■ About the Ecosystem Dynamics Group

The North Pacific Ocean off Tohoku is one of the best fishing grounds in the world. Not only boreal species such as cod, salmon but also various warm water species such as sardine, saury, skipjack, bigeye tuna, flying squid, etc., migrate into the Tohoku region. We Ecosystem Dynamics Group scientists and staff carry out cutting-edge research in biological oceanography and biogeochemistry in order to understand the processes and mechanisms of food-web dynamics.

To reach the goal, we use various scientific procedures such as incubation experiment of plankton, molecular biological analysis of DNA and protein, high-sensitivity chemical analysis, mathematical ecosystem modeling, etc. Going to the sea for research cruise using RV Wakataka-Maru and other research vessels to monitor the change in ocean and for chemical and biological sampling/experiment is one of the main activities of us. We have >200,000 plankton samples collected for over 60-years, which are used for the analysis of long-term change in marine ecosystem. The ultimate aim of our studies is to find a way for sustainable use of marine ecosystem services including fisheries production under the increasing pressure of anthropogenic forcing.

■ New Topics

09Jan 2013
EDG Web site open.