Marine cores collected under the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), former Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) are being curated by well trained staff of our institute. About 83 km of the ODP and DSDP cores (also known as Legacy cores) collected from the Indian Ocean and seas of Asia and Oceania are being curated here in big storage halls (reefer), which maintain 4℃ temperature and 80% humidity conditions for the cores. The cores collected from these oceanic regions under the IODP, for example NanTroSEIZE cores drilled by the Japanese Drilling Vessel 'Chikyu' were stored in reefer #4 in February 2008, will also be curated here. The IODP core repository here is one of the 3 IODP core repositories in the world, and serves to the world science community by providing marine core samples for research in the field of Earth Sciences. The cores are also available for educational purpose and display in museum.

The cores collected from the marine area covered by violet color are being / will be curated at the KCC.

Establishment of a reference center for geomicrobiology (sub-samples from cores stored in frozen condition (-160℃) for biomolecules like DNA and RNA), and a virtual core repository (to visualize 3 dimensional image, which is prepared by a medical XCT scanner, of a core section in a computer) for recently collected IODP cores by the 'Chikyu' and the cores that will be collected in future, are our latest projects.

Photograph on left shows a core sample stored in a liquid N2 tank, and, photograph on right shows images of core sections taken by a medical XCT scanner.

The cores in the repository are also studied for improvement of core storage technology and for supporting development of new techniques for core analyses and training of students and young researchers through the core analysis school organized by the J-DESC (Japan Drilling Earth Science Consortium). The staff responsible for core curation is also taking care of cores and samples on board 'Chikyu' during a drilling expedition.

[ Key links ]

• IODP Sample and Data Obligation Policy
• Sample request submission
• IODP poster and brochure for your institute

IODP curator

Lallan P. Gupta

Curatorial superintendent

Toshio Hisamitsu

Curatorial specialist (MWJ)

Masaru Yasunaga

Curatorial specialist (MWJ)

Yohei Arakawa

Curatorial specialist (MWJ)

Shigako Nigi

Curatorial specialist (MWJ)

Toshikuni Yabuki