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South Korea's worst oil spill has devastated marine life, halving the number of sea plants and mollusks found off the western coast, a government report said on Thursday.

The oil leak also threatened the underwater food chain, endangering fish and sea birds, the Environment Ministry report said.

Surveys following the spill in December 2007 showed mollusk populations had plunged to 56 creatures of five species per square metre from 133 creatures of eight species as mussels were found to have been considerably contaminated by remnants of crude oil.

The density of seaweeds per square metre fell 43 percent from February 2007 and phyllospadix iwatensis, a seagrass, also declined 47 percent.

"Because seagrasses and seaweeds make up the lowest part of the ocean food chain, there are risks of second-hand contamination of fish and birds that are at the top of the food pyramid," the report said...