The Honam National Institute of Biological Resources (HNIBR) of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to announce to the international academic community about its discovery of two new species of copepods in the waters surrounding Dokdo as part of its 2025 research project, 'Taxonomic Research on Meiofauna in the Coastal Areas of Dokdo'.

Copepods, a class of Crustacea (phylum Arthropoda), inhabit almost all aquatic environments from oceans to mossy habitats. They are abundant organisms and serve as a major food source (zooplankton) for fish. Their name derived from the Greek words kope (oar) and podos (foot), refers to their oar-like swimming legs. Typically measuring 1-4 mm in length, copepods are visible only under a microscope. In Korea, over 1,200 species across six orders have been recorded so far.

In early September 2025, HNIBR researchers confirmed the two new species inhabiting rock reefs (Gajae bawi rock, Haenyeobawi rock, Dongnimmunbawi rock) and sandy sediments around Dokdo.

Both species belong to the order Harpacticoida, a group within Arthropoda. One of them can be proposed as a new family and the other one is also morphologically distinct enough to be proposed as a new genus within the family Thalestridae.

These new species exhibit ecological adaptations to the unique sedimentary environment of Dokdo. The findings in Dokdo, a geographically isolated volcanic island, are significant as baseline data for 'Island biogeography¹⁾' to identify the origin and distribution of Korean biological resources.

The HNIBR research team plans to submit the research results to an international journal in the first half of 2026, aiming to officially propose the new family and genus upon publication.