Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research in Innovative Areas (MEXT) 2015-2019

Ocean Mixing Processes: Impact on Biogeochemistry, Climate and Ecosystem

A03-6 Group

A03-6 Environmental history of living marine resources and fluctuation of fisheries resources

   Research Summary

Fig.1. Catch fluctuation of common mackerel, jack mackerel and walleye pollock in the North Pacific around Japan.

While about 20-year periodic fluctuation of seawater nutrient and oxygen concentrations synchronous with 18.6-year nodal tide have been observed in the subarctic and subtropical oceans in the North Pacific, fisheries resources around Japan showed 20-year and about three times 50-70 years (sardine, common mackerel, jack mackerel, etc.). There is a possibility that the 18.6-year nodal tide effects on the fisheries resources fluctuations through climate, water mass formation, and prey plankton productions. For comprehensive understandings and high skill predictability of long-term fluctuations of nutrient cycles, marine ecosystems, and fisheries resources, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of phenomena connected to 18.6-year nodal tide. In this study, we aim to elucidate direct and indirect influences of the long-term fluctuation of ocean mixing processes caused by 18.6-year nodal tide on fisheries resources by high resolution isotope analysis of fish juvenile otoliths and marine ecosystem-fish coupled models.

Fig. 2. Schematics of implementation plan.

 

 

 

 

   Members

Principal investigator : Shin-ichi Ito
(Professor, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (AORI), The University of Tokyo)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Kosei Komatsu
(Associate Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Kotaro Shirai
(Research Associate, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (AORI), The University of Tokyo)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Yasuhiro Kamimura
(Researcher, National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Motomitsu Takahashi
(Principal Researcher, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Tetsuichiro Funamoto
(Fisheries Agency, Co-investigator(2015-2016))

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Osamu Shida
(Director, Kushiro Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Department, Hokkaido Research Organization)

 

 

 

 

Co-investigator : Mitushiro Ishino
（Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency）