Symposium brochure

On November 14, a symposium entitled “Exploring the Wonders of the Sea” was held in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the founding of Yokohama National University. The symposium was organized by the Yokohama National University, which also hosts a Nippon Foundation-sponsored lecture series at its Center for Oceanic Studies and Integrated Education. There were presentations and panel discussions on topics such as the mysterious creatures of the ocean depths, aquariums and the sea, and research on the ocean floor--Earth’s final frontier.

The symposium’s main purpose is to foster a marine culture in Yokohama, and the university has held it regularly since 2006. This was the 7th in the series. This year marks 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama, and the symposium was held at Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall, a 90 year old red brick warehouse..

At the symposium, Australian researcher Dougal Linsey, with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), delivered a lecture on the topic of "Biological Research and the Ecological Classification of Deep-Sea Creatures." Rie Kogasaka, of the Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise Aquarium, discussed "How the Sea should be Shown in Aquariums." Rector Arima Makoto of the Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences at Yokohama University spoke about the "Ocean-Floor as the Last Frontier on Earth." A panel was also held, entitled "Exploring the Wonders of the Sea and Protecting Sea Creatures."

The Venue: Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall

Linsey talked mainly about the “Shinkai 6500" submersible and reported on the use of research robots in the ocean depths. It has long been known that there are many shrimps and fish in the deepest parts of the sea, but in addition to that, it was recently found that there are also an amazing number of jellyfish. Red jellyfish in particular, which had only been found twenty times after first being discovered in 1913, have now been found many places in the deep sea. He said "We now think that there are one million species of jellyfish. Many of them have poison, but this could be used to make protein-based drugs in the future."

Kogasaka reported on her aquarium. The facility has a large tank (1500 tons of water, with a depth of eight meters). In the past, the tank housed a wide variety of fish, but without presenting a unifying theme. She reconstructed it using large, medium-sized and small fish, and focused its theme on predation. She said, "The educational function of our aquarium was enhanced by the reconstruction."

Panel discussion

Arima discussed the “Chikyu,” a scientific drilling vessel that has reached some of the deepest parts of the Earth, and said “With this ship, we will be able to make large advances in our understanding of the origins of life on earth, of earthquakes, of global environmental fluctuation, and of undersea resources. Compared with the land, the parts of our planet that exist under water have not been developed yet. They account for seventy percent of the whole earth and contain plenty of minerals and new forms of energy. Japan has the 6th largest Exclusive Economic Zone and has the potential to be a resource-rich superpower.” The panel then discussed efforts to create protected marine areas, based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the present state of fishery resources. One member of the audience commented, "Japan is surrounded by the sea and is a seafaring nation. But it is also still an insular state. We need to develop a full-fledged ocean policy.”