Asahiko Taira
President,
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
The Earth, a unique blue planet shines like a jewel in the cosmos. The defining features of the Earth, such as the origin and evolution of life, plate tectonics and atmosphere-ocean dynamics are all the result of oceans of liquid water bathing the surface of this planet. Accordingly, as science strives to understand the evolution and dynamics of the Earth's systems, focus should be on the complex linkage between solid earth, ocean and life: this science may perhaps be called "geo-marine-bio science".
In recent years, geo-marine-bio science has apparently entered into a new phase. The continued discoveries of subsurface microorganisms living deep under the seafloor - perhaps even as deep as the mantle - have brought a completely new perspective on how this planet works. Now it becomes apparent that many seemingly different phenomena are intimately correlated, with the keywords "presence of water" and "vital activity".
Additionally, a better understanding of fundamental science for natural resources and disaster prevention also seems to lie along an extension of this emerging paradigm.
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (hereafter JAMSTEC) might be a unique research institute in the world today, which can open up this new paradigm in geo-marine-bio science. This is because JAMSTEC is able to integrate high-level capabilities of ocean observation and sample analysis, high performance computing resources, and teams of highly motivated researchers and engineers and ship operations and administration system to support them. The challenges of this new science also serve the national interest of Japan, as a maritime nation and also as a contribution to the future of mankind.
Japan's exclusive economic zone is the world's sixth largest and it embraces the important aspects of global ocean, including the powerful Kuroshio current, the world's highest biodiversity, countless sea mounts and the oldest ocean floors. The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami occurred because of the very active plate boundary around Japan. It is the mission of Japan, as a maritime nation, to fully understand and utilize the ocean, to protect the lives and property of its' people, to leave legacies and solid contributions to the understanding of our planet and to the welfare of mankind.
JAMSTEC is active in fields such as research and development, ocean exploration, and international collaborative research with a staff of diverse backgrounds working to improve together via close collaboration and teamwork. In these dynamic working fields, JAMSTEC personnel together pursue the same objective of finding a way to provide better solutions.
JAMSTEC develops projects, from fundamental science to positive solutions for today's problems in society, all in collaboration with universities and our international partners.
We deeply appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation for the further advancement of JAMSTEC.
