After the earthquake and tsunami, the University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute launched a research program to elucidate the physical, chemical, and biological factors controlling the ecosystems in the Sanriku coastal seas, which aims to provide the scientific knowledge necessary in reestablishing post-disaster fishing grounds and in predicting amounts of available resources. In our physical oceanography research we have built an ocean observation system and constructed a numerical ocean circulation model to elucidate current patterns in the Sanriku coastal seas, not only aiming at producing globally recognized scientific results, but also putting a high priority on integrating our activities with local communities in the area.