For the past 50 years, Korea has been focusing on the intensive development of its coastal areas. Decades of continuous reclamation have resulted in the devastation of the marine habitat, and the discharge of various pollutants has been detri- mental to the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Un- fortunately, domestic techniques related to coastal restoration have not yet been fully developed. Al- though research has been conducted on the resto- ration and preservation of marine organisms since 2006, it is still very much in the nascent stages of focusing mainly on monitoring services. Marine ecosystems are considered to be twice as valuable as land ecosystems; in particular, mud ats, ma- rine plants, and coral reefs contribute greatly to

the value of coastal ecosystems.In 2009, the Ministry of Land, Transport and

Maritime Affairs selected 81 marine ecosystems in 17 cities as subjects to be restored. Considering criteria such as distance, restoration types, and regional distribution, 17 of the ecosystems were further designated as priority targets for resto- ration. Gochang-gun in Jeollabuk-do, Suncheon-si in Jeollanam-do, and Sacheon-si in Gyeong- sangnam-do were chosen as target model areas. So far, restoration projects have been completed in Gochang-gun and Sacheon-si, and Suncheon-si is undergoing the process of monitoring its phys- ical environment and ecosystem before project implementation.