[Photo] Conservation efforts for endangered coral reefs in Jeju waters

Coral bleaching happens with the algae that live inside coral polyps are expelled, causing the coral to whiten and often die. Marine temperature shifts caused by global warming has been identified as the main cause for coral bleaching. Coral bleaching started occurring in the waters around Jeju Island in the 1990s and has progressively worsened. The Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee of Korea recently announced the results of its 2014-2016 study revealing that around 35.3 percent of Jeju’s neighboring coral has undergone bleaching. The committee stressed the need for awareness and countermeasures. The above photo shows two divers engaged in a coral conservation project.