Usa Marine Biological Institute
Encyclopedia
Phycology
Phycology is the scientific study of algae. Phycology is a branch of life science and often is regarded as a subdiscipline of botany....
, marine biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, graduate training, and public service in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is devoted to scientific research leading to MS and PhD degrees in phycology, marine biology and related fields. It grants degrees jointly with Kochi University
Kochi University
is a national university in Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1922, and it was chartered as a university in 1949.-External links:*...
.
UMBI is located in the village of Usa cho, Kochi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
The Usa Marine Biological Station was founded in 1953 as an independent research institute by the Japanese Government. In 1978, its name was changed to Usa Marine Biological Institute.
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan...
(JICA) training program in marine biology, since when a large number of foreign researchers have come to the institute to pursue short term research projects. The current director, Professor Izumi Kinoshita, supervises and coordinates the JICA training program.
In 2004, UMBI started a new graduate program, Kuroshio Sciences, jointly with Kochi University, to study the Kuroshio Current from an interdisciplinary perspective.
UMBI graduate students are supported by various financial aid schemes, especially the Monbukagakusho MEXT International PhD Program.
Vessels
Research vessel
A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel...
s and vehicles, owned by Kochi University or the Japanese Government
- R/V Yutaka Hata Maru
- R/V Neptune
- R/V Hamayu
- R/V Triton
Laboratories
- Early life-history of fishes
- Zooplankton Ecology
- Crustacean Ecology
- Marine Phycology
Phycological research
Green algae
The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes emerged. As such, they form a paraphyletic group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic...
. The institute is one of the pioneer research institutes in the world for the study of Ulvophycean algae and has state-of-art facilities for marine phycological research.
Contemporary marine phycology research in the UMBI focuses on culture studies to establish life-histories of Ulvophycean algae (Ulva
Ulva
Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Tertiary basalt rocks, which is formed into columns in places.Ulva has...
and Monostroma
Monostroma
In taxonomy, Monostroma is a genus of algae, specifically of the Monostromataceae.-Scientific databases:* * *...
), tank cultivation of Ulva
Ulva
Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Tertiary basalt rocks, which is formed into columns in places.Ulva has...
using deep seawater (conducted jointly with the Deep Seawater Research Center, Muroto, Japan) and the ecology of Ecklonia
Ecklonia
Ecklonia is a genus of kelp belonging to the family Lessoniaceae.There are nine species:* Ecklonia biruncinata* Ecklonia brevipes* Ecklonia cava* Ecklonia fastigiata* Ecklonia kurome* Ecklonia maxima* Ecklonia muratii...
and Sargasm species in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
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See also
- The Scripps Institution of OceanographyScripps Institution of OceanographyScripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
is a similar research facility located in La Jolla, California. - The Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionThe Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent oceanographic research...
is a similar oceanographic facility located at Woods Hole in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - The Institute of Algological ResearchInstitute of Algological ResearchThe Institute of Algological Research in Muroran, is one of the oldest research institutes for Phycology research in Japan. Institute of Algological Research is located in the town of Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan and is involved in research leading to MS and PhD degrees in Phycology...
is a similar phycological research institute also located in Japan - The Friday Harbor LaboratoriesFriday Harbor LaboratoriesFriday Harbor Laboratories , is a marine biology field station of the University of Washington, located in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, USA. FHL was founded in 1904 by University of Washington Zoology Professor Trevor Kincaid...
in the USA conducts similar research in marine biologyMarine biologyMarine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
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