Improvements are being made to the water quality of the Seto Inland Sea, once called the “Dying Sea,” through a variety of water quality conservation measures such as wastewater regulations. However, as new issues such as declining fish catches and frequent occurrences of color-fading in nori (dried seaweed) have come to the forefront, special measures have been approved for the management of nutrients to ensure the diversity and productivity of estuarine ecosystems. It can be said that this large shift in the water environment administration is completely different from wastewater regulations to date, namely, the simple reduction of pollutants such as nutrients.
Selected Papers No.27(p.22)

In February 2016, during a longline fishing survey conducted in collaboration with Kanagawa Prefecture Marine Science High School, a colossal deep-sea fish that has never been recorded before was caught from the deep-sea bottom of Suruga Bay, at a depth deeper than 2,000 meters. This deep-sea fish, which was reported after as a new species, Yokozuna Slickhead, from the family Alepocephalidae, is more than just a discovery of a new species; it taught us that there is something fundamentally lacking in our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems.

About 20 marine biological laboratories, as facilities associated with national universities, can be found on coasts around Japan. The technical staff assigned to the marine biological laboratories are responsible for a variety of onsite tasks, from collecting specimens to operating ships, and they also support scientists’ marine research around the clock. At the same time, they also play a role in connecting marine research and the region, through cooperating with locals such as fishermen.