A new study finds that the waters around South Korea have the most marine species per unit area in the world.

More than 27-hundred international scientists conducted research on the diversity of marine species in 25 locations around the globe from 2000 to 2010, publishing their study results on the online academic journal “PLoS One.”

According to the results, an average of 32-point-three marine species per unit area of ten square kilometers lives in South Korean waters.

The results were produced by combining data of all marine species except germs and viruses that were found in the nation's exclusive economic zones.

China had the second highest figure, 26-point-nine, and South Africa was third with 15-point-three.

In terms of the combined number of marine species in the surveyed area, Australia's waters were ranked as being the most biologically diverse in the world, with 32-thousand-889 species. South Korea ranked 12th with 99-hundred.