"The Wangdolcho Marine Science Station is harder to reach than Dokdo. Fewer than 10,000 people have likely visited this site in our country."
On August 28, a boat ride from Hupo Port in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, took about an hour and a half to reach a massive steel structure that stood like a lighthouse. This was the Wangdolcho Marine Science Station, the first of its kind in the East Sea.
The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) has invested 24.3 billion won over five years since 2021 to establish this facility, which reaches a total height of 53 meters. The station is equipped with 80 observation devices across 34 types, along with operational systems, communication facilities, power generation systems, desalination facilities, and living quarters.
The Wangdolcho area is a key region for the northward flow of the East Korean Current throughout the year and serves as a seasonal intersection for cold currents. It also features underwater reef topography that supports over 120 species of marine plants. Scientifically, it is a crucial observation point for analyzing the marine environment of the East Sea.
The Wangdolcho Marine Science Station is tasked with establishing a comprehensive marine observation system and monitoring long-term environmental changes in the East Sea due to climate change. The facility includes docking facilities, an inter-deck, a cellar deck, a main deck, and a roof deck.
The inter-deck, which serves as a middle deck, houses equipment for underwater observation. A CTD device measures water temperature and salinity, operating at depths of 20 meters to monitor the East Sea.
Moving up, the cellar deck comes into view, which contains the generator room, desalination room, and laboratories. This deck is where most of the station's core operations take place. Jeong Jin-yong, head of KIOST's Marine Data and Infrastructure Division, stated, "Most of the equipment that operates the station is located in the cellar deck. We draw seawater for experiments and conduct biological and chemical analyses here."
One level higher, researchers' living quarters are visible. The main deck also features an observation control room, allowing real-time monitoring of various areas of the station. A team of four researchers typically stays in the living quarters for about a week, but provisions are made for them to remain for up to two weeks in case of adverse weather conditions.
Jeong explained, "In the observation control room, we can manage all the observation equipment and check how the data is coming in. We can also see data on wave heights and wind conditions."
Additionally, the station uses underwater cameras to continuously monitor the East Sea's environment. Videos captured by these cameras help identify fish species, and recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been employed to assist in species identification. KIOST plans to accumulate more data to distinguish between native and newly introduced fish species.
KIOST highlighted its use of 'ARMS' as a distinguishing feature from existing marine science stations. This artificial structure acts as a fish reef, allowing for periodic sampling of organisms that attach to it to measure changes in biodiversity.
Jeong noted, "The systems are gradually being upgraded compared to previous stations. While earlier facilities focused primarily on physical oceanographic observation equipment, there is now an increasing number of biogeochemical and acidification measurement devices."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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