Human Impacts on Coastal Communities: A Case Study of Benthic Faunal Changes after Dike Construction in Saemangeum, South Korea

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Major reclamation projects have resulted in large impacts on the natural environment of coastal areas worldwide. We investigated faunal changes in benthos following the construction of reclamation dikes in the area of Saemangeum, on the western coast of South Korea, and compared them with those in Isahaya Bay, Japan. The world's largest reclamation dike was constructed in Saemangeum. Following its completion in April 2006, the tidal flats in this area gradually dried out, and we confirmed that numerous dead shells of mollusks and other benthic animals were exposed on the dried tidal flat in June 2006. The inner part of Isahaya Bay was isolated from the rest of Ariake Bay by a reclamation dike in April 1997. The intertidal zone of this bay also dried out completely within several months, and numerous dead shells were exposed on the dried mud flats. Changes in benthic fauna were also confirmed in the outer part of Isahaya Bay. Red tides and hypoxic water have frequently been observed, and the numbers of many bivalve species have decreased rapidly since 1997. Similar changes have already been confirmed in the outer parts of the Saemangeum dike. These facts suggest that the Saemangeum dike will negatively affect the Yellow Sea in the near future.
日本第四紀学会の論文