Search Results (3)

During an investigation of the intertidal zone at Yeongjongdo Island, Incheon, Korea, a new species belonging to the genus Paracanthonchus was found and is reported. Paracanthonchus Mikoletzky, 1924 is the largest genus within the family Cyatholaimidae, and the species identification of this genus has been difficult mainly due to overlapping characteristics and a lack of genus/species-defining apomorphic characters. The new species is characterized by the buccal cavity, armed with one large dorsal tooth and two subventral teeth, the presence of lateral differentiation, seventy-six tubular precloacal supplements, and proximally paired gubernaculum. Alongside the description, we are updating the review of the genus by providing an up-to-date list of valid species, as well as a comprehensive tabular key to the genus with measurements of species-discerning characteristics. We also provide partial sequences of mtCOI, 18S and 28S rRNA to verify the new species belongs to the genus Paracanthonchus and to discuss the phylogeny of the family Cyatholaimidae as well as the genus Paracanthonchus. Our phylogeny agrees with previous findings that, while Cyatholaimidae forms a monophyletic clade, many genera within, including Paracanthonchus, are paraphyletic. For now, it appears that subfamilies are not well-represented by molecular means, and much more molecular data along with species defining morphological traits will have to be accumulated to meaningfully organize this family and the genus within. Full article

The casino-based integrated resort (IR), which started in Las Vegas in the United States, has moved to Asia and successfully opened Macau’s IR and Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. As of 2019, three IRs, Inspire, Paradise City, and Midan City, are being constructed in Yeongjongdo Island and, among them, Paradise City is currently in operation after completing its first stage of development. Although the planned creation of three integrated resorts on Yeongjongdo Island was accompanied by the government’s policy support and legal support, the support of the local residents for the IR development projects can have a different effect from that of other areas. For the development of integrated resorts, not only the policy and legal support but also the local support is an important factor. So, this study was conducted focusing on which part of the integrated resort development project should be considered important to get sufficient local support. The results of this study showed that the resort operators and local residents have different opinions on the importance of local support factors. The so-called integrated resort experts considered the environmental and socio-cultural factors important, while the local residents considered factors such as the establishment and completion of the development plan as well as the sustainability as the most important factors. It is expected that this study will contribute to the formation of trust in the relevant policies by disclosing the contents of the implementation and system improvement of IR development projects and providing participation opportunities for residents in the process. This study will be also able to provide objective guidance in decision-making to policymakers who plan the development of such integrated resorts by identifying the factors important to elicit support from the local residents in advance, as well as to public or private developers who want to proceed with IR development projects. Full article

Many problems that are encountered in regards to water balance and resources management are related to challenges of economic development under limited resources and tough competition among various water uses. The development of major infrastructure like airports in remote areas that have limited water resources is becoming a common problem. In order to overcome these difficulties, water management has to articulate and combine several resources in order to respond to various demands while preserving the ecological quality of the environment. The paper discusses the interest in implementing the Smart Water Grid concept on Yeongjongdo Island, which is the location of Korea’s main airport. This new concept is based on the connection of various water resources and their optimized management with new information technology solutions. The proposed system integrates water generated through rainfall, external water resources (i.e., metropolitan water distribution system), gray water and other types of alternative water resources. The paper analyses the feasibility of this approach and explores interest in the Smart Water Grid concept. Full article