Ocean Newsletter
No.367 November 20, 2015
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Recent Trends in Costa Rica's Sea Turtle Conservation
Jun TAKEDA
PhD candidate, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University/Research Fellow (DC2) of Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceIn Costa Rica, confrontations are escalating over the protection and use of sea turtles. Strengthening environmental protection regulations in the name of environmental conservation alone will not lead to solutions of problems such as this on a fundamental level. In order to go beyond protection and use confrontations, an historical perspective on the system is needed as well as a forum for Costa Ricans to consider what form conservation efforts should take and what methods should be employed. -
The Ocean and Tropical Cyclones
Kazuo SAITOManager, Forecast Research Department, Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency
This article introduces the importance of oceans in the occurrence and development of tropical cyclones, especially typhoons; decreases in ocean surface temperature due to typhoons; and how the K computer was used in a numerical typhoon simulation, taking into account changes in ocean surface temperature. It also introduces the high-precision simulation of Cyclone Nargis, which caused great damage to southern Myanmar from high tides in 2008.
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Biodiversity on Oceanic Islands
Koji TAKAYAMAAssociate Professor, Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka
Living organisms that arrive on oceanic islands after traveling far distances evolve in unique ways over long periods of time. This accounts for the many unique species found only on particular islands around the world. I would like here to consider, based on research into the Juan Fernández Islands, a treasure house of unique species, speciation of plants, genetic diversity, and ecosystem conservation.