Kookmin University's Graduate School of Carbon Sink Characterization (Project Leader Lee Chang Bae) announced that it conducted a field survey on mangrove forests in Gusti Ngura Rai National Park in Indonesia from April 16 to 27 to estimate carbon stocks and analyze biodiversity.

The fieldwork was conducted by more than 20 researchers from four institutions, including the Graduate School of Carbon Sink Characterization at Kookmin University, the Korea Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Forestry (Director Choi Hyung Soon), the international organization Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) (Director Robert Nasi), and Udayana University in Indonesia (Dean Ni Luh Watiniasih).

Mangrove forests are found in coastal, riverine and estuarine areas and are internationally recognized as a major blue carbon store due to their ability to absorb carbon. They are also one of the most important biological habitats in coastal ecosystems, helping to reduce the risk of typhoons and tsunamis and providing habitat for a wide variety of species. Mangrove forests are mainly distributed in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, and are also found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including Australia, Brazil, and Mexico.

Recognizing the importance of mangrove forests as carbon sinks, the Graduate School of Carbon Sink Characterization at Kookmin University has been establishing a collaborative system and network with leading forest science research institutes in Korea and abroad since 2023 to conduct joint research and foster related experts. The field survey was conducted as part of this collaborative research, and graduate students from Kookmin University also participated in it, strengthening their field capabilities and enhancing their understanding of tropical carbon sinks.

“We will understand the carbon cycle mechanism of mangrove forests by analyzing the interaction between the carbon storage in the trees and soil, greenhouse gas emissions from the soil, and microorganisms in the soil,” said Lee Hae In, a PhD student at Kookmin University's Department of Climate Technology Convergence, who participated in the survey, adding, “I came to realize the importance of mangrove forests and the need for their conservation through field research.” The collaborative research, which will be led by Kookmin University for four years from this year to 2028, is expected to provide a plan for the conservation and management of mangrove forests through integrated research on their carbon storage capacity and biodiversity.