Title: NSF/Tokyo Report: Research Report: The Ecological Roles of Soft-Bodied Zooplankton: Bottom Up and Top Down Feeding Date: 4/28/97 The National Science Foundation's offices in Tokyo and in Paris periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the Foundation's mission. These documents present facts for the use of NSF program managers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy. Special Scientific Report #97-09 (April 16, 1997) Research Report: The Ecological Roles of Soft-Bodied Zooplankton: Bottom Up and Top Down Feeding The following report was prepared by Dr. Marsh J. Youngbluth, Associate Program Director for Biological Oceanography at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Youngbluth visited Japan from January 15 - February 5, 1997 as a Visiting Research Fellow (short-term) under the sponsorship of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Professor Makoto Omori of the Tokyo University of Fisheries served as host scientist for Dr. Youngbluth. Dr. Youngbluth may be reached via email at: myoungbl@nsf.gov until June 30, 1997. Thereafter, Dr. Youngbluth will be at the Division of Marine Science, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, 5600 U.S. 1, North, Ft. Pierce, FL 34936. I. Outline of Academic Activities during 3 weeks in Japan A. Visited 4 Universities and 2 Research Institutions Tokyo University of Fisheries University of Tokyo Hokkaido University Hiroshima University Japan Marine Science and Technology Center Akajima Marine Science Laboratory B. Presented 6 Seminars (Titles noted below in section titled Itinerary of Visit to Japan.) C. Identified at least three topics for collaborations with my counterparts in Japan 1. Importance of demersal zooplankton in the diets of stony coral species 2. Impact of predation by gelatinous zooplankton in coastal and midwater habitats 3. Contribution of appendicularian houses to particle transport in Arctic waters D. Itinerary of Visit to Japan Date Destination/Host/Activity --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 15 - Depart Washington Dulles Airport for Tokyo Narita Airport 16 - Arrive Tokyo Narita Airport, Commute to Tokyo 17 - Tokyo University of Fisheries/Professor Makoto Omori/Orientation National Science Foundation Office, US Embassy/Dr. Edward Murdy 18-19 - Weekend 20-21 - Tokyo University of Fisheries/Professor Makoto Omori/Met Faculty (Hidekatsu Yamazaki, Takashi Ishimaru) and Students (L Tsui Hua, K. Hashizume, T. Terasaka, A. Katsumoto, M. Iada, T. Watanabe, H. Fukami, T. Kaneko, S. Chiba, R. Satho) Presented Seminar: Water Column Biology: Expecting the Unexpected 22-23 - University of Tokyo/Professor Kouichi Kawaguchi/ Met Faculty (Shuhei Nishida, Jun Nishikawa, Taro Hirose, Kazuhiro Kogure, Tomohiko Kikuchi, Susumu Ohtsuka, Hiroaki Somiya, Tatsuki Toda) and Students (D. Lindsay, H. Watanabe, M. Moku, K. Hidaka) Presented Seminar: Ecological Roles of Mesopelagic Zooplankton 24 - Depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport for Naha, Okinawa 25-26 - Akajima Marine Research Laboratory/ Professor Makoto Omori/Met Staff (Kazuyuki Shimoike, Kenji Iwao) Presented Seminar: Gelatinous Zooplankton: An Understudied Fauna 27 - Depart from Naha Airport for Hiroshima 28-29 - Hiroshima University/Professor Shin-ichi Uye/Met Faculty and Students Presented Seminar: Adaptive Strategies of Fragile Zooplankton D. Itinerary of Visit to Japan (Continued) January 29 - Depart From Hiroshima Airport for Tokyo Haneda Airport , Commute to Yokosuka 30-31 - Japan Marine Science and Technology Center/Dr. Jun Hashimoto/Met Scientists (Hajimu Kinoshita, Hiroshi Hotta, Shinji Tsuchida), Engineers, Postdoctoral Fellows (Katsunori Fujikura, Jay Hunt), and Technicians Presented Seminar: Midwater Ecology: An In Situ Approach February 1 - Depart for Tokyo, Weekend 2 - Depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport for Hakodate 3-4 - Hokkaido University/Professor Tsutomu Ikeda/ Met Faculty (Naonobu Shiga, Syuhei Ban, Takeshi Naganuma) and Students (K. Nishiuchi, T. Yoshida, K. Ozaki, A. Shinada, M. Makino, K. Shiotani, T. Oonishi, U. Karashita, Y. Yamada, T. Kbari, A. Yamaguchi, K. Masumoto, T. Aono, M. Tomita, Y. Kurata, J. Bower) Presented Seminar: The Trophic Impacts of Deep-Living Appendicularians, Ctenophores and Siphonophores 4 - Depart for Tokyo Haneda Airport, Commute to Tokyo 5 - Depart from Tokyo Narita Airport for Dulles International Airport II. Impressions and thoughts on the present state of science in Japan in my field A. Roundtable discussions with scientists and students were well-organized at each facility that I visited. We typically exchanged ideas that resulted from our respective research programs; we inquired about opportunities for collaborative interactions. Conversations were always lively, regardless of whether my exposure was one-on-one or with a group. I would have learned more if I had been fluent in Japanese but I think that my overall impressions would be the same. The science programs in marine ecology and biological oceanography that are currently ongoing at the institutions I visited were focused largely on studies of taxonomic diversity of crustaceans and their life histories, specifically distribution and abundance. By contrast, in the United States process-related research on a wider spectrum of planktonic fauna is the norm, e.g., investigations of dispersal and recruitment are typical. These differences in approach occur principally, it appears to me, beca! use scientific collaboration in Japan is mainly by groups within a given university or research facility. In the United States cooperation between individual scientists from various universities, research institutions, and government agencies is more common and provides the basis for addressing a broader scope for a given project. In any event, my informal talks with faculty and students suggested to me that everyone is eager for more outside stimulation. B. The research projects of students (senior and graduate levels) appear to be established by senior faculty and staff at a given location. This kind of guidance also occurs in the United States but more often, a student is expected to independently develop a program of study. It seems to me that the top-down strategy, so prevalent in Japan, provides a kind of consistency. However, the independent approach preferred in the United States appears to promote innovation at an early stage in graduate education. In other words, there is a trade off. For example, is it important to examine all species at a particular location over a long time period? Or, is it more useful to examine how certain key species have adapted to respond to biotic and environmental factors? Also, the design of field research programs and the statistical analyses of data appeared to be less rigorous in Japan. C. I met few doctoral students. This fact was puzzling at first but then it was explained to me that most job opportunities within Japan are in industry. Industry prefers to train their own staff. Apparently, this practice is considered to be more economical by business interests because less experienced persons can be hired at lower salaries. Furthermore, doctoral level graduates do not command substantially higher salaries. Thus there is considerably less incentive to pursue an extended graduate education in Japan. There are probably other economical factors that should be considered, so it is hard to judge whether the relatively few doctoral students among the younger generation will suffice to provide the scientific leadership needed in the future. One suggestion for the future would be to increase the stipend for PhD level students. D. I did notice that facilities and instrumentation were often newer at the research laboratories than at the academic institutions. I wondered whether this disparity effects the extent and quality of basic ocean research. Would renovation of the older buildings at universities provide a better atmosphere for teaching and research? Would shared use of equipment, like that available at a national laboratory such as JAMSTEC, serve to optimize science projects conducted by university staff? E. I was very pleased for the chance to visit the Akajima Marine Science Laboratory (on Aka Island in the Kerama Islands complex). This facility is ideally situated and well-equipped to provide easy access to coral reef environments that are remarkably pristine. I learned that the diverse coral species at this location are likely to be primary sources for coral larvae that drift, settle and grow elsewhere in the Ryuku Islands. This fact makes the site an extremely valuable natural resource, i.e., the Akajima reefs have economical and ecological significance for the coastal ecosystems. I am very interested in returning to this island in order to collaboratively examine the extent to which the growth and spawning rates of stony coral species are related to their consumption of demersal zooplankton stocks. III. Comments and suggestions to JSPS, especially concerning the Fellowship program A. I benefited greatly from the meetings with colleagues in Japan. I think the JSPS fellowship program provides an excellent opportunity for a cross cultural exchange of scientific ideas and current practices. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the cultural experiences. I very much appreciated the excellent treatment and planning by JSPS and my host, Professor Makoto Omori. The Japanese tradition of courtesy and hospitality were obvious everywhere I visited. Very shortly after my visit to Japan I participated in a major oceanographic meeting in the United States (American Society for Limnology and Oceanography). Consequently, I had the chance to describe my experiences in Japan to many American and European scientists. One evening I presided at a session that addressed opportunities for developing international partnerships. I highly recommended the JSPS fellowship program. B. It is interesting to note that many of the Japanese professors and senior staff with whom I interacted had studied, worked or visited in the United States and other nations. Those persons who had such multi-national experience appeared to be more enthusiastic about the nature and scope of their scientific work. I would recommend that JSPS continue to support science programs that allow Japanese scientists and students to travel and work outside Japan. This experience will certainly serve to increase the possibility of international collaboration on projects of mutual interest. C. Scientists at universities and those at research institutions in Japan do not appear to collaborate very often. I gather that such limited interaction between these groups stems from the fact that JSPS and STA are supported by separate governmental agencies, each with different goals. Consequently, the practice of sharing resources is uncommon. There are similar situations in the United States but they are less pronounced. In regard to this matter I understand, from discussions with NSF (National Science Foundation) colleagues who visit Japan regularly and with senior Japanese administrators who presided at a recent JSPS meeting in Washington DC, that a relatively new governmental mandate may galvanize more interaction between JSPS and STA. This policy is encouraging and may be especially important in respect to water column ecology, a discipline in which I am deeply involved. For example, during my discussions with ocean scientists at the University of Tokyo and their counterparts at JAMSTEC, I learned that there is mutual interest by these groups to study the ecology of mesopelagic fauna. I am hopeful that when a midwater program is established in Japan that I and my American cohorts may be able to collaborate with our Japanese colleagues at both institutions. Specifically, I would like to quantify the impact of predation by coastal and deep-water fauna such as siphonophores and ctenophores. Utilization of some of the unique deep-diving resources (available at JAMSTEC) in the vast habitat above the seafloor would contribute significantly to understanding the biogeochemical phenomena that can effect topics such as fishery production and particle transport. There is another factor that should be contemplated. Technology transfer from institutions in the United States and Europe could facilitate this emerging field of midwater investigation in Japan. For example, several kinds of collection devices and optical instruments are used routinely on manned and robotic submersibles operated by other nations. These tools do not exist at JAMSTEC but are available. Adaptation of these packages for use on Japanese undersea vehicles would save many years of trial and error and ensure more rapid scientific progress.