In the North Pacific, there is an entire area the size of Texas that is made up primarily of garbage. This floating island of waste, not-so-affectionately referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, swirls around slowly with the ocean currents, imprisoning ill-fated sea creatures and marine life, while trapping non-biodegradable debris, breaking it down into tiny toxic bits and dispersing it throughout the ocean’s waters.

Of these marine wastes, plastics are perhaps the most common and the most harmful, as they tend to act as a chemical sponge, concentrating the most damaging pollutants found in the world’s oceans. In fact, for every pound of natural plankton in this area, there are six pounds of plastic.

This gyre, or system of circular ocean current formed by the Earth’s wind patterns and rotational forces, spans waters from North America’s West Coast to Japan, where it meets other gyres. Here, the marine waste is further circulated along oceanic highways.

The continuously circulating pollution, along with warming water temperatures, has severely affected marine ecosystems throughout the world. South Korea, for one, began to encounter the ill effects of this problematic situation in the early 1970s with the first occurrence of reef degradation, or “the whitening phenomenon,” off the peninsula’s southern coasts. “Stressed” coral, unable to photosynthesize due to decreasing algae, quickly began to perish.

As industrialization in these areas continued to increase and tourism began to flourish, damages expanded across the eastern and southern coasts, as well as Jeju Island. The seawater’s self-purification capability steadily weakened and the accumulating amount of marine wastes and toxic substances permeating Korea’s waters kept sunlight from reaching the ocean floor. Without sufficient sunlight, and thus nutrition and oxygenation, the number of algae and sealife dwindled significantly, causing distress to both the ecosystem and the nation’s fishing economy.

Triton Saves the Day

In an effort to rehabilitate Korea’s valuable marine ecosystem, POSCO, a world leading steel company, teamed up with the Research Institute of Science and Technology (RIST) and the Korean government to lead an unprecedented environmental initiative. In 2000, after extensive research, POSCO and RIST developed Triton to promote marine forestation in the damaged areas.

Named after a sea-god of Greek mythology, Triton is structure made of steel slag, an eco-friendly by-product of steel making that contains a high proportion of iron and calcium, elements that just so happen to provide ideal conditions for the growth of seaweed and algae spores, and the purification of contaminated sediment.

It didn’t take long—a year and a half, to be precise—for the forestation efforts to be effective. With steel reefs providing a more habitable, biodiverse environment, abalone and sea cucumber, creatures that had all but died out, prospered. Additionally, the restoration of the marine ecosystem contributed to the increase of fish productivity and therefore the local economies of coastal towns and villages.

That year, close to 200 Triton reefs were installed in eight fisheries along the coastal area of Geomun Island. Since then, POSCO has used steel slag to implement numerous other sea slag forests, and has played an active role in the nation’s marine afforestation projects to help the ecosystem adapt to climate change and demonstrate how by-products from the steel industry can be used in a way that yields positive outcomes for the environment and for communities.

Volunteering to Make a Difference

Unlike other sea-gods, Triton possessed a twisted conch shell, on which he blew like a horn to placate or raise the ocean waters. Legend has it that its sound was so jarring that it could put the giants, who imagined it to be the roar of a dark wild beast, to flight. Like Triton’s conch, POSCO hopes to make a lot of noise about the issues plaguing the world’s oceanic ecosystems.

As such, some 600 of the company’s employees who are passionate about making a difference have joined together to create POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteers. The group, which is dispersed throughout Korea, plays a leading role in marine conservation and educating the public about the importance of the marine environment. The group’s past efforts, in conjunction with local governments, maritime police and the coast guard, have included activities such as water purification, beach clean ups and the salvaging of sunken ships. The Clean Ocean Volunteers have also been proactive in the removal of , which in recent years have increased exponentially and have had a negative impact on the local fishing industry.

Yet, the quality standards for advanced steel used for drilling, producing, transporting, conserving and handling energy resources for oil and gas are becoming stricter so that steel can better endure the harsh drilling environments of the deep sea and polar areas, two domains on the radars of oil exploration geologists.

At this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world’s largest marine technology exhibition, which was held from May 4 to 7 in Houston, Texas, POSCO showcased its efforts on such developments. Included were its lineup of high-grade steel products, as well as the firm’s cross-department collaboration system between steel plants, laboratories and marketing departments, among others, to improve the development of functional, advanced steel.

Considered the leading forum for gathering and sharing offshore oil and gas information (as well as unveiling some impressive machinery), the goal of the conference, according to its website, is to “advance scientific and technical knowledge for the safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable development of offshore oil and gas resources.”

Despite recent low oil prices, the 2015 OTC attracted over 94,000 attendees, making it the sixth largest in its 47-year history. Additionally, approximately 2,700 major oil and global EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) companies from 37 countries participated.

Among these, POSCO represented South Korea, aiming to continue its solution marketing activities for advanced steel for energy, production and technology, as well as steel utilization techniques.

Introducing a variety of the company’s products and technologies, POSCO’s exhibition consisted of four zones: energy plants, energy pipes, shipbuilding, and manganese steel sectors. At the booth, a video on steel-making technology was presented to help attendees better understand steel products.

POSCO displayed its strength as a “total solution provider,” which has helped the firm to simultaneously strengthen its position in the steel market and discover new business opportunities.

Since it first participated in the OTC in 2008, POSCO has operated a booth annually as part of its demand development activities, which have led to the company’s increasing development of energy steel in a short period of time. Moreover, POSCO’s progressive product promotion and supplier certification activities have resulted in a successful long-term contract for the blanket supply of energy steel, and have solidified technical cooperation with clients.

As new advancements are made in offshore drilling technology, the utilization of steel in the industry will also evolve. POSCO will continue to adapt to such changes, and will work hard to manufacture sustainable, quality products to meet the demands of its clients.