Greetings from the Group Leader

Analyses of Changes in East Japan Marine Ecosystems Research and Development Group aims to elucidate impacts of the earthquake and tsunamis on marine ecosystems in coastal regions and off-shore areas of Tohoku District, study recovery processes after the earthquake and tsunamis, and provide the data for reconstruction of fisheries and related industries.

March 11, 2011, M9.0 megaquake and huge tsunamis took place off Tohoku areas. Coastal areas of Tohoku were heavily damaged and swept away due to huge tsunamis. Huge amounts of debris were transported from land to sea and deposited on continental shelves and slope areas where natural disturbances had also taken place. Marine ecosystems and environments including fishery fields were heavily disturbed since then. We have urgently been monitoring marine ecosystems and tracing recovery processes for giving information to reconstruction of coastal to offshore fisheries and associated industries. We, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology construct research network together with Tohoku University, Atmospheric and Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo, for supporting recovery of damaged regions mainly about Fishing.

Katsunori Fujikura
Group Leader, Analyses of Changes
in East Japan Marine Ecosystems
Research and Development Group