Yong Chang Jang, Jongmyoung Lee, Sunwook Hong, Jin Yong Mok, Kyoung Shin
Kim, Yun Jeong Lee, Hyun-Woo Choi, Hongmook Kang, Sukhui Lee, Estimation
of the annual flow and stock of marine debris in South Korea for
management purposes, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Available online 16 July
2014, ISSN 0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.021.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14004019)
Abstract: The annual flow and stock of marine debris in the Sea of Korea
was estimated by summarizing previous survey results and integrating
them with other relevant information to underpin the national marine
debris management plan. The annual inflow of marine debris was estimated
to be 91,195 tons [32,825 tons (36% of the total) from sources on land
and 58,370 tons (64%) from ocean sources]. As of the end of 2012, the
total stock of marine debris on all South Korean coasts (12,029 tons),
the seabed (137,761 tons), and in the water column (2451 tons) was
estimated to be 152,241 tons. In 2012, 42,595 tons of marine debris was
collected from coasts, seabeds, and the water column. This is a very
rare case study that estimated the amount of marine debris at a national
level, the results of which provide essential information for the
development of efficient marine debris management policies.
Keywords: Marine debris; Flow; Stock; Amount; Management; Korea