Oceanic research has progressed with the research and development of tools for making observations in the deep sea as well as for grasping phenomena. Dynamic oceanographic observation has become possible by research vessels and investigation vessels as well as various types of observation equipment. Also, it has become possible to keep the track of environmental changes that may occur during the tracking of movements and migration cycles of creatures living in the sea, by applying the newly developed animal-borne bio-logging technology.
Selected Papers No.6(p.21)

The "Water Planet" should not be recognized simply as it was named because more than 70% of the earth's surface is dominated by oceans when observed from artificial satellites. Water exists everywhere including in the solid earth and creatures as well as in the fluid earth. The "Water Planet" is the life of the Earth itself including human beings, so we should refrain from "short-sighted" activities, which depend on conventional methods, for utilization of this planet in the new millennium.

The Ogasawara Islands consist of more than 30 islands large and small, where Chichijima and Hahajima Islands are in the center and located 1,000 km south of Tokyo. At present, the time required from Tokyo to Chichijima Island is 25 and a half hours by the "Ogasawaramaru" liner, while the Techno Super Liner, which will go into service in the spring of 2005, will link them in 17 hours. Reduction of the operating hours is expected to promote tourism, because tourists who would visit the Ogasawara Islands before now have had to set aside at least 6 days for the trip.