HSI Report: International Course
on Integrated Marine Biology andEcology I
University News | July 23, 2024
The course International Course on Integrated Marine Biology andEcology I was held between June 20 to 23, 2024, as part of the Hokkaido
Summer Institute (HSI). It was held on site at the Muroran Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, inthe city of Muroran, Hokkaido. It is one of four closely related courses thatdeal with marine biology and ecology.

Participants in the course collecting seaweed at Denshin-hama, Muroran. (Photo by SohailKeegan Pinto)

The course was organized by Professor Chikako Nagasato and AssistantProfessor Kensuke Ichihara at the Muroran Marine Station. Professor
Guiseppe Zuccarello of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand,and Professor Gwang Hoon Kim of Kongju National University, Republicof Korea, were invited lecturers, and there were eight student participantsin total: six from Hokkaido University and two from Kongju National
University. A student from Nagoya University and a faculty member fromKongju National University also participated in the course.
Over the four days of the course, participants gained experience with thecollection and identification of algae (commonly known as seaweed), andwith the process of analyzing phylogenetic relationships between species.
Following an introduction to the Station and the lecturers on the first day,participants were eased into the remarkable world of phylogenetics. They
were encouraged to pick a genus or family of related organisms for which
they would construct a phylogeny.

The participants processing the collected seaweed. (Photo: Sohail Keegan Pinto)

The second day of the course began with a visit to nearby Denshin-hama(Telegraph Beach). This beach, a short distance from the Station, possesses
a large number of diverse seaweed which can easily be reached by wading
into its shallow, protected waters. The lecturers and participants spentabout 90 minutes gathering seaweed, including species of green algae, redalgae and brown algae.

The cleaned seaweed is spread out on cardstock during processing. (Photo by Sohail KeeganPinto)

On returning to the Station, the participants learned how to process thesamples they collected for long-term storage for archival purposes, such as
herbaria, and for DNA extraction and sequencing. Each seaweed is
carefully rinsed in water to remove any foreign matter. For herbarium
specimens, the seaweed is first spread out on a sheet of cardstock andallowed to drip-dry. It is then covered with fabric to wick off any extra
moisture, and finally placed in a stack upon which heavy weights areplaced to compress the seaweed. For DNA extraction, small pieces of
washed seaweed are cut off and placed in ziplock bags containing silica gel
to dehydrate the material. In both instances, the specimens are carefullylabeled with the species names, collection location and collection date.
“We have organized this course for many years prior to the HSI,” Nagasato
said. “The HSI provided us with the support to expand the course, and toincrease the number of participants and guest lecturers from outsideJapan.”Professor Guiseppe Zuccarello guiding students in the selection of species for phylogeneticanalysis. (Photo by Sohail Keegan Pinto)

The rest of the course was occupied by the phylogeny projects assigned tothe participants. After a short lecture, the participants carried out
phylogenetic analyses on their chosen organisms. The process involved
determining which genes are used to study evolutionary relationships;
obtaining those gene sequences from the GenBank database; aligning thesequences, calculating the phylogeny and estimating the likelihood thisphylogeny was supported; depicting the phylogeny in the form of aphylogenetic tree; and interpreting the results.
Zuccarello and Kim, both, spoke highly of the Station’s international
reputation in algal cell biology, describing it as a dream destination forresearchers in the field. “The Station uses both classical and cutting-edgetechniques in cell biology, and has perfected techniques such as DNA
microinjection for genetic manipulation of algae,” said Kim. “We havecollaborated for many years, and I hope to continue doing so for many
more years to come.”

Lecturers and participants of the course, outside the Muroran Marine Station. (Photo bySohail Keegan Pinto)“Many algae from Japan were historically introduced to New Zealand,”
Zuccarello commented. “As a specialist in algal taxonomy and evolution, I
hope to pursue collaborative research with the Station to study thesealgae.”
The application period for HSI 2024 is now closed. Courses are currently
underway, and will continue until October 2024. The International Course
on Integrated Marine Biology and Ecology I and its sister courses will beoffered in future installments of HSI.
To learn more, visit the HSI
website: https://hokkaidosummerinstitute.oia.hokudai.ac.jp/
Written by Sohail Keegan Pinto