News

Ongoing work at Korea Sea Grant provides an exceptional example of international collaboration aimed at addressing large scale problems. Directors of Korea Sea Grant Centers and U.S. Sea Grant Programs determined that an important mutual priority for their programs is to address the massive problem of marine debris. Most recently, partnerships between Korea (Gyeonggi-Incheon) Sea Grant and their most natural geographic counterpart, Hawaiʻi and Guam Sea Grants, have collaborated to tackle the issue of marine debris through coastal modeling. Each Sea Grant brings a specific area of expertise to this numerical modeling project, and through this collaboration, each Sea Grant will be able to track marine debris in coastal areas with more refined accuracy. This modeling project addresses the needs of coastal communities in both countries, and provides an opportunity to share information and compare/contrast potential solutions to this immediate and drastic problem. Through this global network, KSG and US Sea Grant transfer information, ideas, experiences, and solutions to these shared issues to achieve outcomes that individual Sea Grants couldn’t accomplish alone. Additionally, the synergy of these working-level partnerships amplifies successful research, extension, and education for each partner. This session at the US Sea Grant Week 2024 would highlight the ongoing work at Korea Sea Grant and the importance of international collaboration by showcasing the success story of joint work between Korea and US Sea Grant around tackling the complex problem of marine debris.