Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM) announced that prior to the full-scale removal of spartina in Garorim Bay, it held a briefing to enhance local residents’ understanding of the project and establish a cooperative system with local communities on June 18.
Spartina is a halophyte of the grass family and is a representative invasive alien species that disrupts tidal flat ecosystems by invading tidal flats, altering the habitat of benthic organisms and native halophytes, and turning the tidal flats into land.
Since spartina was first discovered in Garorim Bay in 2022, it has continued to spread due to its strong reproductive and survival capabilities.
It has been confirmed that its current habitat area reaches approximately 100,000 square meters.
A KOEM employee explains a spartina removal project in Garorim Bay to local residents. (Photos: KOEM)
In particular, the rapid spread of spartina, with its habitat area increasing 37-fold since its initial discovery, necessitates the urgent implementation of its rapid removal and systematic measures to prevent further spread.
Accordingly, KOEM has subdivided work zones and established customized removal strategies by comprehensively considering the topographical characteristics and habitat status of Garorim Bay.
Based on this, the company will carry out large-scale removal operations utilizing manpower and heavy equipment.
On top of that, to prevent the spread of spartina, KOEM plans to regularly monitor the entire Garolim Bay area and strengthen early response to newly discovered spartina sites by conducting wide-area monitoring and emergency removal targeting the Chungnam region.
During this briefing for local residents, KOEM made a presentation on a key implementation plan and a schedule for the 2026 Garorim Bay spartina removal project and collected the opinions of local residents about the project.
The company plans to continue expanding its foundation for cooperation with the local communities through meetings with residents and the operation of a stakeholder consultative body.
“Garolim Bay is a representative marine ecosystem asset of Korea, serving as both a marine protected area and a national marine ecological park,” KOEM Chairman Kang Yong-seok said.
“Based on close cooperation with local residents, we will effectively remove spartina to restore tidal flat ecosystems and lay the foundation for the sustainable use of marine ecosystems.”
Participation in 2026 Korea Ocean Expo
KOEM announced that it will participate in the 2026 Korea Ocean Expo in Songdo, Incheon for three days from June 17 to 19 to showcase its smart oil spill response equipment.
The event is a specialized exhibition in the field of marine safety, hosted by the Korea Coast Guard and Incheon Metropolitan City to promote marine safety cultures and boost the global competitiveness of Korea’s marine and safety industry.
KOEM will exhibit smart, eco-friendly oil spill response equipment developed in collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises, including on-device AI water robots, electric oil skimmers and intermediate crude oil transfer pumps.
In addition, KOEM plans to support the development of domestic and international sales channels for its partner SMEs through overseas buyer consultations and technology and product briefings and to strengthen the foundation for shared growth in the field of marine oil spill responses.
Workshop on Women’s Leadership in Marine Sector
KOEM held the 2026 Joint Workshop on Women’s Leadership in the Marine Sector at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center on June 16.
The event was jointly hosted and organized by the Korea Marine Environment Corporation and the Busan Port Authority.
Fifty-five female employees from seven organizations, including the Korea National Maritime Museum, the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, the Korea Maritime Institute, the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology and the Korea Ocean Development Corporation and Korea Ocean Business Corporation.
The workshop was held under the theme of “Expanding Female Leaders’ Influence and Networks.” Participants listened to a special lecture on leadership required in the age of artificial intelligence and participated in a roundtable networking program for inter-agency exchanges.
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