| Project/Area Number |
20KK0164
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| Research Category |
Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Medium-sized Section 45:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
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Principal Investigator |
Reimer J・D 琉球大学, 理学部, 准教授 (20452956)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
成瀬 貫 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, 准教授 (30398309)
MASUCCI GIOVANNI・DIEGO 琉球大学, 理工学研究科, 博士研究員 (80890053)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-10-27 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2020)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥18,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000)
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| Keywords | eDNA / marine ecosystem / marine biodiversity / anthropogenic impact / oceanic island / biodiversity / oceanic islands / anthropogenic pressure / marine ecosystems |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
We will utilize environmental DNA data over four years from pristine and anthropogenically impacted sites in Australia and Japan to 1) examine total coral community biodiversity from microbes to megafauna, 2) examine how biodiversity in oceanic regions is linked with mainland sites, and 3) examine how human impacts affect biodiversity and linkages between these sites.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In FY2020, our research was delayed by COVID-19. In short, the Australia side experienced several lockdowns, and Japan also had strict limits on entry and exit, making our planned field work in Australia along with inviting researchers to Japan impossible.
Thus, we took a pragmatic course, and ordered the large majority of the equipment needed to implement the research, including a large BioBank deep freezer and small vacuum pumps we can use in the field. We also had numerous meetings with the Australian team, and planned for FY2021 (detailed below), including back-up plans in the case of continued COVID-19 problems.
Finally, we continued to collaborate with our Australian counterparts on collected eDNA data from Okinawa, and published a scientific paper in Scientific Reports. This work was well received, and ranks #17 on most downloaded Ecology papers in the journal for 2020. The work examines marine metazoan diversity from eDNA at pristine and impacted sites in Okinawa, showing more fragmentation and less functional redundancy in more impacted sites. As well, the work notes that the majority of marine taxa experiencing turnover due to anthropogenic impacts are less well-studied groups such as sponges, annelids, and other so-called 'minor taxa'.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
In FY2020, our research was delayed by COVID-19. In short, the Australia side experienced several lockdowns, and Japan also had strict limits on entry and exit, making our planned field work in Australia along with inviting researchers to Japan impossible.
Thus, we took a pragmatic course, and ordered the large majority of the equipment needed to implement the research, including a large BioBank deep freezer and small vacuum pumps we can use in the field. We also had numerous meetings with the Australian team, and planned for FY2021 (detailed below), including back-up plans in the case of continued COVID-19 problems. We also managed to publish some research, and are thus well-poised for research in FY2021.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In FY2021, once again COVID-19 looks to delay our planned exchanges and travel to Australia, and visits by the Australian team to Japan. However, we have come up with contingency plans as follows.
In late summer 2021, the Japan team will conduct field work in Japan, including all eDNA sampling as discussed and agreed upon by both teams. While we are targeting Okinawa, Kochi, and Ogasawara, if a state of emergency exists, we can change to the Daito Islands and Okinawa if travel should be limited to inside our prefecture.
For the Australia side, while we aim for Lord Howe Island and continental sites as planned, if limited travel due to lockdown exists, we will examine Norfolk Island, which our collaborators can visit as it is in-state.
Collected Australia eDNA samples will be shipped to Japan, and together with Japanese eDNA samples, sent to external companies for analyses. Thus, we believe we can complete our planned research, and conduct exchange via internet teleconference.
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