A safe ocean

Predicting the occurrence of red tides through the use of satellite images

Period: From 2020
Organizations: Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., Hiroshima University, Axelspace Corporation, Hydro Technology Institute Co., Ltd.

As the importance of aquaculture farming increases from the standpoint of sustainability, it is said that the occurrence of red tides could impede the growth of the aquaculture industry. The mechanisms by which red tides occur are not yet fully understood, which makes it difficult to predict outbreaks.
In this connection, the organizations involved are engaging in research and development work to predict the occurrence of red tides by combining various environmental data obtained from satellites, leading edge AI, and simulators for predicting environmental data. Success in this area could lead to the development of a service for providing notice of the occurrence of red tides to aquaculture operators in advance and a service for preventing and mitigating damage caused by red tides.

Flow of steps for predicting red tides using satellites and AI

Holding a workshop to study the contents of the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science in Tokyo

A workshop for which Japan served as the host nation for the North Pacific and marginal sea areas around the North Pacific was held from July 31 to August 2, 2019, in order to study the contents of specific activities for each sea area in advance of the commencement of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in 2021. This workshop was attended by approximately 160 participants, including ocean scientists, policy makers, industry officials, and NPO/NGO representatives, mainly from Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO member countries whose territories face the North Pacific or marginal sea areas around the North Pacific. An implementation plan was finalized at this workshop.