20 September 2001

Ocean Nourishment in Asia

 

Advisory Group

H. Komiyama, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, U Tokyo, Japan

A. Taniguchi, Professor, Tohoku University, President PSJ, Japan

Y. Toba, Former Chief Scientist, NASDA, former President, OSJ, Japan

M. Fujino, Professor, Frontier Science, U Tokyo, Japan

 

International Steering Committee

Chairman          T. Takahashi, Lamont Doherty, USA

Members            J. Field, JGOFS past chairman, President SCOR

G. Geernaert, Nat. Env. Res. Inst., Denmark

J. Parslow, CSIRO, Australia

B. Rothschild, GLOBEC past chairman, USA

I. Asanuma, EORC/NASDA, Japan

C. S. Wong, IOS, Canada

T. Ohsumi, RITE, Japan

 

Principal Organisers

I. S. F. Jones

T. Sato

Coordinator

H. Young

 

Investigators

H. M. Ibrahim, UPM, Malaysia

T. Sugimoto, ORI, U Tokyo

Y. Shirayama, Kyoto U

K. Shoji, Toyo Eng Corporation

Y. Suzuki, Shizuoka U

M. J. Kishi, Fisheries, U Hokkaido

I. Kudo, Fisheries, U Hokkaido

H. Yamaguchi, E&E Sys Eng, U Tokyo

H. Suzuki, E&E Sys Eng, U Tokyo

S. Tabeta, Frontier Science, U Tokyo

A. Yamasaki, AIST

Y. Imai, IDEC, Hiroshima U

M. Fujii, Chem Eng, U Tokyo

K. Watanabe, Tokai U

Y. Ishikawa, IES

 


Program

 

Phases

1. General symposium and workshop to review concepts for an integrated program

Nov. 2001

2. Modelling and testing of critical elements, medium scale demonstration

2002-2004

3. Ecological impact study (pilot plant)

2005-2007

 

 

Funding Sources

 

Phase 1: sponsored by Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture, Science and Technology

Phase 2: to be advised

 

 


Ocean Nourishment in Asia

2002-2004 Research Project Plan

 

Cost: $250k per year

 

Year 1                              Carry out bottle experiments on board with water of candidate sites. Model diffusion, chemical, and biological processes. Perform feasibility study of pilot nourishment plant. Design an apparatus of off-shore mesocosm experiment.

 

Year 2                              Determine a target site and plan the detail of the mesocosm experiment. Construct the apparatus of the off-shore mesocosm experiment. Predict phytoplankton response of the target site. Obtain satellite data. Test DMS measurement techniques.

 

Year 3                              Carry out the off-shore mesocosm experiment to trace nutrients and organisms and to validate the models. Publish the results of hypothesis – N, P, Fe, Si are the keys to increased ocean productivity and consequent CO2 sequestration.

 

 

Continuing to the next phase, 3 year pilot plant test.


Symposium and Workshop for Ocean Nourishment in Asia

 

Day 1 (19 Nov.)

              Symposium “Food and Climate Security in Asia”. General seminars by about 10

prominent personalities to be published in symposium report.

Venue:                            University of Tokyo

 

Day 2: (20 Nov.)

Workshop “Ocean Nourishment in Asia – Risks and Benefits”

am: presentation of 3-year research plan by 8 people with review by expert panel

pm: expert panel at rest, investigators – revisions of plan

Venue:                            International House of Japan

 

Day 3: (21 Nov.)

Workshop “Ocean Nourishment in Asia – Risks and Benefits”

am: presentation of workshop assessment of research proposal

              pm: examination of first 3-year research proposal

Venue:                            International House of Japan

 

 


 

A possible arrangement for the presentation of our research plan is:

 

1. general concept of ocean nourishment and its role in global carbon management

 (JONES, all members)

2. feasibility study of pilot plant of nutrient injection

 (H.Suzuki, SHOJI, Yamasaki, Watanabe)

3. bottle experiments on board at many sites

 (SUGIMOTO, Y.Suzuki, Kishi, Shirayama, Kudo, Ishikawa)

4. modelling of diffusion, chemistry, and biological response

 (KISHI, Sato, Tabeta, Yamasaki, Fujii)

5. remote sensing and GIS integration

 (IMAI, Yamaguchi)

6. engineering concepts for off-shore mesocosm experiment

 (H.SUZUKI, Watanabe)

7. observation of plankton and chemical response in mesocosm experiment

 (Sugimoto, Y.Suzuki, KISHI, Shirayama, Kudo, Ishikawa)

8. investigation of fish ecology and public outreach

 (JONES, Young, Ibrahim)

9. cultivation of phytoplankton in laboratories

               (Jones, YAMASAKI, Kudo, Sato, Fujii)