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Environmental Technology Research Network
in the Asia-Pacific Region

DB for Research Project
Category : Ocean


  1. Project Name
  2. Duration
  3. Research Catagory 1
  4. Research Catagory 2
  5. Research Field
  6. Researchers
  7. Affiliation 1
  8. Affiliation 2
  9. Address
  10. Country
  11. Phone
  12. Fax
  13. Project Summary
  14. Publications
  15. International Joint Study with

National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology(NIBH), Japan

  1. Methods for characterizing microbial ecosystems of oil biodegradation in sea water
  2. 1993-1997
  3. water, ocean
  4. monitoring
  5. biology
  6. Takanori HIGASHIHARA, Akihiko MARUYAMA, Yasuhiro KAWANO
  7. Applied microbiology department
  8. NIBH, AIST, MITI
  9. 1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305
  10. Japan
  11. 81-298-61-6022
  12. 81-298-61-6005
  13. The research aims to develop techniques for monitoring vehavior of oil-degrading microorganisms under some oil-contained model environments, characterizing marine microbial community in oil-polluted environments and evaluating the effectiveness of various insitu biological oil-cleanup methods from the microbial ecological viewpoint.

Geological Survey of Japan(GSJ), Japan

  1. Transportation and removal of carbon in ocean through particulate materials
  2. 1995-1999
  3. global change, ocean, sediments
  4. measurement, modeling
  5. geology, chemistry, and biology
  6. Akira NISHIMURA, Hodaka KAWAHATA, Ken IKEHARA, Yuichiro TANAKA, Takeshi NAKAJIMA, and Atushi SUZUKI
  7. Marine Mineral Resources Sec. and Coastal Sedimentatin Sec., Marine Geology Dept.
  8. GSJ, AIST, MITI
  9. 1-1-3 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305
  10. Japan
  11. 81-298-61-3594
  12. 81-298-61-3589
  13. Global warming caused by greenhouse gases is one of the most severe environmental problems in global change. The aim of this research is to clear the carbon cycle in ocean, which is a large reservoir of carbon and has an important role of climatic change. The flux and characteristcs of particulate materials sampled in a sediment trap and sea-bottom sediments sampled by a multiple corer are analyzed as a point of view of carbon cycle and carbon flux in ocean. Dissolution and decomposition of particulate materials duribg the transportation process and diagenesis at the sea-bottom interface are important processses of carbon cycle in the deeper part of the ocean. We have researched thse processes and we will make their model.
  14. 1) Akira Nishimura et al., Global environmental problems and global carbon cycle - What should geologists do? -, Jour. Geol. Soc. Japan, 100, 409-416, 1994. 2) Hodaka Kawahata et al., The fluctuation of primary productivity during the last 300 kyr in the West Caroline Basin, Jour. Geol. Soc. Japan, 100, 762-770,1994.

National Institute for Resources and Environment(NIRE), Japan

  1. Japanese Study on the Behavior of Greenhouse Gases and Aerosols
  2. 1990-1999
  3. global change, air, water, ocean
  4. counter measures, reaction mechanism, measurement, monitoring, modeling
  5. chemistry, geophysics
  6. Takashi IBUSUKI, Koji TAKEUCHI, Shuzo KUTSUNA, Kazuhide KOIKE, Hitomi KOBARA
  7. Photoenergy Application Div., Global Warming Control Dept.
  8. NIRE, AIST, MITI
  9. 16-3 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305
  10. Japan
  11. 81-298-61-8168
  12. 81-298-61-8158
  13. This project aims at conducting research and observation on long-term trend of greenhouse materials and on the material circulation and quantitative analysis of natural balance in order to estimate and predict influence of anthropogenic and natural greenhouse gases.
  1. Elucidation of Material Cycle in Coasl Environment and Development of Monitoring Techniques 2 1994-1998
  3. water, ocean, hazardous substances, sediments
  4. measurement, fate, monitoring, reaction mechanism
  5. chemistry
  6. Akira MIYAZAKI, Kenji BANSHO, Mamoru TOMINAGA, Hiroaki TAO, Akira@KIMURA, Takashi IMAGAWA, Nobuyoshi YAMASHITA
  7. Water Analysis Lab, Hydrospheric Environmental Protection Dept.
  8. NIRE, AIST, MITI
  9. 16-3 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305
  10. Japan
  11. 81-298-61-8338
  12. 81-298-61-8308
  13. The objectives of this project are to use artificial chemical substances, rare earth metals, heavy metals and lead isotopes as tracers to investigate the material cycle in the coastal environments and to develop analytical techniques and monitoring technique. Based on three-dimensional analysis of the tracers, the transition in the flow of substances into the marine environments in recent years and behavior in the environment will be elucidated.
  14. 1)Nobuyoshi Yamashita, Ultra-trace level measurement of non-orhto planar PCBs in sea water using in situ filtrate/adsorption water sampler, Journal of NIRE, 4, 4, 315(1995)
  15. Kiel Univ.,Germany

Hokkaido National Industrial Research Institute(HNIRI), Japan

  1. Research on Deep Sea Sequestering of Carbon Dioxide
  2. 1991-1998
  3. global change, ocean, carbon dioxide. air
  4. reaction mechanism, impact assessment
  5. physics, physical chemistry
  6. Jun'ichi KAWABATA, Sogo SAYAMA, Takeshi OKUTANI, Saburo ITO,Hideo NARITA, Tsutomu UCHIDA
  7. Materials Division,Director of Research Planning, Bioscience and Chemistry Division, Resource Chemistry Section, Resources and Energy Division
  8. HNIRI, AIST, MITI
  9. 2-17 Tsukisamu-higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062
  10. Japan
  11. 81-11-857-8940
  12. 81-11-857-8981
  13. This study aims to develop a new method for the sequestering of CO2 in deep sea as CO2 hydrate. Under the temperature and pressure conditions of deep sea, the mixture of CO2 and water forms the crystalline molecular complex, called CO2 hydrate clathrate. CO2 molecules is enclosed within the lattice formed by water molecules, which are strongly hydrogen bonded with each other. As the density of CO2 hydrate is higher than that of sea water, CO2 hydrate would be sequestered in deep sea. To investigate the feasibility of deep sea CO2 sequestering, it is necessary to study the physical properties of CO2 hydrate. The object of this study are to investigate the formation and dissociation processes of CO2 hydrate and its physical properties.
  14. 1)Tsutomu Uchida et al., Raman spectroscopic analysis of growth process of CO2 hydrates (in Japanese), CO2 taisaku-gijutsu to kiso-kenkyu, Kagaku Kogaku symposium series 38, 125-130, 1993
    2)Tsutomu Uchida et al., Physical data of CO2 hydrate, Direct Ocean Disposal of Carbon Dioxide (ed. by N. Handa), Terrapub. Tokyo (in press)
  15. none

Chugoku National Industrial Research Institute(CNIRI), Japan

  1. Environmental Mitigation and Renovation of the Seto Inland Sea
  2. 1995-1999
  3. ocean
  4. impact assessment, modeling, counter measures
  5. engineering
  6. Moriyasu TAKARADA, Michihiro TANABE, Ichiro YUASA, Eisuke HASHIMOTO, Munehiro YAMASAKI, Satoru TAKAHASHI
  7. Environmental Hydraulics Section, Marine Environmental Science and Technology Division
  8. CNIRI,AIST,MITI
  9. 2-2-2 Hiro-Suehiro,Kure,Hiroshima 737-01
  10. Japan
  11. 81-823-72-1921
  12. 81-823-73-3284
  13. This study is planned as a five year project started from FY 1995 to elucidate the more appropriate arrangement of lands to be reclaimed in the bay together with the appropriate redistribution or reduction of existing effluent discharges into the bay by carrying out simulation experiments with hydraulic and numerical models as assessment tools. This study also aims to establish effective measures or technologies for the bay to compensate the unfavorable development impacts and to restore or enhance the environmental capacity of the bay itself based on the field survey for substance transport and assimilation processes in the bay and on the simulation experiments with hydraulic and numerical models for tidal flow control measures such as structure construction or topography modification on the bay bottom. The rational application of ecosystem model is the other task of this study to evaluate the ecological effects of these measures and to round off this study at its final stage.
  14. 1)Ichiro YUASA et al., Necessity of monitoring of marine ecosystem changes, Proc. of Internat. Conf. on Tech. for Marine Environmental Preservation(MARIENV'95),596-602,1995 9
    2)Moriyasu Takarada et al., Measures for Marine Environmental Conservation and Enhancement, Proc. of MARIENV'95,458-462,1995 9 3)Hideki UESHIMA et al., Tidal Flow Control as a Means of Marine Environmental Conseration and Enhancement, Marine Technology Society Journal,Vol.29,No.3,67-73,1995 Fall
  1. Study on a evaluation method of marine arganism flow in a coastal area
  2. 1993-1997
  3. ocean, others(material cycle)
  4. measurement, modeling
  5. chemistry, others(coastal marine environment)
  6. Akira HOSHIKA, Terumi Tanimoto, Yasuhumi MISHIMA, Hideki UESHIMA
  7. Marine Environment Section, Marine Environmental Science and Technology
  8. CNIRI, AIST, MITI
  9. 2-2-2 Hiro-suehiro, Kure, Hiroshima 737-01
  10. Japan
  11. 81-823-72-1930
  12. 81-823-73-3284
  13. The aim of this study is to make clear mechanisms of organic pollution in the representative semi-enclosed seas.
  14. 1)Akira HOSHIKA, Takayuki SHIOZAWA, Kichiichiro KAWANA and Terumi TANIMOTO, Heavy metal pollution in sediment from the Seto Inland Sea,Japan, 23, 101-105, 1991
    2)Akira HOSHIKA and Terumi TANIMOTO, Sedimentation processes of particulate matter in the Osaka Bay, Umino Kenkyu, 3, 419-425, 1994
    3)Kichiichiro KAWANA, Akira HOSHIKA, Shizuko HIRATA, K. SUGIO, A.F. GIMENEZ and W.G. TESSLER, Environmental impacts caused by industrial waste in subtropical coastal waters. IGBP, Regieonal Conference on global change, 1995
  15. Sao-Paulo University, Brasil
  1. Influence of Wind-induced Mixing on Ecosystem in the Semi-enclosed Sea
  2. 1996-2000
  3. ocean
  4. monitoring, diagnosis
  5. physics, ecology
  6. Hideki UESHIMA, Hideaki NOGUCHI, Yosio TAKASUGI, Hideichi YASUDA, Takehiko HIGO
  7. Marine Dynamics Section, Marine Environmental Science and Technology Division,CNIRI, AIST, MITI
  8. 2-2-2 Hiro-Suehiro, Kure, Hiroshima 737-01
  9. Japan
  10. 81-823-72-1926
  11. 81-823-73-3284
  12. In a semi-enclosed sea such as at Seto Inland Sea, eutrophic level of the water has been progressing by increasing of organic materials that discharged from a land or due to excessive primary production in a sea. In the eutrophic sea, occurrence of red tide or shellfish toxification has frequently done considerable damage to fish and/or shellfish culture. When it blows hard, wind-induced strong mixing occurs in the sea and dense nutrient salts and cysts curl up from bottom layer of the eutrophic sea. Diffusion of these materials often plays important roles of a trigger in occurrence of read tide and shellfish toxification. The purpose of this task is to make clear how the wind-induced mixing of water has the influence on ecosystem in the semi-enclosed sea.

Shikoku National Industrial Research Institute(SNIRI), Japan

  1. Formation of biodegradable plastics from natural macromolecules
  2. 1993-1996
  3. ocean,global change,wastes
  4. reaction mechanism,source inventory
  5. chemistry,biology
  6. Jun HOSOKAWA,takahiro HIROTSU,Masashi NISHIYAMA,Hiroshi KABEYA,Kazutosi YOSHIHARA,Takamasa KUBO,Takashi ENDO,Ryouichi KITAGAWA
  7. Biological Material Div,Marine Resources Dept,
  8. SNIRI,AIST,MITI
  9. 2217-14,Hayashi-cho,Takamatsu,Kagawa 761-03
  10. Japan
  11. 81-878-69-3511
  12. 81-878-69-3553
  13. Theme of this study is to investigate novel biodegradable plastics from natural polymers (cellulose,chitosan,etc.) a little modified. The material has functions as physiological activity, other than biodegradability.
  14. 1)Jun Hosokawa et.al.,Biodegradable Film Derived from Chitosan and Homogenized Cellulose,Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research,29,880-805,1990.
    2)Jun Hosokawa et.al.,Reaction between Chitosan and Cellulose on Biodegradable Composite Film Formation,Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research,30,788-792,1991.
    3)Ryouichi Kitagawa et.al.,New Application of Cellulose and Chitosan for Biodegradable Polymer Material,Proc. 3rd Int. Sci. Workshop on Biodegradable Plastics and Polymers,Osaka,Japan,Eds. Y.Doi & K.Fukuda,Elsevier,Amsterdam,451-458,1994.
  1. Research on Technology for Immobilized Marine Oil-Degrading Microorganisms and Methods for Characterizing Microbial Ecosystem of Oil Biodegradation in Sea Water
  2. 1993-1997
  3. water,ocean,oil biodegradation
  4. bioreactor development, conuter measures
  5. chemistry,biology
  6. Hiroshi KAMISHIMA,Satoshi FUKUOKA,Hideki OBIKA,Hirotaka KAKITA,Zhong-Fu LI
  7. Biological Function Div,Marine Resources Dept,
  8. SNIRI,AIST,MITI
  9. 2217-14,Hayashi-cho,Takamatsu,Kagawa 761-03
  10. Japan
  11. 81-878-69-3511
  12. 81-878-69-3553
  13. The object of this study is to develop the environmentally available bioreactor system for degradation of spilt oil in sea water.It is planned to co-immobilize marine oil-degrading microorganisms and nutrients in the bioreactor carrier to improve the biodegradation rate.
  14. 1)Zhong-Fu Li et.al.,Improvement of Immobilizations Conditions for Biodegradation of Floating Oil by a Bio-System Co-Immobilizing Marine Oil-Degrading Yeast Candida sp. and Nutrients,Seibutsu-Kogaku Kaishi,73,295-299,1995.