As the world is working towards a sustainable future, researchers in Okinawa and Hawaiʻi are collaborating to address unique island challenges and to contribute to solutions through research.
Together with the Uehiro Center for the Advancement of Oceanography (UC•AO) in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)-Prof. Satoshi Mitarai, Prof. Noriyuki Satoh, Dr. Payal Shah, and Prof. Hiroaki Kitano-will set out to explore the impact of extreme weather on the ocean environment, marine ecosystems, and the blue economy in Okinawa. While the ocean represents a breathtaking tapestry of life, it is highly dynamic, undergoing dramatic changes during extreme weather events like winter storms and typhoons.
This research will monitor key oceanic parameters, including flow, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, organic matter, and marine microbial communities like plankton. By integrating this data with advanced simulations, the project aims to build a holistic understanding of Okinawan ocean systems. Their findings may offer critical insights that could improve marine safety and the sustainable growth of blue economies.
This pioneering collaboration between OIST and UC•AO has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education following discussions during the UC•AO team's visit to OIST and OIST's visit to the Uehiro Foundation last year. Enabled by this indispensable contribution, the ambitious project will commence in April 2025, driving cutting-edge oceanographic research and delivering tangible benefits to the broader community. It is expected to play a crucial role in finding solutions to region-specific challenges related to the environmental impacts of extreme weather, and serve as a catalyst for broader cooperation between Okinawa and Hawaiʻi beyond research.
