Oceanographic conditions in the survey area of JARPNII
coastal component off Kushiro in September from 2000 to2013 using FRA-ROMS data
MAKOTO OKAZAKI1, MASACHIKA MASUJIMA1, HIROTO MURASE2 AND KENJI MORINAGA2
1National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research Agency (FRA), 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa,Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8648, Japan
2 National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Fisheries Research Agency (FRA), 2-12-4 Fukuura,Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8648, JapanABSTRACT
Oceanographic conditions in the survey area of JARPNII coastal component off Kushiro were study by using FRA-ROMS data.
FRA-ROMS is an ocean forecast system developed by Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) based on Regional Ocean Modeling
System (ROMS). Spatial distributions of four water types (Oyashio, cold, warm and Kuroshio) around Kushiro in September from2000 to 2013 was qualitatively investigated using the data. Oyashio was dominant water type in subsurface in the survey area. Meanwater temperate at 10 m deep in the survey in September was generally decreased from 2000 to 2004 then increased to 2006. Itdecreased again to 2009. It was relatively stable from 2009 to 2013. Spatial distribution of water temperate at 10 m deep was highlyvariable from year to year.

INTRODUCTION
The second phase of the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the North Pacific (JARPNII)
has been conducted since 2000. The survey in the first two years (2000 and 2001) was conducted as a feasibility
study and then it has been conducted as a full scale research since 2003. Coastal component off Kushiro has been
conducted since 2002. Main target species is common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Maximum
range of the sampling survey is set as 50 n.miles from Kushiro but sampling is typically conducted within 30n.miles (Fig. 1). Sighting surveys were also conducted around the sampling survey area. The surveys wereconducted mainly in September.
Waters off Kushiro serve as a fishing ground for commercially important species such as Japanese sardine(Sardinops melanostictus), Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus), Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), chubmackerel (Scomber japonicus), walleye Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Japanese common squid(Todarodes pacificus). These species are also consumed by common minke whales as prey (Konishi et al., 2009;
Tamura and Fujise, 2002; Tamura et al., 1998; Tamura et al., 2016: SC/F16/JR17). It is expected thatoceanographic conditions affect availability of prey for common minke whales.
In this paper, it is investigated that whether oceanographic conditions off Kushiro in September werechanged from 2000 to 2013 by using FRA-ROMS data. FRA-ROMS is an ocean forecast system developed byFisheries Research Agency (FRA) based on Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS).
MATERIALS AND METHODSMonthly mean water temperature at 100 and 200 m deep off Kushiro in September from 2000 to 2013 wereprepared using data extracted from FRA-ROMS. Four water types were classified based on following criteria:

Oyashio water: Area where water temperature at 100 m deep is lower than 5°C
Cold water: Area where water temperature at 100 m deep is higher than 5°C and lower than 10°C
Warm water: Area where water temperature at 100 m deep is higher than 10°C and water temperature at
200 m deep is lower than 14°C
Kuroshio water: Area where water temperature at 200 m deep is higher than 14°C

The criteria is conventionally used by FRA for the purpose of oceanographic and fisheries forecast. Maps of thewater types were prepared. Changes in spatial distributions of the water types were investigated qualitatively bythese maps

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Monthly mean water temperature at 10 m deep off Kushiro in September from 2000 to 2013 were also
prepared using data extracted from FRA-ROMS with an expectation that local distribution of small pelagic fish
are more related to water temperature at shallow depth. Mean temperatures at 10 m deep in the three types ofsurvey areas (30 and 50 n.miles from Kushiro, and sighting survey area) were calculated.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Maps of water types in September from 2000 to 2013 are shown in Fig. 2. Oyashio was dominant in Kushiro inthat period although year to year variations and spatial heterogeneity of distribution of water types were observed.
Maps of water temperature at 10 m deep in September from 2000 to 2013 are shown in Fig. 3. Spatial distributionof water temperate at 10 m deep was highly variable from year to year. Trends of mean temperatures at 10 m deepin the three types of survey areas (30 and 50 n.miles from Kushiro, and sighting survey area) are shown in Fig. 4.
Temperatures are slightly different among the areas but the trends are similar. It was generally decreased from2000 to 2004 then increased to 2006. It decreased again to 2009. It was relatively stable from 2009 to 2013.
Overall, the results of this study implied that Oyashio was dominant water type in subsurface aroundKushiro in September from 2000 to 2013 while temperate at 10 m deep was highly variable in the period.
REFERENCES
Konishi, K., Tamura, T., Isoda, T., Okamoto, R., Hakamada, T., Kiwada, H. and Matsuoka, K. 2009. Feeding strategies and prey consumptionof three baleen whale species within the Kuroshio-Current Extension. J. North. Atl. Fish. Sci. 42:27-40.
Tamura, T. and Fujise, Y. 2002. Geographical and seasonal changes of the prey species of minke whale in the Northwestern Pacific. ICES J.
Mar. Sci. 59:516-528.
Tamura, T., Fujise, Y. and Shimazaki, K. 1998. Diet of minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata in the northwestern part of the north Pacificin summer, 1994 and 1995. Fish. Sci. 64:71-76.
Tamura, T., Kishiro, T., Yoshida, H., Konishi, K., Yasunaga, G., Bando, T., Saeki, M., Onodera, K., Mitsuhashi, M., Yamashita, Y., Funamoto,T. and Kato, H. 2016. Updated prey consumption by common minke whales and interaction with fisheries in coastal areas. Paper
SC/F16/JR17 presented to the JARPNII special permit expert panel review workshop, Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished).

2Fig. 1. Survey areas of JARPNII coastal component off Kushiro. Red area: 30 n.miles
from Kushiro port (typical range of sampling survey); orange area: 50 n.miles fromKushiro port (maximum range of sampling survey); blue area: sighting survey area.

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Fig. 2. Water temperature at 100 m deep in the survey areas of JARPNII coastal component off Kushiro inSeptember from 2000 to 2013. Four water types (Oyashio, cold and warm) are shown in the maps. Redarea: 30 n.miles from Kushiro port (typical range of sampling survey); orange area: 50 n.miles from Kushiro
port (maximum range of sampling survey); blue area: sighting survey area.

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Fig. 2. (Continued)

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Fig. 2. (Continued)

6Fig. 3. Water temperature at 10 m deep in the survey areas of JARPNII coastal component off Kushiro in
September from 2000 to 2013. Four water types (Oyashio, cold and warm) are shown in the maps. Redarea: 30 n.miles from Kushiro port (typical range of sampling survey); orange area: 50 n.miles from Kushiro
port (maximum range of sampling survey); blue area: sighting survey area.

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Fig. 3. (Continued).

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Fig. 3. (Continued)

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Fig. 4. Trends of mean water temperature at 10 m deep in the survey areas of JARPNIIcoastal component off Kushiro in September from 2000 to 2013. Red: 30 n.miles fromKushiro port (typical range of sampling survey); orange: 50 n.miles from Kushiro port
(maximum range of sampling survey); blue: sighting survey area.

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