■Mirai's Mission 1)Determining the Thermal Cycle of the Ocean Through heat exchange with the atmosphere and circulation of seawater, the ocean controls the thermal balance of the Earth. Changes in seawater temperature or currents can produce anomalous weather conditions and climatic changes. Using Mirai, we plan to clarify the mechanisms involved in changes in the ocean. 2)Solving the Material Cycle of the Ocean Increased atmospheric CO2 leads to global warming, but the ocean seems capable of absorbing most of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, mainly at storm regions. We plan to determine fluctuations in CO2 and other substances between the atmosphere and the ocean and to find their mechanism of circulation in the ocean to predict global warming trends. 3)Solving the Ecosystem in the Ocean The oceanic ecosystem, which provides a home to organisms such as plankton, is thought to affect the global environment. We plan to clarify this relationship. 4)Solving the Dynamics of the Seafloor The sedimentary layers deposited on the seafloor record the activities and history of the Earth. By studying the morphology and structures of the seafloor, we plan to clarify the past environmental changes and oceanic plate motions. 5)Developing the Ocean Observation Buoy To push forward studies in resolving the heat cycle and the material cycle of the ocean, we plan to deploy ocean observation buoys from the Western Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. Twenty buoys will be deployed in the equatorial tropic regions in the Western Pacific and in the Indian Ocean.