How is the life of marine organisms?

Marine animal resources fluctuate naturally depending on marine environment. Marine animals generally produce large number of eggs, and the recruitment of juveniles to adult population is determined by the growth and mortality rates in early life stages. Individuals experience different physical and biological environment, and have different growth and maturation characteristics. Such individual differences result in various reproductive traits of adults, and eventually in quantity and quality of egg production that affect recruitment of the next generation. The aims of our research are to understand the life history strategy of marine animals, such as fish, mollusk and crustacean species, that underlies the mechanisms of recruitment fluctuations and eventual population dynamics. Our results will constitute the basis of sustainable use of living marine resources.

Ongoing research themes

  • Ecology of benthic organisms, such as mollusks, crustaceans and echinoderms
  • Community and food-web structures in seaweed beds and tidal flats
  • Evolution of alternative reproductive tactics in squid
  • Sperm storage and fertilization mechanisms in cephalopod
  • Life history of fishes comprising local fisheries resources
  • Adaptive mechanism of Teleosts during early developmental stages

To whom interested to study with us

Opportunity for Ms and Ph.D students

If you are interested to study basic ecology of marine organisms in our lab as a graduate student, please contact with Prof. Kawamura or Dr. Iwata. To study with us, you need to choose Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences for admission.An Important fact is that Japanese graduate students are not paid (i.e. no salary) but pay tuition, unlike the US and Europe. There are several scholarships (visit the JASSO homepage for more information, although getting such scholarship is very competitive).

http://www.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/applicants/index.html
http://www.jasso.go.jp/en/study_j/scholarships/brochure.html

Opportunity for Postdoc

We are always looking for talented post-docs with interests and experience in the study about ecology of marine organisms, however, potential post-docs are encouraged to seek their own funding, such as JSPS postdoc fellowships: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan. JSPS also offers several programs, including short-term exchange course.

http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/index.html

Japanese language programs

Japanese language skill is not indispensable to do research at University, but it would enrich your social life in Japan. University of Tokyo provides some Japanese language programs.

Portal site for UTokyo Japanese Language Education