CIC NEWSLETTER No.10

2012

Center for International Collaboration
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute
The University of Tokyo

Contents◆Activities of JSPS-Asian CORE Project: Establishment of Research and Education Network on Coastal Marine Science inSoutheast Asia
1. Project outline
2. ACORE-COMSEA Planning Workshop “Coastal Ecosystems in Southeast Asia: Towards an Integrative Research”
3. Integrative Research on Seagrass Ecosystems in Malaysia
4. The Seminar “Risk Assessment of Mercury and Other Heavy Metals to Coastal Communities in West Kalimantan:
2010–2012”
5. Malaysia International Biological Symposium (i-SIMBIOMAS) 2012
◆Recent activity of the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme◆CIC hosted Japanese-German Workshop for Co-Designing Resilient Cities◆Participation in the 9th Session of IOC WESTPAC◆The 45th Session of the Executive Council of IOC and related activities◆University of Hawaii and University of Tokyo Joint Symposium on Ocean, Coastal, and Atmospheric Sciences◆Visit to the School of Biology, University of St Andrews◆Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between AORI and INS/Ural Federal University◆International symposium to explore the impacts of Fukushima nuclear plants on the ocean was held
◆List of Visiting Professors◆Visiting Professors’ Reports

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Activities of JSPS-Asian CORE Project: Establishment of Research and
Education Network on Coastal Marine Science in Southeast Asia
Shuhei Nishida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration
1. Project outline“Establishment of Research and Education Network on Coastal Marine Science in Southeast Asia”(ACORE-COMSEA) is a 5-year project launched in the year 2011 as a part of the Asian CORE Program supportedby the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
In view of the accomplishments and challenges of the previous Multi-lateral Core University Program called
the Coastal Marine Science (2001–2010), the ACORE-COMSEA (2011–2015) aims to establish and enhance theresearch and education network in the field of coastal marine sciences in Southeast Asia through collaboration with
scientists/researchers from six different countries: Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The whole project is being managed from the project office located at the Atmosphere and Ocean ResearchInstitute (AORI), the University of Tokyo, with Prof. Shuhei Nishida of the Center of International Collaboration as
the Project Coordinator. All activities of individual collaborating countries are managed by the national
coordinators of the core institutions and other project members.
This project aims at enhancing scientific research in two different ways: (1) conducting research centered on thespecific research groups covering wide areas of Southeast Asia, and (2) conducting integrative, multi-disciplinary
research on ecosystems in specific sites across Southeast Asia. The project also aims at establishing and expanding
an integrative database specific to the coastal environment and biodiversity in Southeast Asia, by compiling all
relevant information obtained from this project, literature sources, and data mining from unpublished sources.
Here we report all the major activities related to this project undertaken during the period December 2011–October
2012. See the project website for other activities: http://mits10.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/asiacore/index_e.html
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2. ACORE-COMSEA Planning Workshop “Coastal Ecosystems in Southeast Asia: Towards an
Integrative Research”
With the aim of reviewing the current status of thecoastal ecosystems in Southeast Asia and establishingtheimplementation

plan

for

FY2012–2015,aworkshop—“Coastal Ecosystems in Southeast Asia:
Towards an Integrative Research” —was held at
AORI on December 5–7, 2011.
Fifty-nine researchers (38 in total from Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; and 21
from Japan) participated in this workshop. The
welcome note was delivered by Prof. Kazuhiro
Kogure, Vice President of AORI; the welcome note
Discussion in the plenary session

was followed by parallel sessions by 6 countries and 7

research groups (physical oceanography; biodiversity—harmful microalgae, macrophytes, plankton, fishes, andbenthos; and marine pollution) to plan out the future research activities in respective fields. On the following day,the group leaders and national coordinators reported the proposals discussed in the parallel sessions.
Prof. Shuhei Nishida of AORI, the Project Coordinator, proposed implementation plan based on issues discussed
in sessions in the last two days. This meeting reached an agreement to put into practice the plans for integrative
ecosystem research and joint seminars along with exchange of researchers and to establish an integrative databaseon coastal marine sciences. Meanwhile, the participants visited The National Museum of Nature and Science inTsukuba City to join a special session on “Biodiversity Research and Collection Management.” Active discussions
were held on the latest research facility and the specimen preservation procedure followed in this museum.
The weather was mostly fine throughout this period, although it had been very cold in the days prior to theworkshop. Participants from Southeast Asia seemed comfortable with staying during the winter in Japan. The
workshop was successful in terms of developing the implementation plans as well as for having the opportunity to
exchange vigorous opinions with researchers from various fields. This has helped us to take a significant step
forward toward a successful future international collaboration.

Workshop participants

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3. Integrative Research on Seagrass Ecosystems in Malaysia
The Integrative Ecosystem Research of the
ACORE-COMSEA aims to precisely map the seagrassecosystems and to understand their ecological
functions in Southeast Asia. Detailed research on
seagrass ecosystems is vital for understanding its
relation to important ecological/environmental issues
such as biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and theimpact of human activities on such seagrassecosystem.
The research mainly focuses on the seagrassecosystems in Merambong Shoal, Johor Strait, and the
Tinggi and Sibu Islands in the South China Sea. These

Briefing at Universiti Putra Malaysia

are areas of marked contrast in that the former islocated in front of a large mangrove area seriously affected by human activities, while the latter are located in an
open, fore-reef area isolated from human activities. These areas
also represent two major types of seagrass ecosystems in Southeast
Asia. This research will provide detailed and precise knowledge on
the current status of the seagrass beds and their associatedcommunities, the food-web structure, and the pathways ofpollutants in the two areas. The results from the two distinct areas
will be compared to identify the major factors that may be
responsible for the differences between these contrasting
ecosystems.
The first phase of this project was conducted in the period June
28–July 16, 2012, with the collaboration of the ACORE-COMSEA

Field sampling in the seagrass areas of
Merambong, Johor

members from Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan, including Prof. S.
Nishida, Dr. T. Komatsu, and Dr. J. Nishikawa of AORI. A preliminary research was first done in the period June
28–July 2 aimed to compile the distributional maps.
Investigation

on

the

biodiversity

andfood-web/pollution research was conducted during
early July in collaboration with different researchgroups. For the food-web research, stable-isotope
ratios of carbon and nitrogen have been applied asindices of tropic levels and food resources. The fieldobservation/sampling was followed by laboratory
work that also included identification/sorting andpre-processingofsamples(e.g.,

sub-sampling,

dissection, and drying) for stable-isotope andpollutant analyses. Further analyses are now inprogress at laboratories involved with this project.

Sample processing in a laboratory

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4. The Seminar “Risk Assessment of Mercury and Other Heavy Metals to Coastal
Communities in West Kalimantan: 2010–2012” (West Kalimantan Government Building,Indonesia; May 30, 2012)
This seminar was held under a three-year (2010–2012) project “Risk Assessment of Mercury and Other Heavy
Metals for Coastal Communities in the West Kalimantan Waters” undertaken by LIPI (Indonesian Institute of
Sciences) and West Kalimantan Government. The purpose of this project was to assess the status of theenvironmental pollution in coastal area caused by metals, in particular mercury. Such pollution may be attributed tothe traditional form of gold mining, which involves the use of mercury for gold extraction, still practiced in thisarea. Two members of ACORE-COMSEA, Dr. Koji Inoue of AORI and Prof. Ahmad Ismail of Universiti Putra
Malaysia participated in this seminar as invited speakers. About 50 participants, including researchers andadministrators, participated in this seminar.
In the first session, Dr. Zainal Arifin of LIPI, who is also the Indonesian National Coordinator in
ACORE-COMSEA and Dr. Mutiara R. Putri of Institut Teknologi Bandung presented the outline of the activities
undertaken in the first two years of this project. In the second session, ‘An Overview of the Present Research for
Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Pollution in Coastal Waters in Japan and Malaysia’, Drs. Ahmad Ismail andKoji Inoue discussed their research activities under ACORE-COMSEA.
Prior to the seminar (on May 29th), Dr. Ahmad Ismail and Dr. Koji Inoue visited Mempawah, northwest ofPontianak, where water and sediment sampling was carried out by the Indonesian team. They also observed theunique geographical features of the site, where huge amount of red-colored river water enters the sea, spreading its
components to far offshore. Such a hydrological system in Mempawah makes it even more important for thepollution survey.

5. Malaysia International Biological Symposium (i-SIMBIOMAS) 2012 (Selangor, Malaysia,
July 11–12, 2012)
This symposium was jointly organized by the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra
Malaysia (UPM) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia. Prof. Ahmad Ismail of UPM,
also a member of ACORE-COMSEA, organized this symposium as the deputy chairman. Dr. Koji Inoue of AORI,
who is also a member of ACORE-COMSEA, was invited as a keynote lecturer. He presented the concept of thestudies on genes responsible for species-specific habitats. Some Malaysian members of ACORE-COMSEA also
served as staff for the symposium and presented their research findings. As participants hailed from many countries,
including Korea, Thailand, Iran, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Algeria, Iraq, UAE, and Taiwan, in addition to Malaysia,
this symposium offered a good opportunity to present the activities of ACORE-COMSEA to both Asian and Africancountries.

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Recent activity of the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme
Mitsuo Uematsu
Professor and Director, Center for International Collaboration
ICSU (International Council for Science) has managed the scientific community of GEC (Global
Environmental Change) and the actively organized the international programs WCRP, IGBP, DIVERSITAS, and
IHDP have been active for years. In 2012, with the aim to begin a new framework of international collaborative
research, ICSU launched the program “Future Earth.”
Future Earth aims to establish a top-down “mega theme” involving natural sciences and humanities and social
sciences together as an integration of IGBP, DIVERSITAS, and IHDP. In the Future Earth research framework, oneof the proposed integrated research themes, “Living with the Sea: Oceans, Coasts and Blue societies” has been
incorporated. “Blue societies” refer to societies that live in greater harmony with oceans and include new protection
programs for marine ecosystems within international treaties.
On the other hand, several ongoing international projects (e.g., the Belmont Forum/ Coastal Zones Vulnerability
Collaborative Research Action, LOICZ, UNESCO/IOC, CLIVAR, IMBER, and SOLAS) focus on oceans andcoasts, including the interactions between marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems; land, ocean and atmosphericinteractions; social and economic vulnerability; megacities in coastal regions; marine hazards, fisheries, coral reefs
and ocean carbon; and major efforts in ocean monitoring and information sharing. It is important to process thetransition of these project activities to Future Earth.
Such a big turning point took place on May 21–23, 2012, in the 27th IGBP SC Meeting held in Bergen, Norway.
Conference agenda was switched to a closed session of only Core Project members and IGBP SC in the afternoonof the first day. After the discussion, IGBP SC recommended that the Future Earth should allow IGBP to complete
the on-going syntheses and integration activities, and the Belmont Forum be responsible to provide the funding
support to the Future Earth International Project Offices (IPOs). It was also proposed that the timeline for transition
to Future Earth be consistent with a Science Plan and Implementation Plan and that the funding for Future Earthshould be in place at all levels.
In the oceanographic community of Japan, we are requested to exchange information for the transfer of the core
projects related to marine sciences—AIMES, IMBER, LOICZ, PAGES, and SOLAS—to Future Earth.
A set of regional workshops were planned in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, between October and December
2012. Future Earth regional workshop for Asia-Pacific was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21–23,
2012. There are plans for organizing workshops in Europe and North America in 2013.

CIC hosted Japanese-German Workshop for Co-Designing Resilient Cities
Mitsuo Uematsu
Professor and Director, Center for International Collaboration
AORI/DWIH-Workshop “Co-Designing Resilient Cities-Cross-Sectoral Knowledge Production for Disaster
Mitigation” was held at AORI on October 1 and 2, 2012. Juergen Weichselgartner (University of Kiel), Gabriele
Hufschmidt (University of Bonn), and Mitsuo Uematsu (AORI) organized this Japanese–German collaborative
workshop.
The thematic focus of the workshop targeted one of the most relevant current topics, not only for the Japanese
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people, but also for the international society. Topics revolved around issues related to reducing vulnerability andincreasing resilience to natural risks. The Tohoku earthquake, the devastating tsunami, and the Fukushima nuclear
incident of 2011 were considered as an example to illustrate the highly complex patterns of risks affecting various
societal sectors, making us realize the need for multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches to mitigate futurecatastrophes. The workshop aimed to discuss recent scientific developments on open knowledge systems, in which
multiple societal actors jointly framed problems to generate socially robust knowledge, and apply context-sensitive
solutions to such problems.
Both the Japanese and German participants agreed on the suitability of two broader issues for cross-disciplinary,
integrative, and innovative collaboration: (i) identifying the societal demands, scientific needs, and thecross-cultural lessons learned and (ii) improving cross-sectoral communication and knowledge production.
Financial support was provided by the CIC/AORI, and the German Research and Innovation Forum Tokyo (DWIH
Tokyo).

Participation in the 9th Session of IOC WESTPAC
Yutaka Michida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration
From May 9 through 12, 2012, the 9th Session of
the

IOC

sub-commission

for

WESTPAC(IOC-WESTPAC-9) was held in Busan, Republic ofKorea. Prof. Yutaka Michida and Prof. Shuhei Nishidaof the Center for International Collaboration of AORI
(CIC) participated as members of the Japanesedelegation, headed by Prof. Yasuwo Fukuyo of the
University of Tokyo. The IOC-WESTPAC has taken aleading role in promoting international cooperation andcoordination of oceanographic activities since its
establishment in 1979, with special focus on theWestern Pacific region, as one of the primarysubsidiary bodies of the IOC. The session adopted five recommendations to be considered and approved by its
governing body, IOC Assembly, and/or Executive Council of IOC. The recommendations include the 9thInternational Scientific Symposium in 2014, 25th Anniversary of WESTPAC, a UNESCO/IOC regional network of
training and research centers on marine science, WESTPAC program and budget of the next inter-sessional period,
and the next intergovernmental session. There was a serious discussion
on the current financial situation of the IOC that has impacted theprogrammes

of

the

Sub-Commissionof

WESTPAC.

The

Sub-commission took note of the financial challenges with concern andencouraged Member States to consider exploring other ways to support
IOC programs either in-cash or in-kind. Most of the participants joined a
study tour to Expo-2012 Yeosu on May 12, the opening day of the Expo,arranged by the local organizer.
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The 45th Session of the Executive Council of IOC and related activities
Yutaka Michida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration
From June 26 through 28, 2012,
the 45th Session of the Executive
Council of IOC (IOC-EC-XLV) was
held at the UNESCO headquarters inParis. Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu, theDirector of the Center for International
Collaboration

of

AORI

(CIC),

participated as the head of Japanesedelegation. Prof. Yutaka Michida also
participated in the meeting as amember of the delegation.
Mainly because of the present financial situation of the IOC, the session was conducted for only three days,
much shorter than the previously held EC meetings. The 45th session was conducted in a somewhat different
manner from those of other sessions of EC. A number of decisions were approved by the Council after intensive
discussion for three days. The decisions include those related to the medium-term strategy of the IOC, required
actions for tsunami and coastal hazards warning systems, regional subsidiary bodies such as WESTPAC, and otherimportant policy issues.
The Japanese delegation actively contributed to discussions during the whole session; in particular, Prof.
Uematsu, as the head of Japanese delegation, made a general comment on the overall activities and provided
constructive suggestions on the future direction of the Commission, responding to the reports of the Chair and the
Executive Secretary. Prof. Michida, a member of the Japanese delegation and one of the vice-chairs of the IOC,
discussed on the activities related to the tsunami and other marine hazards early warning and mitigation systems
and on the international oceanographic data management.
As part of the CIC’s contribution to the IOC activity, Prof. Michida convened the 5th meeting of the Working
Group on Tsunamis and Other Hazards
related to Sea Level

Warning and

Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG-V) on
February 15, 2012 as the chair of thegroup;

thismeeting

was

held

in

conjunction with “Japan-UNESCO/UNU
Symposium on The Great East Japan
Tsunami on 11 March 2011 and Tsunami
Warning Systems: Policy Perspectives
16–17 February 2012,” at the United
Nations University in Tokyo.

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University of Hawaii and University of Tokyo Joint Symposium on Ocean,
Coastal, and Atmospheric Sciences
Koji Inoue
Associate Professor,
Department of Marine Bioscience and Center for International Collaboration
This symposium was held at East-West Center, The
University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa, on June 13–15,
2012, with the support of The School of Ocean and Earth
Science and Technology (SOEST) and Sea Grant College
Program, and International Pacific Research Center(IPRC) of UH, and Atmosphere and Ocean ResearchInstitute (AORI) and the Center for International
Collaboration (CIC) of AORI, The University of Tokyo(UT).
UT and UH, located at the west and east ends of theNorthwest Pacific Ocean, respectively, have conducted
The East-West Center of UH at Manoa,
the venue of the symposium

many cooperative studies, especially in ocean and climate
sciences, since many years. In 1991, an Agreement of

Scientific Education Cooperation was signed between Ocean Research Institute (ORI, the predecessor of AORI)and SOEST. This inter-institutional agreement was upgraded to the Academic Exchange Agreements between the
two universities in 2004. For further strengthening the partnership, the first symposium was held in Tokyo in 2008,
and the present symposium is the second one. From AORI, 25 scientists, including faculty members, postdocs andgraduate students participated in this symposium.
Although most sessions in the first symposium in Tokyo were on biology-based sciences, the scope of science
expanded in this symposium; it covered climate system, ocean-earth system and life sciences. Twenty-four papers
were presented in four oral sessions, “Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions and Climate Change,” “Marine Biology andEcosystem-based Management,” “Environmental Physiology and Microbiology,” and “Ocean Dynamics andBiogeochemistry,” in addition to 17 poster presentations. Since all the oral sessions were held in the same
conference room, it provided a great opportunity for not onlyinternational but also interdisciplinary communication.
On the last day, most participants visited Hanauma Bay,
where an impressive educational program is conducted by
the Sea Grant College Program; visitors can learn basic
marine ecology and important points to prevent damage tocoral ecosystems by learning from the example of thebeautiful bay, which was once damaged by the impact ofexcessive tourism.
We would like to express sincere thanks to the localorganizing committee and the staff of the symposium for
Hanauma Bay, where an educational program isconducted by the UH Sea Grant College Program

their efforts and warm hospitality, and to Sea Grant College
Program and IPRC for supporting the symposium.
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Visit to the School of Biology, University of St Andrews
Yoshio Takei
Professor, Department of Marine Bioscience,
Division of Marine Life Science
Our research group has a long history ofcollaboration with Gatty Marine Laboratory (GML),
University of St Andrews, since the early 1990s and has
been supported by JSPS programs such as Bilateral
Program for Joint Research Project and Invitation
Fellowship Program for Research in Japan. We invited
Dr. Neil Hazon of GML for 3 months as a visiting
professor at the old ORI through the CIC in 1997. In
addition, after the move of Sea Mammal Research Unit
With Dr. Gary Taylor, the Head of School, who looks(SMRU) from Cambridge University to University of St
happy with the souvenir presented on behalf of AORI
Andrews, GML and SMRU were merged to form the
new Scottish Oceans Institute. As there also has been a long-standing collaboration between SMRU and Biologging
group of AORI, now led by Dr. Katsufumi Sato, we decided to renew the Agreement of Academic Exchange (2007)
between AORI and School of Biology, to which the Scottish Ocean Institute belongs, in this fiscal year. I had achance to visit St Andrews for collaboration with the researchers in the Institute this May, and I had the opportunity
to meet the Head of the School of Biology, Dr. Gary Taylor, to convey the message from the Director of AORI, Dr.
Hiroshi Niino and the Director of CIC, Dr. Mitsuo Uematsu (shown in the picture). I also met Mr. Ivar Moeller who
is a Senior International Officer responsible for International Postgraduate Admission of University of St Andrews,
and discussed the possibility for more intimate interaction between the two Universities from the perspective of
exchange programs for postgraduate students. Thanks to the Agreement, we will invite Dr. Ailsa Hall, the Acting
Head of SMRU, as a visiting professor next February to discuss the possibility for further collaboration.

Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between AORI and INS/Ural Federal
University
Ryoichi Imasu
Associate Professor,
Division of Climate System Research
The Institute of Natural Science (INS) is one research
institute of Ural Federal University. The university, which
was established in 2008 through the reorganization of two
state universities with long and distinguished histories, is now
one of the nine largest universities in Russia. Substantially,
our cooperation related to studies of atmospheric remotesensing began in the 1990s. A splendid achievement
accomplished through our cooperation was the world’s first
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analysis of atmospheric water vapor isotopes (HDO) fromsatellite measurement data. Our activity has been leading thefield of research in analyses of isotopic compositions fromthermal infrared spectra measured from space. The agreement
between our two institutes, which was signed on 5 June 2012, isexpected to strengthen our mutual research activities andcooperation, particularly in terms of the exchange of atmosphericobservation data which are necessary for studies of theatmospheric environment in western Siberia.

International symposium to explore the impacts of Fukushima nuclear plants on
the ocean was held
Mitsuo Uematsu
Professor and Director, Center for International Collaboration
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March
11, 2011, a series of waves as high as 15 meters inundated
the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plants (FNPPs)
causing loss of power, overheating, and subsequentatmospheric releases of radionuclide contaminants. These
atmospheric releases peaked around March 15, but therelease of highly contaminated waters directly into the sea
continued, peaking on April 6.
On November 12 and 13, 2012, the Fukushima Ocean
Impact Symposium was held at Sanjo Conference Hall,
the University of Tokyo; it was organized by AORI and
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), USA.
During the symposium, the invited group of 90, including
Panel discussion during the public colloqium"Fukushima and the Ocean" at Ito Hall
35 international participants, engaged in discussions andscientific reviews of what we know and do not know about the contaminants released at Fukushima, what would
happen to it in the ocean, and its potential impact on marine ecosystems and human health. Participants included
scientists, policy makers, and media/communications experts. Wide-ranging discussions were also held on topics
such as risk assessment, economic impact, policy implications, and most importantly, on how this information
should ideally be communicated to the public.
Videos of the symposium, which includes 13 talks by invited speakers, 2 panel discussions, and a poster
presentation session (in English), are available at http://www.whoi.edu/website/fukushima-symposium/.
Following the symposium, the public colloquium “Fukushima and the Ocean” was held with over 200 people
on November 14, 2012, at Ito Hall, the University of Tokyo. This included a moderated question-and-answer periodwith the media and audience members. Another colloquium will be held at WHOI on May 9, 2013.
We will publish a post-symposium special issue of Oceanus, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
publication, including a series of articles both in English and in Japanese written by science writers for broad
audiences on the major themes of the meeting. We acknowledge the Japan Foundation, Center for Global
Partnership, as a major financial supporter of this activity.
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List of Visiting Professors

Name

Country

Length of stay

Subject for study

Frédéric YannFrance2011/07/01-2011/08/31

A theoretical and experimental study on the

MOULIN
Katsumidynamics of vortices in geophysical fluids
U.S.A.

2011/08/01- 2012/03/31

MATSUMOTO
Soon-Chang

Pleistocene global climate and carbon cyclechangesKorea

2011/09/01- 2012/02/28

YOON

A study of aerosol indirect effect to the cloudsystem and modeling the emission and opticalproperties of dust aerosols

Patrick

U.S.A.

2011/09/11- 2011/10/14

MILLER
Xiquan DONG

Foraging behavior of marine mammals using
bio-logging method

U.S.A.

2011/10/16- 2011/03/15

A study ofaerosol-cloud-radiation-precipitationinteraction

Jian YANG

China

2011/11/01- 2011/11/30

Usage of otolith microchemistry to trace thelife history and migration of diadromous fish
for resource mangement

NiklasGermany

2011/11/05-2011/12/10

SCHNEIDER

Dynamics of Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension
and northwestern Pacific air-sea interaction＊Visiting professors’ reports of Division of Climate System Research are included in the CCSR NEWS.

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Visiting Professors’ Reports

Frédéric MOULIN

flow (in the so-called boundary layer) and the core

Associate Professor,

rotating flow. In the first set of experiments, we wereWaves, Turbulence and Environment Group (OTE)

able to build a simple model to predict the drag exerted

Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse (IMFT)

by the bottom roughness and to explain the formation

Toulouse, France.

of band-like then nearly circular patterns in the core
flow. In the second experiment, we could distinguish
two different flow regimes intrinsically linked to theability of the boundary layer to sustain or not thevolume discharge in the experiment. This experience
as a young researcher was decisive in my recruitment
at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse (IMFT),
France, where I was immediately involved in research
activities

onturbulentboundarylayersinenvironmental flows (including complex natural beds
like river biofilm covered cobbles). Since my hiring at
the IMFT in Toulouse, I tried to keep in contact withprofessor Niino, who was able to come and visit us at
It was really a great honor for me to be selected as

the IMFT in late 2008, taking opportunity of a short

a visiting associate professor for a visit of two months

stay in Europe for a conference, and whom I met also

during July and August 2011 in the Dynamic Marine

two times in Japan during a private journey in spring

Meteorology group, part of the Department of Physical2008 and for a conference in Nagoya in 2008. We also

Oceanography at the AORI. First of all, I would like to

had regular contacts concerning the experiments on thethank very gratefully Professor Hiroshi Niino for thisbathtub vortex. However, I was feeling that a longer

invitation, which was a great opportunity to refresh andstay in Japan would be a good opportunity to identify

give new views on a collaboration that began almost

new research topics to develop in a collaborative way

ten years ago when I first visited the ORI as a JSPS

between the IMFT and the AORI. That was why I was

post-doctoral fellow.

so pleased to have this opportunity of a two month stay

After my Ph-D defense in late 2002 onin the new campus in Kashiwa during summer 2011.

wave-vortex interactions in rotating stratified flows, I

When I arrived in Kashiwa, and during all my stay,spent almost two years working in the Dynamic

I was extremely surprised by all the support I received

Marine Meteorology group located then in Nakano-ku.

from the staff of the AORI, both in the Dynamic

There, I mainly focused my research activity on an

Marine Meteorology group, the main office and theexperimental investigation of the dynamics of rotating

center of international collaboration. Thanks to thisflow over a rough surface, the primary objective of this

support, both I and my family which arrived a few

first stay in the research group of Professor Niino. At

weeks after me, were able to enjoy a wonderful stay inthat time, I was also involved in another experimental

a very well located apartment at the Kashiwanoha

study investigating the dynamics of a bathtub vortex, alodge, just a few minutes away from the laboratory bymodel for tornado-like flows. In both studies, strong

bicycle and from the train station for Tokyo, and closeinteractions were observed between the near bottom

to a wonderful park where my two little boys (1 year ½
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2012

and 5 years old) enjoyed memorable moments

Niino who proposed this opportunity to me. I extend(including trying to catch “tombos” and escaping

these thanks to the many persons I met during my stay

mosquitoes around 5 PM). I should add that my wife

at AORI and who helped to make this visit a success. I

and I were extremely happy to be able to enjoy one

should also point here that this visit occurred just a few

more time all the Japanese-life style that we weremonths after the terrible tsunami that hit Japan inmourning since our departure from Nakano-ku in latemarch 2011, and that while my colleagues, and more2004 (sento, ramen-ya, and so on).

specifically professor Niino, were busy with many

With all this support, I had my mind free to spend aimportant things related to this event, they still decided

very fruitful stay at the AORI. During the two months,

to go to the trouble of maintaining the invitation andI had the opportunity to give two seminars, one

make this stay as fruitful as possible. For this and theirconcerning the structure of the turbulent boundary

calm after such a terrible event, I am also extremely

layer in very confined river-like flows, and another one,

grateful and in admiration. I look forward for veryof more a general nature, to present shortly the

fruitful future collaborations with Professors Niino andresearch activities we are conducting at IMFT in myIga, and of course, for my next visit to Japan andresearch group. I also enjoyed talking with the

Kashiwa campus.

Japanese graduate students of the research group andto attend the weekly seminars that they gave (being
disappointed though by my Japanese ability thatallowed me only to grasp the main ideas while missing

Katsumi MATSUMOTO

the details). I was also able to discuss with Professors

Associate Professor

Keita Iga and Hiroshi Niino the experiments that they

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota

were carrying out in the new experimental lab.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Eventually, I was able to write down and finish an
article with Professor Niino on the experiments I had
performed during my stay as JSPS fellow. At the endof my stay, as I was hoping, our discussions allowed us
to write down a proposal for a collaborative work
between AORI and IMFT, in which we were proposingtoimprove

numericallyandanalyticallyourinvestigation of the bathtub vortex and to work
together on the instability of a detached shear layer in arotating flow (which models the early cyclogenesis andis a pattern present in many geophysical fluid
processes). These two topics seemed to be at theintersection of the interests of our two research groups,

It was a great pleasure and honor to have spent a

and we were planning to make this proposal part of thegood part of my sabbatical from my American home

Sakura program (directed jointly by the JSPS and theinstitution during the 2011-2012 academic year as aFrench ministry of foreign affairs). Our proposal has

visiting professor at AORI. I am deeply grateful to thebeen submitted to the JSPS-CNRS joint collaboration

office of CIC, my host Professor Yusuke Yokoyama,program just in last September (2012).

and affiliate AORI faculty, staff, and students for the

For the success of this two-month stay, I would like

exceptional kindness and hospitality they showed me

to thank deeply the University of Tokyo, morefrom the day of my arrival until my departure. I would

especially AORI, and especially my host, Professor

like to note my special thanks to Ms. Megumi Ikeda

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CIC NEWSLETTER No.10

2012

and Dr. Mayuri Inoue, who facilitated various

seminars, I was able to have conversations and learn

administrative arrangements, which have made myabout their high precision measurements of iron andfamily’s

oxygen isotopes in seawater. Also and serendipitously,transition

toKashiwasmoothandI had the opportunity to help with one of their

comfortable.
My

main

research

interests

arepublications.

oceanbiogeochemistry and carbon-climate feedbacks, andFinally, I conclude by thanking graduate students

my main research tool is numerical modeling. Theseand postdocs at AORI for their friendship andmeshed well with Professor Yokoyama’s expertise inproviding interesting topics of conversation over lunch.

wide areas of analytical geochemistry. During my time

Student presentations too have been quite interesting if

at AORI, we have been able to collaborate on a subject

not too formal. As someone who’s travelled betweenof mutual interest: the evolution of atmospheric

the United States and Japan, I’ve always felt that on anradiocarbon during times of abrupt paleoclimate

individual basis, Japanese students are very bright. Itchange. We are advancing a new hypothesis that

seems to me that with improved training in formulating

atmospheric radiocarbon should have become more

and articulating scientific arguments, they would shine

depleted during the Younger Dryas cold event; this isand be recognized more readily for their talents andin contrast to the traditional view that espoused theachievements. So it was heartening to see promise in

opposite. We feel we are pushing the envelope ofmany of the younger generations. I wish them the best

science on this subject, because we are having someof luck!

difficulty publishing our results! Nevertheless, thecollaboration has been fun and exciting, and we expect
to be able to publish our work before long. On a
personal level, the extraordinary scientific productivity

Jian YANG

and generosity of Yokoyama-san, who is of the same

Professor,

generation as I, served as a motivation to reflect on and

Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment andassess my own work and future goals.

Resources of Inland Fisheries (KLERIF),I

enjoyedattendingseminarsonclimate,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS);

atmosphere, and oceans at the Division of Climate

Wuxi Fishery College, Nanjing Agricultural University,

SystemChina

Researchandengaging

infruitfulconversations with modelers A. Abe-Ouchi, M.
Yoshimori, and A. Oka over lunch. Their high levelof expertise and creativity served as both a great
learning experience and stimulus for me. Their efforts
especially as they relate to contributing to past andfuture IPCC reports are remarkable, given how verytime consuming the work can be.
From my graduate student days at Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory, I had the greatest respect forchemical oceanography at ORI and now AORI,
because the publications by the late Professor Y.
Nozaki excited and inspired me. So I was pleased to

It was my great pleasure working as Visiting

have had the opportunity to interact with chemical

Professor at Atmospheric and Ocean Research Instituteoceanographers T. Gamo, J. Obata, N. Nakayama, and(AORI), University of Tokyo during November 1-30,

Y. Sano. In addition to participating in some of their

2011. First of all, I would like to express my sincere
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2012

gratitude to my host Professor Tsuguo Otake ofearliest possible recovery of Otsuchi Town, AORIInternational Coastal Research Center, who providing

Otsuchi Center, and all the disaster-struck regions ofme with such a wonderful opportunity.

Japan.

My subject as Visiting Professor was “Research on

Along with his enthusiastic staff and students,

usage of otolith microchemistry to trace the life history

Otake-sensei took very good care of me throughout myand migration of diadromous fish for resource

stay at AORI. He frequently offered me informative

management”. There are ca. 60 diadromous fishdiscussions about fish otolith microchemistry andspecies in China. Many of them, which were importantparticipations in corresponding elemental analyticalcommercial fishery species whilom, have fallen victim

process of his students. Consequently, I was able toto becoming endangered now because of overfishinggain a better understanding of the advances andand water pollution. Such statue occurred at least in

breakthroughs in otolith elemental fingerprints andCoilia nasus, C. mystus, C. grayi, Acipenser sinensis,

stable isotopic signatures of his laboratory and AORI.

Anguilla japonica, A. marmorata, Macrura reevesi,

The knowledge and information are valuable for me

Plecoglossus altivelis, Oncorhychus keta, Hemisalanx

not only to enhance our recent studies in Coilia fish,

prognathus, Fugu obscurus, Lateolabrax japonicus,

but also to extend the frontiers of our research field ofCynoglossus gracilis, and Trachidermus fasciatus. For

other diadromous fish species in China.

effective recovery, management and sustainable usage

Coilia fish can also be found in Japan. Interestingly,of these fishery resources and conservation their

C. nasus distributes, however, in only Ariake Sea andhabitats, investigation of bioindicator and biomarker

its tributaries and is an endemic species in the waters. I(e.g., otolith elemental fingerprints) has grown out ofespecially

my laboratory focusing on identification of theto Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University to meetlife-history

dependent

monitoringtheenjoyed

my

trip

with

Otake-sensei

preferencesandProfessor Atsuko Yamaguchi, an active biologist on

consequencesoffisheries of Ariake Sea. She detailedly introduced theelemental

research history of Coilia fish in Japan and kindly

microchemistry in Coilia fish of the Yangtze River andarranged a survey on habitat of Coilia in the Rokkaku

its adjacent sea areas is one of my most important

River estuary in Ariake Sea. I was surprised at theongoing studies. Actually, this visiting professorshipsimilarities of estuarine environment (e.g., high turbid

afforded me an excellent opportunity to enrich thewater, muddy substrate) between the Yangtze River

research methodologies and knowledgies, to exchange

and the Rokkaku River. Furthermore, in my followedwith AORI scientists and other Japanese colleagues, toresearch travel to Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu

awake my treasured past life memories of Ph.D.

University, I was very fortunate to taste delicious Etsu

student and visiting scholar in Otsuchi Center and(Coilia) cuisine. The local host Professor Yuji Oshima

former Nakano campus, and to get a totally new

specially shared with me the nice experience of the

feeling of the modern and beautiful Kashiwa campus. I

locally famous seasonal food in a restaurant near

was really impressed.

Hakata Station, Fukuoka.

environment

habitatecologicalimpacts.

Otolith

Early in my visiting, I went with Otake-sensei to

Besides of the aforementioned experiences, there

the Otsuchi Town for a field investigation on ayu andwere many other impressive memories during mysalmon. I was astonished at the devastated town andproductive visiting Professorship period. I had the

AORI Otsuchi center, which destroyed by the huge

honor to give a short greeting talk in the meeting oftsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

AORI Council of Professors and to deliver a special

My family and I once lived in the beautiful coastal

lecture of Graduate School on migration ecology andtown for a long time and had many good friends there.

otolith research of Coilia fish in China. Of course, it

I truly wish to express my heartfelt hopes for thewas unforgettable for me to take the cable car and

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CIC NEWSLETTER No.10

2012

enjoy great “Momiji” viewing at Mt. Tsukuba with the

Although my one month visit was very short, it was

hospitable staff from International Center Kashiwa

really productive, inspiring and rewarding. It is very

Office, University of Tokyo. I learned a lot about thevaluable for me to promote the study of fish otolithancient Japanese culture of “Unagi-no-kabayaki” whenmicrochemistry in my laboratory and extend the future

Otake-sensei invited me to dinner at a well-known eel

collaboration with Otake-sensei. Since October 1 ofrestaurant. I was really excited to see my former Ph.D.

this year, one of my doctoral students, Mr. Tao Jiang,

advisor Professor Nobuyuki Miyazaki again, who

has been in Otake-sensei’ laboratory as a research

speciallymore

student, supported financially by the China Scholarshipthan100-year-old Restaurant "Hibiya Matsumoto Rou".

Council of Ministry of Education. I am very happy to

The

of

deliver the collaboration with AORI to the next

Sino-Japanese friendship which has been elaborately

generation of Chinese young scientists and trust thatdelivered from one generation to another.

the collaboration will be fruitful.

invitedrestaurant

me
is

to

lunch

believed

as

in
a

the

symbol

CIC STAFF
Director of CIC
Prof. Mitsuo UEMATSU
International Scientific Planning
Prof. Yutaka MICHIDAInternational Advanced Research
Prof. Mitsuo UEMATSU
International Research Cooperation
Prof. Shuhei NISHIDA
Assoc.Prof. Ryoichi IMASU
Assoc.Prof. Jin-Oh PARK
Assoc.Prof. Koji INOUE
Center for International Collaboration
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute,
The University of Tokyo
5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
Phone＆Fax：+81-4-7136-6361
URL：http://www.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

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