[Coral-List] About mapping soft coral community project of Korean(Jeju island) MPAs

[Jongrak Lee]

Dear list members,

Thanks a lot for your kind helps, information and comments.

Here, I'd like to let you know the brief process and plan about this 
project, anticipating further comments.

The total area of marine surface is 9,561,369 square meters and the research 
depth range of soft coral community including other benthos will be from 0 
meter of sublittoral to 50 meters. And in Jeju marine environment, there are 
more than 70 spp. of soft corals and gorgonians with various types of their 
habitat substrata such as sloping rock, vertical rock wall, off shore banks, 
pinnacles and cobble fields. The visibilties of underwater vary depending on 
various factors from 5 to 20 meters within annual cycle.

My team will compart the area as three part and survey one part this year 
and the other two during next comming two years. After scanning the area by 
using some tech like side scann sonar, We will make a subdivision of the 
area and do scuba diving with vedio transect method among which we will do 
photo quadrat by using digital camera for more fine resolution and some 
collection if it is needed.
Obviously I am aware that is definitely challenge! And it might be resulted 
in either of disappointing or amazing one. I believe it should have been 
begun already, and it must be very long tough voyage as long as we get more 
data in detail.

Actually, we have already 5 years - monitoring data including quadrats of 
photoquadrat and macrographical underwater record, logging up almost about 
1,200 dives from 12 stations of 3 localities among Korean(Jeju) MPAs, with 
which I, personally, am preparing for a paper to submit to a scientific 
journal. The main topic would be about disturbance patchy recovery, 
competition for space between dendronephthids & macroalgae (Ecklonia cava), 
and substrate preference of soft coral spp.

I know trimix scuba is essential for deep diving at a depth of 50 meters and 
is on our schedule but not this year. Fourtunately, however, there appears 
to be sporadic distribution of soft corals and dense patchyness of sponges 
around the depths.

Thank you again for your taking time.
Good luck,

Jay, Jongrak Lee
Marine Biodiversity Research Institute, INTHESEA KOREA Inc.
Head office: +82-64-738-3051
Fax: +82-64-738-3052
Mobile: 011-743-6716
Bupwhandong 1532, Segwipo city, Jeju, 697-110
South Korea