Kolon Industries transplants 10,000 eelgrass plants in Garorim Bay

Kolon Industries said Wednesday it transplanted 10,000 eelgrass plants along the Garorim Bay coast in Daesan-eup, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions and protect marine ecosystems.

Kolon Industries, the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency and the Environment Foundation signed an MOU in April to carry out the "marine forest" project, which centers on planting eelgrass — a marine plant that absorbs and stores carbon while providing habitat for sea life.

Garorim Bay was chosen as the project site because it already has an established marine forest zone and lies close to Kolon Industries' Daesan plant. The project added roughly 500 square meters of new eelgrass beds to the area.

On April 22, employees from the three organizations joined local fishing village residents for a coastal cleanup and ecosystem restoration event. About 50 participants transplanted an additional 1,000 eelgrass shoots and collected 176 kilograms of marine waste from nearby shores.

"We will continue to pursue a broad range of biodiversity initiatives and do our utmost to protect the marine environment, restore fishery resources and respond to the climate crisis," a Kolon Industries official said.