South Korea's coral decline signals climate change alarm for scientists

JEJU — Ko Myeong-hyo recalls the vibrant underwater landscape she encountered when she first began diving off South Korea's Jeju island six years ago, harvesting seafood in waters teeming with colourful soft corals and diverse marine life.

Today, the picture has darkened considerably. The once-thriving coral beds that characterise the region's coastal ecosystems show visible signs of stress and decline, prompting growing concern among both commercial divers and marine scientists studying the effects of climate change on Asia-Pacific waters.

The deterioration of Jeju's coral systems mirrors broader environmental shifts occurring across regional marine habitats. Researchers attribute the decline to warming ocean temperatures, changing water chemistry, and other climate-related pressures that threaten the delicate balance of shallow-water ecosystems.

For divers like Ko, the changes represent not only an ecological concern but also an economic one, as degraded coral environments typically support fewer fish and seafood species. Scientists warn that without intervention and climate action, similar degradation could accelerate across other diving and fishing zones throughout South and Southeast Asia.

Conservationists and marine researchers are increasingly calling for comprehensive monitoring programmes and stronger environmental protections to preserve what remains of the region's coral ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.