People who convey voices from the sea
People who convey voices from the sea
Keep tracking the movement of matter and you will see it.
The sea of ??today, the sea of ??the future.
Professor Jota Kanda, Department of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Resources and Environment
Keep tracking the movement of matter and you will see it.
The sea of ??today, the sea of ??the future.
Professor Jota Kanda, Department of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Resources and Environment
Biography
Jota Kanda(Kanda Jota)
Belongs to the Division of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Science.
After graduating from the Faculty of Science, the University of Tokyo, and completing the graduate school there, he became a research associate at the Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo.
After working as an associate professor at Shizuoka University,
In 2000, he became an associate professor at Tokyo University of Fisheries (now Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology).
Incumbent since 2008.He is a doctor of science.
From 2015 to 2021, he will also serve as Vice President (Research and University Reform).
- Q What kind of classes do you teach?
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- I am in charge of Introduction to Earth Science II (Department of Marine Environmental Science/Department of Marine Resources and Energy, 2nd year, shared) and Chemical Oceanography (Department of Marine Environmental Science, 3rd year).
"Chemical Oceanography" is a class about the ocean from a chemical point of view.Many chemicals exist in various forms in the marine environment.
These substances play an important role in the ocean as a whole, and thus in the material cycle on a global scale.
In this class, you can learn mainly about the distribution and behavior of chemical substances in the ocean, and acquire the knowledge that will be an important foundation for understanding the marine environment. - Q What kind of departments are the Faculty of Marine Resources and Environment and the Department of Marine Environmental Science?
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- The Department of Marine Environmental Science comprehensively learns the basic sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, and geology) related to the ocean and marine organisms, and studies, analyzes, conserves, and uses the marine environment and marine organisms. It is a department that aims to develop into technology.
The biggest feature is that the department has faculty members who study oceanography from all perspectives, including physics, chemistry, biology, and geology.
As I said at the beginning, understanding the ocean requires multidisciplinary knowledge.
This is easy to say, but really hard to learn.
However, when researching plankton, which is actually living organisms, it is often necessary to have physical knowledge of ocean currents and chemical material cycles.
At times like that, it is very reassuring to be able to consult with professors in various fields within the department.
I don't think there are any other universities in Japan that have faculty members who study the ocean from diverse perspectives in one department.That's why I think it's a suitable department to study oceanography. - Q What kind of research are you doing?
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- Since I have been doing research for many years, I have studied material circulation in various sea areas.
Antarctica, subtropics, and of course Tokyo Bay and other areas around Japan.Among them, the one that I feel is interesting again is "Tokyo Bay".
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology has a research vessel called Seiyo Maru, which conducts observation surveys of Tokyo Bay once a month.
When I was assigned to Tokyo University of Fisheries (currently Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology), continuous surveys were already underway, and for the next 20 years, I continued to conduct monthly nutrient surveys.
It's been more than 1989 years since you started researching nutrients in 30.There are so many things that can be seen from continuous data, and from the survey data, we can see that Tokyo Bay is getting cleaner and cleaner with less nutrients.
But there are still challenges.By continuing our research, we will be able to follow the changes in Tokyo Bay, which is invisible to the naked eye.
Seitakamaru
- Q Is it difficult to conduct marine surveys and research on a ship?
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- Because once you get on, you can't get off.For example, what if you boarded a ship with the intention of conducting research on the sampling and analysis of seawater, but forgot even one of the tools necessary for sampling?
I can't do anything anymore.You can't go back to get it or get off the ship.
I think it's difficult to say that.Especially long-term voyages, such as voyages to Antarctica, require meticulous planning and preparation.
Make a solid experimental plan and make a list of necessary equipment and reagents.
Reagents used in experiments are also weighed and subdivided into necessary amounts.
Decide in advance what to analyze on board and what to analyze after disembarking, and load the equipment for analysis on board.
The research period includes not only the time on board, but also the preparation and cleanup time.
Especially long voyages cannot be made many times in a year, so I prepare with a sense of urgency so as not to forget anything or leave something behind.
On the other hand, once you get on the boat with all the preparations, all you have to do is follow the plan.
On board the ship, I have the opportunity to help out with other research and deepen exchanges with researchers from other institutions, which is a very enjoyable time.
Cleaning up after disembarking is also difficult.Thanks to that, I became good at packing for moving.
- Q What made you decide to become a researcher?
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- When I was in college, I studied botany in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science.
No, it's not chemistry.The reason why I took the botany course was because I wanted to learn ecology, and there was a teacher who was researching plant ecology.
I was originally interested in the movement of things in ecosystems, and when I progressed from undergraduate to graduate school, I started researching ocean material cycles. - Q What is the charm of the sea from the perspective of the movement of things (material circulation)?
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- From the point of view of material circulation, the ocean moves very elegantly, including the finer details, while maintaining a very good balance.
It is very attractive to be able to know how the ocean moves as if it were a system created by calculation through research.
Marine research is not a field of study where a few years of research can lead to big discoveries.
Over a long period of time, many people, including students, are involved in collecting and accumulating data.
Several years after graduating, some students find out that they were involved in data that led to major discoveries.
It takes a lot of perseverance, but it's also very important to keep doing research while passing on data from seniors to juniors.
Some of the students who have graduated say that they are glad that they were able to be involved in this research, even if it was only for a few years, and I am happy to hear such words.
- Q Do you ever collaborate with researchers around the world?
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- Since the sea is connected to countries all over the world, it is a highly international research field.
In the latter half of the 1960s, there was already a system for sharing observation data across countries.
In some cases, faculty members of our university conduct research on ships of other countries, and conversely, researchers conducting research in foreign countries board ships of our university.
Even though you are doing your research in Japan, you are constantly interacting with researchers from other countries. - Q What kind of research would you like to do in the future toward 2030?
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- At Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, a wide variety of research is being conducted under the motto, "Know the sea, protect the sea, and use the sea."
In particular, I think that research that uses the ocean is attracting a lot of attention.
On the other hand, it is also very important to continue research to "know the ocean."As the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science* mentions about the importance of data, the data collected through basic research to understand the ocean is essential for the sustainable future of the ocean. It's something that can't be done.
I would like to be involved in ocean research while passing on the data baton that my seniors have carefully handed down to future students.
* United Nations Decade of Marine Science: Initiative adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 10. From 2017 to 2021, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will be implemented. Concentrated efforts to contribute to the achievement of SDGs.
In particular,
?Building scientific knowledge, foundations and partnerships necessary for sustainable development of the oceans
?Reflect scientific knowledge, data and information on the ocean in ocean policy and contribute to the achievement of all sustainable development goals.
It is an object.
https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/1422631_1.pdf
