Dokdo marine research yields new species and anti-cancer substances

A research team from the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) has discovered a new marine species, novel anti-cancer substances, and new genetic information near Dokdo.

The team identified a new species of nematode, named ‘Paradraconema gangchii’ after the extinct Dokdo sea lion, and published the findings in an international journal. Additionally, researchers isolated a useful strain, ‘Actinomadura geliboluensis’, from marine organisms collected near Dokdo. From this strain, they identified two new anti-cancer substances that demonstrate stronger activity at lower concentrations than the existing drug ‘Adriamycin’. These substances were registered for a U.S. patent in July 2026.

Furthermore, the researchers secured transcriptome information for three types of Dokdo shrimp—Dokdo flower shrimp, thorny shrimp, and soft thorny red shrimp—and successfully decoded the genome of the Dokdo flower shrimp. This genetic data will be registered with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to support scientific proof of the species' uniqueness and assist in resource management.