2015 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

Development of a novel approach to understand the environmental drivers and trophic responses of deep water (mesophotic) coral ecosystems across the Ryukyu Archipelago

Research Project

Project/Area Number	15K12183
Research Institution	The University of Tokyo
Principal Investigator	WYATT Alexander 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 研究員 (70748920)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	宮島利宏東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 助教 (20311631)
Project Period (FY)	2015-04-01 – 2016-03-31
Keywords	物質循環 / 中深度サンゴ礁
Outline of Annual Research Achievements	This grant generally exceeded planned research achievements during the 4 months before it was rescinded. This included: - preliminary design and procurement of equipment for an autonomous in-situ flume and technical diving capability necessary to begin advanced study of mesophotic coral ecoystems (MCE). - field survey of MCE in Funauki Bay, Iriomote to install equipment to monitor long-term baseline environmental variation in target study sites (June 2015). This data has since allowed us to document strong temperature oscillations in these habitats, thought to be driven by internal wave dynamics. - reconnaissance survey of MCE around Monad Shoal, the Philippines including video surveys and testing and development of advanced technical diving techniques for MCE surveys. The above achievements are forming the basis for ongoing work on MCE using these challenging techniques, including a new international collaboration.