The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST, President Lee Hyi Seung) recently announced that it has discovered a new species of dinoflagellate,^* a type of marine phytoplankton, off the coast of Kunsan (Gunsan), South Korea. It named the new species Gonyaulax kunsanensis, after the name of the region in which it was discovered, and published a paper in an international scientific journal called Botanica Marina.^**

* A type of marine plankton that swims with two flagella

** KIOST, Shin Hyeon Ho, Youn Joo Yeon, et al., June 2024 (article title: Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Gonyaulax kunsanensis sp. nov. (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae) from Korean coastal waters).

A research team led by Dr. Shin Hyeon Ho of the KIOST’s South Sea Research Institute in collaboration with the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, discovered a new species of dinoflagellate that produces yessotoxin,^* a polyether toxin, from a sample of sea surface water taken off the coast of Kunsan in August 2020. The toxin can be used as an alternative medicine for narcotic analgesics and is expected to help produce standard material^** through mass cultivation for monitoring toxins off the coast of Korea.

* A marine polyether toxin first identified from the digestive gland of scallops in Japan in 1986. Human consumption of shellfish containing the toxin is known to cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. It has recently been reported to cause damage to the liver, pancreas, and cardiac muscle.

** A material of refined toxin used a benchmark for comparing toxicity and ingredients

In recent years, the growth of the marine biotech market has been accompanied by research for the development of new materials for medicine, food, and the environment using marine biological resources. In addition, the management and use of marine bio-resources has been growing increasingly and becoming more important since the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing^* entered into force in October 2014.

* An international agreement that sets out obligations to obtain the prior consent of providers of genetic resources in relation to access to such genetic resources and the sharing of benefits arising from their utilization

Since 2019, the research team has been conducting studies on securing, systematizing, and cultivating marine phytoplankton found in Korea in order to explore useful materials with a focus on bioactive materials contained therein. The team has identified a number of new and unrecorded species of dinoflagellates, which are preserved at the Library of Marine Samples of the KIOST South Sea Research Institute by a depository, registry, and reserve^* of marine biological resources designated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

* Designated and managed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to secure, conserve, and distribute resources as a basis for the marine biotech industry (27 units)

Senior Researcher Shin Hyeon Ho said, “This achievement is significant in that it contributes to South Korea’s sovereignty over its marine bio-resources. Like, advanced countries such as France and Canada, KIOST will continue related research to develop standard materials and analytical technology for toxins.”

KIOST President Lee Hyi Seung said, “Marine bio-resources are highly important national assets that form the foundation for the marine biotech industry. We at KIOST will continue our work to secure new and unrecorded species and ensure that the marine biotech industry becomes a new source of national growth.”