that the tidal flats naturally absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide, roughly equivalent to the emissions of 110,000 passenger cars annually. This study is all the more meaningful in that it is the first national-level research in the world to identify the carbon dioxide absorption potential of tidal flats, which have not been regarded as blue carbon of coastal wetlands by the international community.

To date, the US and Australia are the only countries in the world to have published national-level reports on the blue carbon potential and annual greenhouse gas absorption by seaweed, salt marshes, or mangroves along coastal wetlands. Therefore, this publication holds much significance based on its recognition of the blue carbon estimation calculation of the wetlands, including tidal flats, for the global academic community.

Academics from around the world, including Professor Gail Chmura of McGill University of Canada, who led the drafting of the guidelines on GHG estimation in wetlands for the 2013 UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have expressed much interest in and expectations for this leading research on the blue carbon of tidal flats by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Therefore, the publication of the research findings will continue to drive research on blue carbon of tidal flats and serve as a turning point for more international engagement and active research.

Professor Khim Jong-Seong stated that “it is encouraging that Korea is the first in the world to have scientifically proven the role of tidal flats in our global journey towards fighting climate change. We will continue with our research to ensure tidal flat blue carbon is accepted as a carbon reduction sink, and we will take the lead in delivering the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 in Korea and the global community.”

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to grow the potential of blue carbon of tidal flats as a carbon sink to deliver net-zero carbon emissions in the marine sector, while continuing its wetlands recovery projects in the tidal flats and salt marshes and newly implementing a project in 2022 to grow halophytes in the tidal flats.

Song Sang-Geun, Head of Marine Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, commented that ”this research has proven the value of Korea’s tidal flats, one of the five largest tidal flats in the world, as a carbon sink. The Ministry will continue to fully support the scientific community in Korea so as to have the international community recognize the importance of tidal flats and for Korea to lead the global research on tidal flat blue carbon.“