CIC NEWSLETTER No.11 2013
NO.9
2011

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

Contens◆ Activities of JSPS-Asian CORE Program
1.NRCT-JSPS Joint International Seminar on Coastal Ecosystems in Southeast Asia

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2.Integrative Ecosystem Research on Seagrass Ecosystems in Malaysia

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3.BUU-JSPS Joint International Workshop “Classification and Culture of Marine Fauna, Jellyfish

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and Other Gelatinous Animals in Thailand”
4.International Training Workshop on Marine Zooplankton Ecology and Identification

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◆ AORI members visited WHOI as a MoU partner

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◆ Transition from IGBP to Future Earth in Japan

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◆ The 27th Session of the IOC Assembly

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◆ Indo-Pacific Ocean Forum on “Charting the Future of Sustained Ocean Observations and Services”

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◆ Prediction of the response of reef calcifiers to the future ocean acidification based on precisely-

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controlled culture experiments◆ The 4th International Symposium on Oryzias Fish

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◆ Staff members of AORI contributed to the new IPCC assessment report

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◆ List of Visiting Professors

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◆ Visiting Professors’ Reports

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Participants of NRCT-JSPS Joint International Seminar, November 2013

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Activities of JSPS-Asian CORE Program
Shuhei Nishida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration

1. NRCT-JSPS Joint International Seminar on Coastal Ecosystems in Southeast
Asia

Oral session

Poster session

As a major activity of the Asian CORE Program(ACORE) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS), “NRCT (National Research Council ofThailand) -JSPS Joint International Seminar on Coastal
Ecosystems in Southeast Asia” was held on November
15-17, 2013 at Khum Phucome Hotel, Chiang Mai,
Thailand, with a total of 134 participants and 113
presentations (71 oral presentations, 42 posters). The
Seminar started with an opening address by Assoc.
Prof. Thaithaworn Lirdwitayaprasit (Chairperson,
Chulalongkorn University) and welcome addresses by
Prof. Somsak Panha (Chulalongkorn University), Prof.
Kuniaki Yamashita (Director, JSPS Bangkok Office),
Prof. Shuhei Nishida (Coordinator, ACORE), and Ms.
Pimpun Pongpidjayamaad (National Research Councilof Thailand: NRCT), followed by a keynote speech by
Dr. Somkiat Khokiattiwong (Chairperson, IOC/WESTPAC). Several presentations in the scientificsessions were highly impressive and generated intense
discussions among the participants, such as those on
the flushing time scale of fresh water discharge from
Chao Phraya River of Thailand, new records ofoctocorals in Malaysia, potentials of seaweeds andseagrasses for human use, molecular phylogeographyof zooplankton in Southeast Asia, and advantages of
rice-fishes as the bioindicators of environmental
conditions. A special session was held on the third day
on integrative research on seagrass ecosystems withconstructive discussions on the results to date andfuture strategies.

Khum Phucome Hotel, Chiang Mai

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2. Integrative Ecosystem Research on Seagrass Ecosystems in Malaysia
A field research was conducted in Marambong
Shoal, Johor, Malaysia, during May 25–30, 2013, with
the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), Department of
Fisheries (DoF), as the research base. This research isentitled “Integrative Ecosystem Research on Seagrass
Habitats in Southeast Asia (IER),” and was conductedunder the leadership and guidance of the Asian CORE
Program of the JSPS in collaboration with the
Malaysian research groups, led by Prof. Fatimah M.D.
Yusoff (Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM) andsupported by the Ministry of Higher Education(MOHE), and the Japanese research groups, led by
Prof. Shuhei Nishida (Atmosphere and Ocean
Research Institute, University of Tokyo) and supported
by JSPS. The IER aims at assessing the current statusof the seagrass ecosystem in Southeast Asia, anecosystem of considerable importance for its fisheries
resources, biodiversity, economy, as well as the life of
local people, but which appears to have suffered fromserious impacts of human activities and climatechange.

webs in the seagrass ecosystems of Merambong Shoal
in relation to the dynamics of anthropogenic pollutants.
To this end, research groups from different universities
in Malaysia (UPM, U Sains M, U Kebangsa an M, U
Teknologi M) and Japan (U Tokyo, Kiotasato U, Kobe
College, Tokyo U Agr. Tech), specializing in different
biotic groups (plankton, fish, benthos, macrophytes)
and disciplines (satellite imagery, biodiversity,
pollution, bioactive substances, social economy),
worked together on this integrative research. Clear
weather conditions during the sampling days allowed
the research team to collect necessary samples,
including those from fishes, benthos, sediments,
seawater, and plankton, as well as environmental
parameters (e.g. temperature, salinity, dissolved
oxygen), for the analysis.
We sincerely thank the director and staff of FRI,
DoF, for providing us with their excellent facilities andlaboratory equipment, without which the present
research would not have been possible.

The research being conducted presently in
Mearmbong Shoal, which is among the largest seagrassbeds in Malaysia, aims at examining the biodiversity ofseagrasses and the communities associated withseagrass-beds. Another specific topic this research
investigates is the structure and function of the foodSample processing in laboratory

Briefing at University Putra Malaysia
Field sampling in a seagrass ares ofMerambong, Johor

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3. BUU-JSPS Joint International Workshop “Classification and Culture of
Marine Fauna, Jellyfish and Other Gelatinous Animals in Thailand”
The BUU-JSPS Joint International Workshop“Classification and Culture of Marine Fauna, Jellyfish
and Other Gelatinous Animals in Thailand” was heldat the Institute of Marine Science, Burapha University(BUU), Thailand, during July 1–4, 2013. This
workshop was co-sponsored by BUU, Enoshima
Aquarium, and Asian CORE Program (JSPS) andaimed at enhancing the outreach activities of theaquaria in Thailand and collaboration in research andeducation between Thailand and Japan. A total of 30
scientists, technical staffs and students fromuniversities, aquaria, and research institutes ofThailand participated in the workshop.

several lectures were given and laboratory practices
were discussed on subsequent days: a lecture and thelaboratory practices on “morphology and taxonomy ofjellyfishes” on Day-2, a lecture on “biology ofjellyfishes and symbiosis with other organisms” andthe laboratory practices on jellyfish culture on Day-3,
and a lecture on jellyfish exhibition in aquaria and thelaboratory practices on jellyfish culture on Day-4.

The first day was devoted to field sampling ofjellyfishes in nearby coastal waters. Following the
opening ceremony at the Institute of Marine Science,In the closing session, it was emphasized that thisworkshop was highly efficient for the enhancement ofjellyfish research and outreach activities of aquaria in
Thailand and for future collaboration between
Thailand and Japan.

Laboratory practice of culture technique

Jellyfish sampling in the Gulf of Thailand

Scenary from lecture

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4. International Training Workshop on Marine Zooplankton Ecology and
Identification

The “International Training Workshop on Marine
Zooplankton Ecology and Identification” was held at
the Department of Biological Sciences, Iligan Instituteof Technology of the Mindanao State University, thePhilippines, during August 26–28, 2013. As an
outreach activity of the Asian CORE Program of theJSPS, this workshop aimed at enhancing the capacityof the Philippines in the identification of marine
zooplankton and the aspects of their ecology. A total of
27 researchers, including university teachers, graduate
students, and researchers of other institutions fromdifferent regions of the Philippines, participated in theworkshop.

zooplankton groups, and methodology of zooplankton
sampling were presented. These lectures, open to
everyone in the campus, attracted additional
participation from 70 campus students and university
staff members. In the afternoon, a field trip to a nearby
coastal area was organized to practice zooplankton
sampling.
The second and third days were devoted tolaboratory practices of sorting and identification of
zooplankton groups (copepods, mysids, and gelatinousplankton), which were conducted in parallel by threeparticipating groups, each with a distinct zooplankton
group in separate rooms.

On the first day, following the opening session withwelcome addresses and introduction to the workshop,
lectures on the marine biodiversity in Southeast Asia,
importanceofzooplankton
inmarineecosystems, ecology and taxonomy of major

In the closing session late afternoon on the third day,it was concluded that this workshop was highly
successful in enhancing zooplankton research in thePhilippines and a good starting point for our futurecollaboration, both in research and education.

Laboratory practice of zooplankton identification

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AORI members visited WHOI as a MoU partner
Mitsuo Uematsu
Professor and Director, Center for International Collaboration

As one of the partners of Memorandum ofUnderstanding with AORI, Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu andtwo staff members visited Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute (WHOI) in Woods Hole, located at the edge of
the Cape Cod in Massachusetts, U.S.A on May 8-9,
2013. These two staff members were Ms. Naoko Hara,
who is in charge of international collaborative
activities and international students and scientists, and
Ms. Kaoru Saeki, who manages editorial work for
publishing AORI Newsletter “Ocean Breeze” along
All speakers for the Morss Colloquium on the front of Redfield
Auditorium at WHOI (courtesy of WHOI)

with other publications.
As a part of our cooperation with WHOI, Prof.
Uematsu and Dr. Ken Besseler co-organized the Morss
Colloquium “Fukushima and the Ocean” which washeld at WHOI for the public on the evening of May 9.
Prof. Jota Kanda, Tokyo University of Marine ScienceandTechnology

and

Prof.

HiroyukiMatsuda,Yokohama National University were also the invited
speakers from Japan. During the panel discussion,
which was broadcasted live through Internet, audience
had a lively question and answer session with thePanel discussion for the Morss Colloquium

seven panelists. A special issue of the booklet
OCEANUS, “Fukushima and the Ocean,” wasdistributed to each of over 200 participants.
The day before the colloquium, we met Dr. Susan K.
Avery, President and Director of WHOI, and visitedmany facilities to learn WHOI’s expertise on
administrative systems, international collaborations,public relations, outreaching activities, etc. in addition
totheacademic

exchangeofscientists.

We

congratulated the organizers for the success of the
Colloquium in keeping the deep and vivid relationship

Meeting with Dr. Susan K. Avery, President and Director of WHOI
Prof.Uematsu(center)and Prof.Matsuda(right)

between AORI and WHOI.

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Transition from IGBP to Future Earth in Japan
Mitsuo Uematsu
Professor and Director, Center for International Collaboration
The 28th meeting of the Scientific Committee (SC)The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Researchof the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme(SCOR), which co-sponsors IMBER and SOLAS,(IGBP) was held in Bern, Switzerland from April

stressed its desire to continue supporting bottom-up

17-19, 2013. Dr. Mitsuo Uematsu, Director of Center

research projects on current issues in ocean sciences.

for International Collaboration attended the meeting as

Although SCOR believes that Future Earth may be

an IGBP Science Committee member. The SC

valid for global change synthesis, it will be a challenge

proposed that the activities of IGBP be synthesized in

to find common ground with SCOR, which is based on

three parts through: (a) a high impact paper exploringbottom-up principles. The core projects co-sponsoredthe concept of Anthropocene in collaboration withby SCOR will need to make a decision about joining

IHDP, (b) an overview paper mapping the development

Future Earth to which SCOR will respond.

of Earth System science throughout the IGBP, and (c) aseries of core projects syntheses and future vision

In the ocean community of Japan, we are strongly

articles on the road map of evolution of science torequested to exchange information for transition of theaddress sustainability issues. The SC also decided tocore projects related to marine sciences, such as

close IGBP and its secretariat at the end of 2015.

AIMES, IMBER, LOICZ, PAGES, and SOLAS, toFuture Earth, which is focused on research on global

Dr. James Syvitski, Chair of IGBP, proposedsustainability (Fig. A). The committee for theworking with the American Geophysical Union (AGU)

promotion of Future Earth in Japan is chaired by Dr.

to celebrate the success of IGBP in San Francisco at

Tetsuzo Yasunari and it was established under thethe 2015 AGU meeting in December through a number

Science Council of Japan in July 2013. Dr. Toshioof sessions, Town Halls, prize, etc., although the 2015

Yamagata (JAMSTEC) and Dr. Uematsu wereEuropean Geophysical Union meeting in April or May

appointed as committee members from the ocean

was also suggested as the venue for the celebration

community. We believe experts from social sciences

meet.

(e.g.

Future Earth has been launched to establish amarinepolicy,marineeconomics),

andtop-down “mega theme” working with a cross natural

collaboration with IOC/WESTPAC community are

science, humanities and social sciences together as anneeded for promotion of Future Ocean under Future

integration of IGBP, DIVERSITAS, and IHDP.

Earth“ Living with the Sea: Oceans, Coasts and Blue

internationally. The 2nd Future Earth in Asia Workshop

societies” has been preparing in the Future Earth(FE WS) will be held in Kyoto on February 3-4, 2014.

inJapan,

in

Asia-Pacificregionandresearch framework. “Blue societies” that live ingreater harmony with oceans and to include new

Detailed activities of Global Environmental Change

protections for marine ecosystems within international(GEC) and Future Earth in Japan are available attreaties.

http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/gec-jp/jp/future_earth/index.html

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Fig.A The conceptual framework illustrates the fundamental interconnections between natural and human drivers ofchange, the resulting environmental changes, and their implications for human well-being. These interactions take placeacross a range of time and spatial scales, and are bounded by the limits of what the Earth system can provide. It
emphasizes the challenge of understanding and exploring avenues for human development within the boundaries of the
Earth system. This fundamental, holistic understanding is the basis for advancing transformative pathways and solutions for
global sustainability.

The 27th Session of the IOC Assembly
Yutaka Michida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration
From June 26 through July 5, 2013, the 27th
Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (IOC-XXVII) was held at the UNESCO
headquarters in Paris. Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu, Directorof the Center for International Collaboration of AORI
(CIC), participated as the head of the Japanesedelegation. Prof. Yutaka Michida and Associate Prof.
Koji Inoue also participated in the meeting as membersof the delegation.
The session adopted various resolutions anddecisions to prioritize the programs even as a 22% cut
in IOC’s budget has adversely affected implementation

Prof. Michida, leading the discussion under the agenda item
“Tsunami” at the 27th IOC Assembly

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of several of its programs. The decisions include thoserelated to the medium-term strategy of the IOC and thefuture of the Commission, required actions for tsunami
and coastal hazards warning systems, regional
subsidiary bodies such as WESTPAC, and otherimportant policy issues.

2013

discussions during the whole session. In particular,
Prof. Michida, a member of the Japanese delegationand one of the vice-chairs of the IOC, led thediscussion on the agenda of tsunami-related activities
as the Chairperson of the Working Group on Tsunamis
and Other Hazards related to Sea Level Warning and
Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG).

The Japanese delegation actively contributed to

Indo-Pacific Ocean Forum on “Charting the Future of Sustained Ocean
Observations and Services”
Yutaka Michida
Professor, Center for International Collaboration
From November 26 through 28, 2013, theIndo-Pacific Forum on “Charting the Future of
Sustained Ocean Observations and Services” was heldin Bangkok, Thailand, as one of the commemorative
activities for the 25th anniversary of the IOC
Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC).
The Forum was convened by Prof. Yutaka Michida, thevice-chair of the IOC for Asia-Pacific region, Dr.
Somkiat

Khokiattiwong,

the

Chairpersonof

WESTPAC, and Dr. Sang-Kyung Byun, the Chair ofParticipants of Indo-Pacific Forum on ocean observations andservicesthe IOC. The objectives of the forum included a)taking stock of major achievements of the IOC
Sub-Commission for WESTPAC over the past 25 years
in ocean observations and services, b) exchanging

Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC),

information on the current status of ocean observation

Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu, and Prof. Keisuke Taira alsosystems among Member States in the Asia-Pacificjoined as the representatives from Japan. Prof. Taira, in

Region (IOC Group IV), and c) identifying future

particular, made invaluable contribution to theopportunities for collaboration among Member States

discussion based on his experience as the ex-Chair ofin the region to address challenges in ocean

WESTPAC and as the head of the Japanese delegation

observations and services.

to the IOC.

35 experts from 12 countries in the region and some

The recommendations on the regional initiatives

invited experts from the IOC programs participated in

towards sustained ocean observations adopted at thethe forum and engaged in an intensive discussion on

Forum will be submitted to the next Session of IOC

the future direction of ocean observations and services.
Dr.

Masao

Fukasawa

of

Japan

AgencyExecutive Council in June 2014.

for

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Prediction of the response of reef calcifiers to the future ocean acidification basedon precisely-controlled culture experiments
Hodaka Kawahata
Professor, Department of Ocean Floor Geoscience
Recently,

anthropogenic

activities

includingevaluate the effects of ocean acidification onemission of large amounts of CO2 have significantly

foraminiferal calcification in possible near-future pCO2

affected the Earth’s surface environment and climate,conditions (Experiment 1). Further, we cultured these

attracting investigations of environmental and climaticforaminifers in seawater having varying bicarbonatechange all over the world. Rising CO2 concentrations

ion concentration but a constant carbonate ion

in the atmosphere will cause acidification of the oceans.

concentration in order to identify the most influential“Ocean acidification” describes the process ofcarbonate species involved in calcification of these

decreasing pH in the oceans, a process that has alreadyspecies (Experiment 2).

started and will continue to decrease pH in surface
ocean waters according to current studies and future

A series of culture experiments on two groups ofprojections. Incidentally, ocean acidification has

algal symbiont-bearing, reef-dwelling foraminifers,

become the biggest threat to calcifying marine

Amphisorus kudakajimensis and A. hemprichii, whichorganisms in recent years. In fact, Earth surface

are imperforate species, and Calcarina gaudichaudii, aenvironment

ocean

perforate species, were conducted in acidified seawater.

acidification during the transition from Paleocene to

Two opposite responses were observed in Experiment

Eocene (PE) epochs some 56 million years ago, which

1 (Kuroyanagi et al., 2009; Fujita et al., 2011). A.

might have resulted in the most dramatic extinction

kudakajimensis demonstrated that their growth rate,

episode of the past hundred million years, wiping of

measured in shell diameter, shell weight, and the35-50% species of cosmopolitan benthic foraminifera

number of chambers added, decreased with decreasingfrom the face of the earth. For the Intergovernmental

pH. This negative response to ocean acidification is

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A2 scenario ofoften observed in many calcifiers. In contrast,

increase in atmospheric pCO2 to about 560–1000 ppm

calcification of Calcarina gaudichaudii generally

by the end of 21st century, seawater pH will decrease

increased with increase in pCO2. Experiment 2 showedfurther from 8.08 to 7.93 (at 560 µatm of pCO2) orthat calcification in A. hemprichii, a species closely

7.71 (at 1000 µatm of pCO2).

related to A. kudakajimensis, and C. gaudichaudii washadexperienced

severenot significantly different in presence of different
Earlier studies have reported that the calcification

bicarbonate concentrations. This led us to conclude

rate of calcareous marine organisms (e.g., corals,that carbonate ion and CO2 are the most important

foraminifers, coccolithophores, pteropods, mussels,

carbonate

and oysters) changes in response to lowering pH levels,

Amphisorus and Calcarina, respectively (Hikami et al.,even in waters oversaturated with respect to calcite. In

2011). This difference may be attributed to different

general, negative responses to ocean acidification havesensitivities of the calcifiers to these carbonate species,

been reported except for corals and coccolithophores,

which could be due to their different symbiotic algae.

although knowledge about responses of reef calcifiersThis also suggests that ocean acidification willis quite limited. We conducted a culture experiment on

drastically modify the community of calcifiers inthese species using a high pCO2 control system tofuture.

species

controllingthegrowthof

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References
Kuroyanagi, A. Kawahata, H., Suzuki, A., Fujita, K.
and Irie, T. (2009) Impacts of ocean acidificationon large benthic foraminifers: Results fromlaboratory
experiments.
MarineMicropaleontology, 73, 190–195.
Fujita, K., Hikami, M., Suzuki, A., Kuroyanagi, A.,
Sakai, K., Kawahata, H., and Nojiri, Y. (2011)
Effects of ocean acidification on calcification ofsymbiont-bearing reef foraminifers. Biogeosciences, 8, 2089-2098, doi:10.5194/bg-8-20892011.

2013

Hikami, M., Fujita, K., Kuroyanagi, A., Irie, T.,
Ushie, H., Nojiri, Y., Suzuki, A., and Kawahata,
H. (2011) Contrasting ocean acidification
responses of calcification between two coral reefbenthic foraminiferal species Marginopora
kudakajimensis and Calcarina gaudichaudii.
Geophysical Research Letters, 38, doi:10.1029/2011GL048501.

Fig.1 Averaged shell weights of a) A. kudakajimensis and b) C. gaudichaudii after Ocean Acidification
experiment with five different pCO2 conditions (Low, High 1, High 2 and High 3 = pCO2 of 245, 375, 588, 763,
907 µatm and pH of 8.232, 8.085, 7.924, 7.826 and 7.761, respectively) and c) A. hemprichii, a species closely
related to A. kudakajimensis and d) C. gaudichaudii after Constant Carbonate experiment (217 µmol/kg) (Low,High 1, High 2 and High 3 = pCO2 of 354, 398, 448, 486 and 511 µatm and pH of 8.081, 8.057, 8.031, 8.014
and 8.003, respectively)

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The 4th International Symposium on Oryzias Fish
Koji Inoue
Associate Professor,
Department of Marine Bioscience and Center for International Collaboration

Lake Towuti, a habitat of some endemic Oryzias species

The speakers and staff of the symposium

opening ceremony and two plenary lectures. The firstplenary lecture was on general characteristics ofOryzias fishes by me, and the other was on studies ofkaryotype evolution, osmoregulation and sex
determination by Prof. Satoshi Hamaguchi, Vice
President of Niigata University, Japan. Oral session
was started from the afternoon of the first day and 18
papers were presented until closing ceremony in theafternoon of the second day. The topics of thepresentations covered genetics, reproduction biology,
ecology, and environmental sciences and I am
confident that the session was quite informative forboth experts of Oryzias fishes and local scientists andstudents, who were earlier not familiar with thesefishes.

Medaka, Oryzias latipes, is a small fish that isfamiliar to the Japanese. However, it is not known wellthat it has more than 20 related species of the same
genus and all of the related species are distributed in
Asia. Especially, Sulawesi, one of the major islands ofIndonesia, is the most famous place for scientists
working on Oryzias fishes because almost one third of
the Oryzias species are endemic to this island.
I have organized international symposia on Oryzias
fishes in collaboration with scientists in Southeast Asia
every two years since 2007 to offer the opportunity to
exchange the scientific knowledge about these fishes
and also to promote this science in Southeast Asia byutilizing the resources of Oryzias fishes in eachcountry. During the last symposium at the Universiti
Putra Malaysia in 2011, many participants suggested
Sulawesi as the most desired venue for the next
symposium. Fortunately, Professor Jamaluddin Jompa
and Dr. Irma Andriani of Hasanuddin University
kindly accepted to host the symposium and thus the 4thInternational Symposium “Oryzias Fish: Biodiversity
and Environmental Sciences of Marine and Freshwater
Fishes” was held in the university campus in Makassar
on October 9-10th, 2013, with the support ofHasanuddin University and CIC, AORI.

After the scientific session, the local organizing
committee also offered an optional tour to the rivers
and lakes in South Sulawesi. It was a great opportunity,
especially for international participants, to visit the
habitats of unique endemic species that are famous inliteratures.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to localorganizing committee for careful preparation for the
symposium and the field trip. We expect new scientificinsights and international collaboration to arise fromthis symposium.

The morning session of the first day consisted of the

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Staff members of AORI contributed to the new IPCC assessment report
Masahide Kimoto
Professor, Division of Climate System ResearchParticipants in the Fourth Lead Author Meeting of IPCC WGI AR5 held at Hobart, Australia,
January 2013

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Paleoclimate Archives, Professor Teruyuki Nakajima(IPCC) is publishing its Fifth Assessment Report

for Chapter 8: Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative(AR5) in years 2013 and 2014. The Working Group I

Forcing, and Professor Masahide Kimoto for Chapter(WGI) Report of AR5, Climate Change 2013: The

11: Near-term Climate Change: Projections andPhysical Science Basis, was made available in late

Predictability.

2013, with 14 Chapters written by 259 lead authors, infull consideration of more than 50,000 comments from

Numerous research papers, published by AORI

1089 reviewers. The Summary for Policy Makers,

staffs and their collaborators, have been referenced inreleased in September 2013, stated that “humanthe report. The results of climate models, MIROC andinfluence on the climate system is clear,” and “limiting

NICAM developed by the AORI members andclimate change will require substantial and sustained

collaborators, have made a major contribution to

reductions of greenhouse gas emissions,” with moreenhance the credibility of the report; the MIROC seriesconfidence than ever before based on careful reviewsof models were among the most cited models in theof more than 9,000 articles, most of which wereinternational community which participated in the

published since the last report in 2007.

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5), an international project which played theJapanese

researchers havemadeconsiderable

central role in the attribution and projection of climate

contribution to the AR5 of IPCC WGI. 10 Japanesechange reported in WGI AR5.

scientists acted as lead and review authors of the reportand participated in the long-series of meetings,

The LAs and other staff members are making efforts

writings, and reviews. Three staff members of AORI

to help deliver the science messages of the IPCC report

acted as lead authors (LAs); Associate Professor Ayako

to the public, through media interviews, public lectures,

Abe-Ouchi

etc.

for

Chapter

5:

Information

from

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List of Visiting Professors

Name
Gang

Country

Length of stay

Subject for study

China

2012/4/14 - 2012/12/16

Research on parameterization of atmospheric

LIU

boundary-layer in weather and climate
modelsTezer

Australia

2012/8/2 - 2012/9/27

M. ESAT

Trace element measurements and Uranium
series dating on carbonate samples using
HR-SF-ICPMS

Heinz

Swizerland

2012/9/21 - 2013/2/20

BLATTER

Improvement of ice-sheel/ice-shelf model andthe process studies on the interaction ofclimate and ice sheet/ice shelf

MichaelU.S.A.

2012/10/5 - 2012/12/5

Review of Calanus and Neocalanus biology

Indonesia

2013/1/15 - 2013/2/14

Taxonomy and zoogeography of marine

DAGG
Mulyadicopepods in Southeast Asia

Ailsa JaneUK

2013/2/1 - 2013/2/28

HALL

Physiology of environmental adaptation inseals using biologging technology＊Visiting professors’ reports of Division of Climate System Research are included in the CCSR NEWS.

New research vessel 'Shinsei-maru' in Otsuchi Bay

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Visiting Professors’ Reports

2013biomass in the SPO and play key roles in food webs
and carbon cycling over the entire region. Our workon these important zooplankton has brought us

Michael DAGG

together time and time again over many years.
However, in addition to working on the review paper,

Professor (now retired)Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
Chauvin, Louisiana, USA

my activities in Japan were quite varied, and I will list
some of them. I attended the annual meeting of theNorth Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) in
Hiroshima. At the time, Professor Tsuda was the
Chairman and I was the Vice Chairman of the
Biological Oceanography Committee of PICES and wesponsored a special session that included many
excellent papers from Japanese scientists, including
two from Professor Tsuda’s laboratory. I also gave apublic lecture titled “The State of Marine Ecosystems
in the North Pacific, with a Focus of the Ocean
Regions near Japan”, at a special meeting for the
public sponsored by the Fisheries Agency of Japan.
This was a new experience for me, and a new outreachactivity for PICES. After the PICES meeting, I
travelled further south to visit the laboratory of Dr.
Toru Kobari at Kagoshima University where I enjoyedOver my career as a Biological Oceanographer, I

sightseeing on Yakushima Island and Sakurajima

have visited Japan many times. This last one was the

Island. At his laboratory, I gave a lecture on mycrown for me. It was a great pleasure and honor for me

research and discussed how Oceanography andto be a Visiting Professor at AORI for three months,

Fisheries research is funded in the USA compared tofrom October 6 to December 5, 2012. I am greatly

Japan. Also, I had discussions with Dr. Kobari’s

appreciative of the opportunities I had to work with mygraduate students. I then returned to AORI.

host Professor Atsushi Tsuda, for the support and warm
appreciation I received from scientists of the

Next I visited the Plankton Lab of Dr. Atsushi

International Affairs Section, and for my opportunities

Yamaguchi at Hokkaido University in Hakodate,to visit colleagues at other marine laboratories inwhere I gave a presentation on some of my work and I

Japan.

had some good discussions with the graduate students
of Dr. Yamaguchi. I also enjoyed seeing a long-time

The focus of my time at AORI was collaborating incolleague, Professor Tom Ikeda, now retired. Before

the preparation of a review paper being authored byreturning to AORI, I travelled to the Tohoku National

Hiroaki Saito, Atsushi Tsuda, and me, titled “Biology

Fisheries Institute in Sendai to visit another long timeand Ecology of Neocalanus spp. in the Subarctic

colleague and friend, Dr. Hiroaki Saito. I gave a

Pacific Ocean.” Our careers as oceanographers havepresentation on some of my work to a large audience

led us in many directions but each of us has always hadof students and other scientists. Dr. Tsuda met us there

a love for the Neocalanus copepods of the SPO. Theseand we discussed our review paper and also visited athree species of zooplankton are by far the largest
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Tezer M. ESAT

coastal sight that was heavily damaged from the
Fukushima earthquake. It was interesting to me tocompare the Japanese style of recovery to the New

Principal Research Scientist
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organization (ANSTO) & The Australian National
University, Australia

Orleans style (from Hurricane Katrina in 2005). After
Sendai, I returned to AORI for some focused time andeffort on the review paper. I also gave a presentation at
AORI on some of my work, had many discussions
with students in Professor Tsuda’s lab, and generally
enjoyed life in Kashiwanoha. My family joined me forsome time during my stay: my son, about one month,
my wife, about two weeks and my daughter, about one
week. For all of them, it was the first time in Japan andthey all had a wonderful experience, including several
days in Kanazawa, and visits to Akihabara and Tokyo.
We all enjoyed a dinner in Tokyo with Professor Satoru
Taguchi, who I met in 1970 when I was a graduate
student in the US and he was a graduate student inJapan and we sailed on a cruise from Hakodate to
Seattle (I still remember it - 44 days with no sun!).
Now, the review paper is coming close to

It has been a real pleasure and an honour to be atcompletion and it will be an excellent synthesis of the

AORI for the last two months as a visiting researcher,status

at

of

our

knowledge

of

these

importantDr.

YusukeYokoyama’slaboratory

at

the

zooplankton. Japanese scientists have contributed mostDepartment of Ocean Floor Geoscience, facilitatedof the improved knowledge on these organisms in thethrough the “Center for International Collaboration”

past decade, and many of the scientists doing thisand its director Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu.

valuable and interesting work have come fromcollaboration with Yusuke on past climates, inProfessor Tsuda’s laboratory.

It is my great pleasureparticular, on sea level changes during the last ice age,to have finished my active career with is visit to AORI

has been going on for over a decade and a half and has

and other parts of Japan, and to contribute to thebeen extremely fruitful. The latest venture we have

preparation of a review article about “the mostbeen involved in, under the International Ocean

beautiful copepods.”

Drilling Program’s underwater fossil coral drillingMy

expedition to the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, hasproduced a wealth of new and exciting results for theperiod as the Earth’s climate was emerging from thelast great ice age. Yusuke was responsible for many
aspects of the expedition as the co-chief scientist. In
preparation for publication, we have been going
through the data which defines the timing of the 130 m,
or so, of sea level rise that characterizes this period;
some of it is episodic, but consist of very sharp sea
level rises.

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A highlight of my stay was a field trip to a limestone

including several Nobel Prizes, the latest of which wascave at Kyusendo in Kumamoto prefecture with a large

awarded last year for the accelerating expansion of thegroup of students and staff. Here, we discussed theuniverse. ANU remains to this day as the 1st ranking

possibility of accessing calcite cave deposits ofuniversity in Australia. Along the way, the Researchstalagmite and stalactites as they contain information

Institutes were amalgamated with a separately staffedon past monsoon patterns including on temperatures

undergraduate teaching university. However, over time,and precipitation. We also visited Mt. Unzen at

the Institute’s funding has diminished with inflation

Shimabara Peninsula which has a long history of

anderuptions, including Japan’s largest eruption in 1792 inuniversities are adopting the “Research Institutes”

which about 1500 people perished and a huge tsunami

approach, unfortunately ANU has decided to go in the

raced across Ariake bay. The latest eruptions, during

opposite direction and remove the distinction between

1990-1995, were documented in detail and there are

its research institutes and the teaching side. I believe

excellent museums and interactive displays to tell thethat this is a mistake.

Government

cuts.

Currently,

when

many

story. Yosuke Miyairi, who knows the geology of thearea, provided geochemical insights on various

I do have a reason for going over this bit ofoutcrops of volcanic rock types related to the recent

Australian academic history that may relate to AORI. It

and the historic eruptions. And, finally, at the annual

concerns the model of the support services included inmeeting of the Japan Geochemical Society at thethe original research institutes at ANU. Those of them

Hakozaki Campus of the Kyushu University atthat were based on experimental sciences and required

Fukuoka, I was able to meet with old acquaintances

technical equipment for their research were provided

and listen to numerous presentations of current

with additional service structures. Firstly eachgeochemical research in Japan. Among these, I was

academic researcher had funding for several technicalmost impressed with the range of subjects and quality

support staff. They included craftsman in electronics

of the talks presented by the students.

and instrument fabrication as well as higher qualified
staff similar to research assistants. Each physical

Apart from the research activity, it has been very

science based Institute had a “store” facility that kept

interesting for me to observe the structure and mode of

frequently used materials such as metal, screws, nuts,

operationatresistors transistors etc. Or, those in the chemical

Kashiwanoha. The institute that I spent most of mysciences had a comprehensive chemical inventories

working time, The Australian National University

including acids, bases etc. More importantly, each

(ANU), was established after the Second World War, atInstitute had a well-staffed mechanical workshop with

Australia’s capital Canberra. It was made up of askilled craftsman in metal fabrication and instrument

number of research institutes for the express purpose

making and another workshop in “electronics” capableof conducting advanced research in basic sciences andof designing and building or repairing advanced

humanities and was originally mainly staffed byelectronic equipment.

of

AORI

of

Tokyo

University

Australians returning home from the war effort inEurope and a large body of British researchers who

These structures still exist today. In many instanceswere willing to relocate to Australia with expectations

they have been instrumental in providing a significant

of a good working environment. There was noadvantage to the research work at ANU. Just toundergraduate teaching but research students weremention one that I am familiar with, the SHRIMP

actively recruited by promises of very generous pay

ion-probe which can be used to date zircons or analyseand conditions. The plan was extremely successful andextra-terrestrial materials was designed and built at

ANU has produced excellent research outcomes

ANU and has been sold to more than a dozen overseas

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universities including in Japan.

Department of Marine Bioscience and Associate
Professor

My first-hand observations here at AORI highlight

Katsufumi

Sato

and

his

CoastalConservation group within the International Coastal

the absence of such local facilities. Modern research

Research Center.

instrumentation can be sophisticated and usuallyrequire high levels of maintenance to keep operating as

My research at the Sea Mammal Research Unit

well as to improve upon. If several laboratories possess

involves understanding the physiological adaptations

the same instrument, then the ones who can adopt andof various species of seal, whale and dolphin to theirimprove upon the operation of theirs will have themarine existence. This has included studies into theiradvantage. Depending on the manufacturing company

ability to survive in a seawater environment.

for service not only wastes time but usually does notenvironment means they have essentially adapted

provide satisfactory solutions.

terrestrial mammalian systems to thrive within anThisenvironment without freshwater, with some obvious
I hope, that at some future time, the administration

similarities to the fish and desert mammals which

of AORI may be able to consider such proposals andProfessor Takei and his group study.

devise a model suitable for local circumstances toenabled me to discuss the implications of various

bolster

aspects of our research findings into the endocrine

thealready

existing

excellent

research

environment.

My visit

control of osmoregulation in seals with the researchers
at AORI whose expertise in this field is far greater thanmy own.

Ailsa Jane HALL

In addition, I am interested in the physiology offasting.

Acting Director,
The Sea Mammal Research Unit,
The University of St Andrews in Scotland, UK

Many species of seal and whale undergo

extended periods of aphagia, to which they are
exquisitely adapted, for example during the times intheir life cycle when they migrate or moult their fur.
One group of the hormones of particular interest are
the glucocorticoids, particularly cortisol and cortisone,
which are involved in regulating lipolysis within the
adipocytes found in the extensive stores of fat inmarine mammals known as blubber.

They control

fatty acid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation and are
regulators of endocrine function within the adipose
tissue. The concentrations of the glucocorticoids andtheir metabolites have not been measured in marine
mammal blubber before so Professor Takei and his
collaborator, Professor Kazuyoshi Tsutsui at Waseda
University were able to assist me in extracting theseIt was a tremendous honour for me to be awarded a
Visiting Professorship by AORI.

steroids from some harbour seal blubber samples andI visited theto confirm the presence of cortisol, cortisone andInstitute for the month of February, 2013 to continue

additional corticosteroids using GC/MS during mymy very fruitful collaborations with both Professor

visit.

Yoshio Takei and his Physiology group in the
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MulyadiHowever, because the release of these hormones isalso controlled by the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal
axis in response to environmental as well physiologicalstressors, handling the animals to collect blood

Professor, Research Center for Biology,
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia

samples can influence the concentration of the
glucocorticoids in blood. In addition, the ability tocollect blood samples from free swimming and diving
seals opens up tremendous opportunities for studying
both the stress hormones and the osmoregulatory
hormones whilst animals are foraging or travelling.
Collaboration

betweenmyself,

Professor

Takei,

Professor Sato and the telemetry company ‘Little
Leonardo’ has resulted in the development of a remote
blood sampling device which can be deployed on aphocid seal for a short period of time and whichcollects a blood sample through an indwelling cannulaatapredetermined

microprocessor control.

time

or

depth,

underThis is a very exciting

I stayed at AORI during 15 January–14 February,development and initial samples collected from seals in

2013, as a visiting researcher from the Research Center

the captive animal facility at the Sea Mammal

for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). I

Research Unit in St Andrews have been analysed forstarted studying on copepod taxonomy in 1991

cortisol so we can compare levels in free swimmingsupervised by Profs Masaaki Murano and Takashi

animals with those in blood samples collected when

Ishimaru at the Tokyo University of Fisheries (nowanimals are restrained in nets. During my visit weTokyo University of Marine Science and Technology).

were able to discuss the development of this project

I have specialized in the systematics and ecology ofand potential future research objectives.

pelagic copepods, a major group of zooplankton, andhave contributed to the field through researches in theI very much enjoyed my time in Kashiwa and theIndonesian and adjacent waters. My main interest is inopportunity the Fellowship gave me to interact with all

the order Calanoida, which has resulted in publication

the staff and students at the campus.

I am veryof two monographs and papers on re-description ofgrateful indeed to Professors Takei and Sato and thepreviously known species and description of new

University of Tokyo for affording me the privilege of

species of copepods from the Indonesian waters. To

being able to spend some time with them.

my pleasure, these papers have been referred to by
many workers for copepod identification. I am
currently involved in revisions of the families
Pontellidae, Tortanidae, and preparation of a taxonomy
book on the Orders Cyclopoida, Poecillostomatoida
and Harpacticoida collected in and around theIndonesian waters.
I was a project member of the Multilateral
Cooperative Program of the Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS: 2001-2010) and worked

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as a lecturer during a series of training courses on

phylogeny of the genus Tortanus subgenus Atortus inzooplankton diversity. In 2008-2010 we (Prof. S.

the Sulawesi waters.

Ohtsuka, Hiroshima U; Prof. S. Nishida and Dr. J.
Nishikawa, AORI) had a joint research projectAs a consequence, during my stay at AORI, I(LIPI-JSPS) on “Biodiversity and Ecological Roles ofworked with Prof. Nishida on the species diversity of

Jellyfishes and Ctenophores in Indonesian Waters”. I

pelagic copepods in the Indonesian waters, and haveam currently working as a member of an ongoingillustrated and described about 25 species including 17

project of the Asian CORE Program of JSPS,

species that have hitherto been unknown.

“Establishment of Research and Education Network on
Coastal Marne Science in Southeast Asia (2011-2015)”,

I really enjoyed my stay at Kashiwa Campus andaiming at accumulation and integration of thewould like to thank Prof. H. Niino, the Director of

biodiversity information of marine zooplankton.

AORI, and Prof. Nishida for granting me theThrough our communications during the program we

opportunity to further my study and contribute to ourhave realized the necessity of a particular research on

collaborative researches.

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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