Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) President Kim Woong-seo announced that for the first time, an unrecorded Korean species^* of the Chaenopsidae family has been discovered in the waters surrounding Dokdo Island, and has been designated Donghae Neoclinus Bryope, after Korea’s East Sea (Donghae).
* “Unrecorded Korean species” refers to one previously found in other countries, but has now been identified in Korea.

This species is of interest to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and has been previously known to be distributed in the waters of Japan and Taiwan. It was discovered and collected for the first time in Korea near Hokdomgul Cave, an underwater cave on the coast of Seodo Island, the western islet of Dokdo Island. Unlike the existing Neoclinus bryope native to Korea, it has a black spot on the top of the gill cover. The specimen fish collected in the area was found to be an unrecorded Korean species following an accurate species identification procedure; the research results were published in the latest issue of the Korean Journal of Ichthyology.
 
The Ulleungdo Dokdo Ocean Science Station of KIOST’s East Sea Research Institute, which conducted a field survey, has continuously monitored the marine Dokdo Island’s ecosystem for four seasons since the opening of the base in 2014. It recently reported the presence of seahorses for the first time in Dokdo Island. The station’s major tasks include:
- research on Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands’ marine environmental changes and conservation of its marine ecosystem
- development of Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands’ marine resources 
- fostering of its high value-added marine fisheries industry
- operation of maritime territory education programs
- operation of the Special-purpose Dokdo Visitor Support Center  for the management and backup of domestic Dokdo research
 
Kim Yun-Bae, Captain at the Ulleungdo Dokdo Ocean Science Station commented, "The discovery of an unrecorded Korean species of the Chaenopsidae family in Dokdo waters is an excellent example of Dokdo Island's rich marine biodiversity." He added, “We will continue to closely observe changes in the island's marine ecosystem.”
 
KIOST President Kim Woong-seo added, “We will strive for the realization of scientific management and protection of the East Sea and Dokdo Island through continuous monitoring of Dokdo Island's marine ecosystem.”