The Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea has recently announced its plan to build an artificial sea forest within water area of a sea exhibit named "Big-O".

The committee presented details to this plan in an ocean advisory meeting on content development.

According to the plan, the artificial sea forest will be created in the water zone of the Big-O which will be built on an offshore area serving as a trading port in Yeosu. The water quality of the offshore port area has deteriorated since it was opened to foreign trade in 1923 reaching Level 3, a condition inappropriate for marine life, with 1m of the layer of polluted bottom deposits.

The highly polluted area will be reborn as the sea forest by using aqua farming technologies. To be specific, natural rocks and stones will be introduced to recreate a healthy habitat for seaweeds. Indigenous dolphins will be released in the forest by creating habitats and breeding grounds with the display of luminescent plankton at night. Besides, robot fish which eat pollutants in the sea will be demonstrated as a future technology to recover the ecosystem of the sea.

At the center of the Big-O will be the Ocean Tower, where various seaweeds, small fish, and corals will be placed according to the depth of the water. This will allow visitors to enjoy a wide spectrum of ocean life and see how water is purified.

Hwang Kyu-yeon, director of Exhibition and Operation Department of the Organizing Committee said that "The biggest task for Expo 2012 is to improve the marine environment in the Big-O area and create a treasury of ocean life within three years. This effort itself will bring positive attention globally at a time when the world is focusing on environmental protection and sustainable green growth."

He also added that "The idea itself of recovering the polluted sea will draw world attention. We will make a system to improve water quality by bringing clean sea water. To do so, we will mobilize the expertise of domestic marine research centers and experts, and make the system a benchmark of the world."

Big-O will be the representative facility of 2012 International Exposition to deliver the theme of "The Living Ocean and Coast". The facility will cover 90,000㎡ of water area, equivalent to 13 times bigger than a football stadium with the total external length of 1 km, and the depth of 4.5m to 9ｍ.