Project team introduction

Project member

Lead

Dr. Teruhisa KOMATSU

Dr. Teruhisa Komatsu, an expert advisor at Japan Fisheries Resource Conservation Association (formerly professor at Yokohama College of Commerce and associate professor of Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo), has devoted his career for studying coastal habitats including seagrass by using various techniques of remote sensing. He has been collaborating with NOWPAP CEARAC in mapping seagrass in the Northwest Pacific region. He has also been leading the Ocean Remote Sensing Program of IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC/WESTPAC) to map coastal habitats of the south east Asia.
As a CEARAC expert for mapping seagrass, Dr. Komatsu helped NOWPAP CEARAC develop “A manual for seagrass and seaweed beds distribution mapping with satellite images” in 2015 and edit “Feasible Study for Assessment of Seagrass Distribution in the NOWPAP Region (2018)” in 2017. With his profound knowledge and experiences on remote sensing techniques applied in the study on coastal habitats, Dr. Komatsu leads this project.

Algorithm development and design

Dr. Tatsuyuki SAGAWA

Dr. Tatsuyuki Sagawa is an associate professor of Tottori University of Environmental Studies and a specialist in mapping of shallow water seafloor beds with remote sensing techniques. He has developed the Bottom Reflectance Index (BRI) algorithm to remove the effect of water column influences from an optical satellite image for accurate sea floor mapping. In this project, Dr. Sagawa has also developed the grand design of the seagrass mapping tool using Google Earth Engine.

Project Coordinator

Dr. Genki TERAUCHI

Dr. Genki Terauchi is a senior researcher at NOWPAP CEARAC. He joined NOWPAP CEARAC in 2004 and has been leading CEARAC activities related to ocean remote sensing. He has assessed damage of seagrass in Shizugawa-Bay caused by the huge tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake on 2011 March 11 and helped local community restore seagrass by mapping seagrass distribution before the tsunami. He is responsible for management of the Mapseagrass project.

Advisory board members

Experts in the NOWPAP member states

Dr. Dingtian YANG(South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Dr. Dingtian Yang has conducted a case study in Swan Lake in Rongcheng of Shandong Peninsula of China. He is also a part of the author team of FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ASSESSMENT OF SEAGRASS DISTRIBUTION IN THE NOWPAP REGION (2018) published by CEARAC.

Dr. Jong-Kuk CHOI and Dr. Keunyong KIM (Korea Ocean Satellite Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology)

Dr. Jong-kuk Choi

Dr. keunyong Kim

Dr. Jong-Kuk Choi and Dr. Keunyong Kim conducted a case study in the Korean coastal waters, focusing on Jangheung Bay in Jeonnam Province. They are also a part of the author team of FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ASSESSMENT OF SEAGRASS DISTRIBUTION IN THE NOWPAP REGION (2018) published by CEARAC.

Dr. Vasilli ZHARIKOV (Pacific Geographical Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Dr. Vasilli Zharikov conducted a case study at the eastern section of the Far Eastern Marine Reserve (Southwest coastal area out of Peter the Great Bay). He is also a part of the author team of FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ASSESSMENT OF SEAGRASS DISTRIBUTION IN THE NOWPAP REGION (2018) published by CEARAC.

Other experts

Dr. Gregory N. NISHIHARA(Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University)

Dr. Gregory N. Nishihara is an associate professor of Marine Algal Ecology and Physiology in Nagasaki University and a 2018 Pew Marine Fellow. He joined the First International Workshop on Assessment of Seagrass Distribution in the NOWPAP region held in 2017 at Toyama, Japan, and gave a presentation titled ‘Monitoring seagrass productivity using low-cost datalogging technology.” Dr. Nishihara supports the construction of mapseagrass.org with his knowledge on seagrass biology.

CEARAC Focal Points

FP from People’s Republic of China

Dr. Liu XIHUI
Engineer
China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC)

Dr. Jianchao FAN
Professor
National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center
Department of Integrated Marine Management

FP from Japan

Ms. Noriko TAMIYA-HASE
Deputy Director
Office of Marine Environment
Water Environment Division
Environmental Management Bureau
Ministry of the Environment JAPAN

Dr. Fumiaki OKAHARA
Researcher
Office of Policies against Marine Plastics Pollution
Environmental Management Bureau
Ministry of the Environment JAPAN

Dr. Joji ISHIZAKA
Professor
Division for Land-Ocean Ecosystem Research
Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE)
Nagoya University

Dr. Nobuyuki YAGI
Professor
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The University of Tokyo

FP from Republic of Korea

Dr. Bong-Oh KWON
Professor
Department of Marine Biotechnology
Kunsan National University

Dr. Jinsoon PARK
Assistant Professor
Division of Marine Environment and Bioscience
Korea Maritime and Ocean University

Dr. Hye Seon KIM
Department of Ecology and Conservation
National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea

FP from Russian Federation

Dr. Tatiana ORLOVA
Head of Laboratory
Laboratory of Marine Microbiota
National Scientific Center of Marine Biology
Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences

Dr. Vladimir SHULKIN
Head of Laboratory
Laboratory of Geochemistry
Pacific Geographical Institute
Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Operation of Mapseagrass.org

NOWPAP CEARAC

Website development

Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan

Team Member