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Marine life · Coral

Bamsuji Soft Coral

Bamsuji Soft Coral · Symbol of restoration

Dendronephthya castanea Utinomi, 1952

The flagship species of soft coral restoration in Jeju waters. A soft coral whose colonies sway in the current without a hard exoskeleton, it is the star of the world's first sexual-reproduction artificial propagation and restoration release.

Endangered Wildlife Class IIProtected Marine Species (corals)
01Profile

The world's first restored soft coral

A soft coral (Octocorallia, class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria). Its colonies sway in the current without a hard calcareous exoskeleton. It is the flagship species of Jeju's soft coral restoration.

02Habitat

Jeju Munseom, the restoration release site

It attaches to rocky reefs with fast-flowing currents and is distributed in the waters around Jeju Island. The soft coral colonies around Jeju's Munseom are the key habitat and restoration target, where about 300 individuals were released in September 2023.

Jeju MunseomSoft coral colony
300
Individuals released (Sep 2023) · World's first sexual-reproduction propagation
03Where you'll see it

Where to meet Bamsuji soft coral

Verified

Munseom

Jeju · Seogwipo

Soft coral colony and restoration release site (✅, 2023-09-14).

04Protection
Endangered Wildlife Class II · Protected Marine Species
Ministry of Environment/NIBR · Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

Underwater contact, collection, and removal are prohibited. It is the flagship species of the world's first sexual-reproduction artificial propagation and restoration release.

Take care with fin kicks and contact while diving — do not damage the restored colonies.
Needs verification · Do not assert
  • The ‘2016 designation as a protected marine species’ year cited in some sources is not confirmed by a primary source, so the designation date is not asserted (the protected-species fact stands).

The flower of the sea
revived by Jeju

Meet Korea’s restored soft coral.

Munseom dive siteOther marine life