A land reclamation and desalination project that continued for nearly 40 years in Lake Shinji and Lake Nakaumi has been abandoned, and there is an urgent need to restore deteriorated ecological systems. Now is the time to draw up a plan to manage the basins for the conservation of Lake Shinji and Lake Nakaumi, and to clearly set forth the target images of what both lakes should be like in 10 or 50 years. For the nature restoration of Lake Shinji and Lake Nakaumi, the Research Center for Coastal Lagoon Environments will play a major role, so I would like to discuss my private plan concerning the possibility of the restoration of the ecosystems of both lakes.

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, which was established on Oct.'03, is conducting research, education and training as a university specializing in marine science and technology, with the aim of instituting the awareness with a diversity of living things and the concept of oceans as the asset of humankind, to future generations in the 22nd century. Our academic fields related to marine affairs extend over a very wide area. Since that, it is essential for capable teaching staff to provide comprehensive lectures so students can learn systematically.

Underwater cultural heritage is presently in great danger because it has been disorderly raised from the water for commercial purposes.Much of the valuable information that helps us to understand historical facts has already been lost, and one reason that can be cited for this loss having not been prevented is the lack of consideration of underwater cultural heritage under international laws for many years.It is necessary for this country to exhaust every possible argument in effecting a treaty for underwater cultural heritage protection.