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Article

Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of Coastal Birds Designated as Protected Marine Species in Coastal Wetlands of South Korea

해양보호생물 바닷새의 국내 연안습지 분포 및 서식 특성

SEUNG-YEON LEE12
,
SEUNG-WOO HAN3
,
YONG-UN SHIN4
,
DAE HAN CHO56
,
SOON-SIK KIM57
,
DAL-HO KIM3
,
YOUNG-HUN JEONG8
,
HAEJIN CHO9
,
SI-WAN LEE10
,
HONG-SHIK OH1112*
이 승연12
,
한 승우3
,
신 용운4
,
조 대한56
,
김 순식57
,
김 달호3
,
정 영훈8
,
조 해진9
,
이 시완10
,
오 홍식1112*
1Senior Researcher, Korea Institute of Environmental Ecology, Daejeon 34014, Korea
2Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Science Education, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
3Senior Researcher, Korea Institute of Environmental Ecology, Daejeon 34014, Korea
4Assistant Director, Biodiversity Heritage Division, Korea Heritage Service, Daejeon 35208, Korea
5Researcher, Korea Institute of Environmental Ecology, Daejeon 34014, Korea
6Ph.D. Student, Department of Biological of Sciences and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
7Graduate Student, Faculty of Science Education, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
8Post-doctoral Associate Researcher, Faculty of Science Education, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
9Director, Korea Institute of Environmental Ecology, Daejeon 34014, Korea
10Director, Korea Institute of Environment Ecology, Daejeon 34014, Korea
11Professor, Faculty of Science Education, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
12Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
1한국환경생태연구소 선임연구원
2제주대학교 과학교육학부 박사과정
3한국환경생태연구소 책임연구원
4국가유산청 천연기념물과 주무관
5한국환경생태연구소 연구원
6전남대학교 생물과학·생명기술학과 박사과정
7제주대학교 과학교육학부 석사과정
8제주대학교 과학교육학부 박사후연구원
9한국환경생태연구소 부소장
10한국환경생태연구소 대표
11제주대학교 과학교육학부 교수
12제주대학교 차세대융복합과학기술협동과정 교수
*Corresponding Author
28 February 2025. pp. 50-62
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Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the distribution and ecological characteristics of Coastal birds designated as Protected Marine Species (PMS) by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. These species are critical for understanding marine ecosystem complexity and responding to real-time changes. The study was conducted as part of the National Marine Ecosystem Monitoring Program over nine years (2015–2023) across 35 major coastal wetlands in South Korea. A total of 13 PMS species were identified, with dominant species including the Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis, 41.1%), Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus, 30.8%), Saunders’s gull (Larus saundersi, 10.1%), black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor, 9.8%), and Chinese egret (Egretta eulophotes, 4.7%). Tidal flats along the West coast were confirmed as key habitats for these species. The East coast region exhibited the highest species diversity with nine species, while the Gyeonggi region recorded the highest individual count (9,462). Additionally, 12 sites met the criteria for internationally important sites (IIS), with all six sites in the Gyeonggi region qualifying. Habitat preference analysis revealed that tidal flats were the primary habitats for many species, including the Far Eastern curlew (97.8%), Chinese egret (96.1%), and Saunders’s gull (95.4%). Offshore seabirds, accounting for 50% of the identified PMS, showed a marked preference for marine environments. This highlights the need to supplement traditional land-based surveys with boat surveys. To achieve this, long-term monitoring is required, alongside site- and region-specific habitat management and customized conservation strategies that reflect the ecological needs of each species. These efforts will provide a foundation for mid- to long-term policy planning and effective conservation initiatives.

Keywords
Protected marine species
Coastal birds
Tidal flats
Habitat characteristics
Marine spatial management

이 연구는 해양생태계의 복잡한 구조를 이해하고 실시간 변화에 대응하는 데 필요한 해양수산부 지정 해양보호생물 바닷새의 분포현황과 생태적 특성을 분석하기 위하여 2015년부터 2023년까지 9년간 국가 해양생태계 종합조사의 일환으로 국내 주요 연안습지 35개소를 대상으로 이루어졌다. 연구 결과, 해양보호생물은 13종이 관찰되었고, 우점하는 조류는 알락꼬리마도요(Numenius madagascariensis, 41.1%), 검은머리물떼새(Haematopus ostralegus, 30.8%), 검은머리갈매기(Larus saundersi, 10.1%), 저어새(Platalea minor, 9.8%), 노랑부리백로(Egretta eulophotes, 4.7%)의 순으로 나타났다. 이들 종은 주로 서해안 연안습지에서 확인되었으며, 동해안 권역에서 9종으로 가장 많은 종수가, 경기 권역에서 9,462개체로 가장 많은 개체수가 관찰되었다. 또한 국제적 중요 지역(IIS) 기준을 충족하는 지역은 총 12개소로, 경기 권역의 6개 전 지역이 모두 해당 기준에 부합하였다. 종별 서식 특성을 분석한 결과, 갯벌은 알락꼬리마도요(97.8%), 노랑부리백로(96.1%), 검은머리갈매기(95.4%) 등 다수 종의 주요 서식지로 나타났고, 외해에 주로 서식하는 해양성 조류는 해양 환경에서만 관찰되었다. 특히, 해양보호생물 중 해양성조류가 50%를 차지함에 따라 기존 연안 중심 조사의 한계를 극복하기 위한 선박 기반 조사의 추가 필요성이 제안되었으며, 장기적인 모니터링과 더불어 지역 및 권역 특성에 맞춘 서식지 관리, 종별 생태적 요구를 반영한 맞춤형 보호 전략 등 정책적으로 중장기적인 계획과 노력이 필요하다.

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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국해양학회
  • Journal Title :The Sea Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국해양학회지 바다
  • Volume : 30
  • No :1
  • Pages :50-62
  • Received Date : 2025-01-01
  • Revised Date : 2025-02-11
  • Accepted Date : 2025-02-20
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7850/jkso.2025.30.1.050
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