Beginning with the first trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific optical submarine cables, many such international cables have been installed, with more than 99% of the world’s communication traffic now passing through these cables, whose total length amounts to 30 times the world’s circumference. While the seabed is often thought of as an area of calm, natural disasters such as earthquakes occur and human activities such as fishing can also hinder submarine cable operation. I would like here to introduce the activities of the Kokusai Cable Ship Company, which specializes in the installation and maintenance of submarine cables.

As global warming proceeds, it is feared there will be an increase in typhoon occurrence. Giant Clams, found widely on coral reefs, have a lifespan of more than a hundred years and the largest shell among bivalves. The annual and daily rings built up on the shells during their lifetimes are drawing attention as detailed indicators of climate change in tropical areas. I would like to introduce recent efforts at searching for traces of past typhoons through daily growth ring and chemical analyses of Giant Clam shells found on Okinotori Island.

In order to combat the drift away from science among children, I have published a picture book called “Introducing the Wonders of the Deep Sea World,” and, combining it with music, has carried out picture book read aloud activities in both Japanese and English over the past 10 years. My motive for doing this is that I have enjoyed science since I was a child, and have a researcher’s desire that other people also think for themselves.