Climate change and marine energy resources

　We conduct field research and bioassays to assess the environmental impact of climate change control technologies and the development of marine energy resources.

Field research on coastal marine ecosystems 　Japan is making progress with the demonstration testing of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), which traps CO2 in subsurface, as a climate change mitigation measure. According to the Act for the Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disasters, MERI conducts environmental monitoring on water, sediment, and marine organisms before and after the injection of CO2. 　To assess the environmental impacts of seafloor methane hydrate development, we are conducting in a field survey near the site of methane hydrate reservoir, and are developing observation technology to monitor the natural gas leakage from the seafloor.

Water sampling work on a ship

Bioassay on marine organisms 　Ocean warming, acidification, and hypoxia are serious marine environmental problems accompanying from the CO2 emissions.  We investigate the acute and chronic toxicity tests using marine organisms such as zooplankton, mollusks, and fishes to clarify the effects of such environmental changes on marine ecosystem. 　We also have verified the lethal effects of methane hydrates and their effects on brittle sea star behavior through laboratory experiments that simulate their natural field environment.		A multigenerational impact test using Banggai cardinalfish