The National Institute of Environmental Research published a photo collection of Korea's uninhabited islands from Shinan to Gunsan, which shows topography, geological features, landscape and ecosystem of uninhabited islands based on the result of research on natural environment of uninhabited islands. The research on natural environment of uninhabited islands, which has been conducted since 1998, has greatly contributed to discovering and preserving value of the islands' ecology and scenery.
The photo collection is to help the public understand unique ecological roles of uninhabited islands and features of their landscape so that they can recognize the islands' environmental value. In particular, the collection introduces peculiar features of uninhabited islands, which were formed by volcanic activities, crustal movements and sea level change. Uninhabited islands in the west coast in Jeolla-do are movement routes of animals and plants, connecting China, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Korean Peninsula. Also, they are habitats of an otter and breeding places of an oyster catcher and a black-tailed gull.
The National Institute of Environmental Research plans to distribute the collection to related administrative agencies, schools and libraries so as to recognize, share and spread value of uninhabited islands' ecology and landscape. In addition, it will continuously publish and distribute photo collections of uninhabited islands by 2014.
Source: ME