Workshop Overview

The United Nations University (UNU) and the Ocean Research Institute (ORI) of the University of Tokyo are jointly holding in Otsuchi, Japan the third International Workshop on Marine Environment. This workshop is supported by the UNESCO project: "Asia-Pacific Co-operation for the Sustainable Use Renewable Natural Resources in Biosphere Reserves and Similar Managed Areas" (ASPACO) and by the JSPS's project "Pollution of hazardous chemicals in the coastal marine environment and their ecological effect" (POME). The focus of the discussion is on understanding the coastal ecology with a particular emphasis on Asian and Asia-Pacific region, nutrient cycles in the coastal areas and their impact on fishing resources, and pollution in coastal areas and its impact on the living resources. Geographically, there is a particular emphasis on Northern Japan and selected East/Southeast Asian countries.

The workshop includes in-depth lectures from leading Japanese and international experts on the subject matter. The invited workshop participants also make brief presentations about their own research programmes, bringing a regional perspective to the meeting. Considerable time is allocated to in-depth discussions in order to exchange ideas and to develop further joint activities. Field excursions provide a closer look at Japanese field research activities in the Iwate Prefecture's coastal areas. Thematically, the workshop covers the following two focal areas:

• Ecology and nutrients in the marine and coastal environment
• Pollutants and their impact on marine and coastal ecosystems.
  

The workshop is a part of the ongoing three-year cooperative project between UNU, ORI and the Iwate Prefectural government. This project aims to preserve global or regional marine environments and also contribute to the sustainable development of ocean resources and commercial fisheries, through the promotion of cooperative international research and the construction of an international research network concerning the marine environment, and the popularization of marine environment education.

Click here to see;
Abstracts
Programme
Participants
Partners
Photograph