Unusual Increase in Water Temperature in the East Sea: Tropical Fish from Southeast Asia Appear

This summer, the water temperature‍ in⁣ the coastal ⁤and inshore waters of the East ⁣Sea has risen by more than 3 degrees above the average of the past 30 years.

In the East Sea, where the water⁤ temperature has ⁢risen, not only fish that live in the waters of Jeju Island appear, but also tropical fish that live in the waters⁢ of Southeast Asia.

Reporter’s Coverage

Reporter‍ Lee Jun-ho covered the scene at Sacheon Beach, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do.

The surface ⁤temperature of the sea water here is about 26 degrees, and upon inspection, a variety of fish species were found.

Subtropical Fish Species Found

Around the rocks at a depth ‍of ⁢5 meters, a fish with bright ​black stripes on a bright yellow background was spotted. This ⁢is the⁤ “panbream”, a subtropical fish species⁤ that lives ⁢from Jeju Island and the southern⁤ seas⁤ of Japan to the tropical regions.

As I went deeper, I saw a tropical fish called a “Blue Bream” swimming by, which appeared to have a blue fluorescent substance ‍all⁢ over its body.

Also notable is the “sunfish”, ‍which can be seen in the southern seas ⁢and has spines as large as its body that protrude high on its back.

Jeju Island’s Signature Fish Found in Gangwon-do

Jeju Island’s signature fish, the sea bream, gathers in groups of hundreds in the waters off Gangwon-do, as if​ trying to show off its power.

According to Kim Man-jin, a researcher at the East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, “The sea bream has been confirmed to live as far as the coasts of Ulleungdo and ⁤Dokdo, but the high temperatures this summer show that the marine ecosystem off the coast of Gangwon-do ​is changing.”

Causes of ⁤the Increase in Water Temperature

The surface water temperature of the East Sea has risen by 1.8 degrees‍ in half ⁣a century, and this summer ⁢the increase is even greater.

It is believed ​that the warm atmosphere adjacent to the sea had an effect.

According to Jung Hae-geun, ‍a researcher at ‍the East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, “In August 2024, the surface water temperature in the coastal waters of⁤ the Eastern Sea increased by 1.6°C compared to last year and by 3.3°C compared⁢ to ⁣the 30-year average.”

In addition, the inflow of the high-temperature‌ Tsushima warm current passing through the Korea Strait from‌ southern Japan into the East ⁣Sea has continued to increase since the 1990s, so the occurrence frequency of tropical and subtropical fish is expected to ​further increase.

This is Junho Lee from ⁣MBC News.

Underwater photography: Yonghan Yoon, Junho Lee