Japan to launch offshore 'blue carbon' study for CO2 capture, storage
The government hopes these plants will play a key role in mitigating climate change, as CO2 is highly soluble in water, and marine vegetation grows by absorbing dissolved CO2. Coastal and ocean plants, such as mangroves and kelp, are known to absorb and store more carbon than terrestrial vegetation.
Blue carbon typically refers to carbon trapped in the deep sea after being captured by marine ecosystems through photosynthesis, while green carbon refers to carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems such as forests.
The Environment Ministry will commission the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, major oil distributor Eneos Corp, and others to study how seaweed behaves when submerged at considerable depths and to assess the environmental impact of such carbon capture and storage projects, according to the sources.
Although CO2 emissions in Japan have declined mainly due to the expansion of renewable energy and the restart of nuclear reactors, the government still needs to boost carbon capture efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Japan relies heavily on forests to capture CO2, with about 45 million tons absorbed in fiscal 2023. However, their absorption capacity has been declining due to the aging of trees.
"If we can demonstrate a technology to enable CO2 fixation on the seafloor, it could be a significant source of (CO2) absorption," a senior official of the ministry said.
Japan aims to capture 1 million tons of CO2 by fiscal 2035 and 2 million tons by fiscal 2040 through blue carbon, compared with some 34 tons absorbed by coastal plants in fiscal 2023.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
4 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan building autonomous probe to explore Challenger Deep
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is set to return to the deepest part of the world ocean with a new autonomous probe that will collect samples and also search for marine resources in Japan's exclusive economic zone. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is developing the compact, unmanned probe capable of reaching depths of approximately 11,000 meters, part of the abyssal zone in the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean. The autonomous probe will collect living organisms, mud and rocks from a large area for studies on hydrothermal vents, key for understanding early life, as well as deep-sea ecosystems and ocean trenches linked to the generation of large, destructive earthquakes. JAMSTEC, a state-backed agency based in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, will test the probe through fiscal 2027 before putting it in full use. The Limiting Factor, a U.S. crewed deep submergence vehicle and China's deep submersible Fendouzhe have already reached the deepest point, but their scope of exploration was limited. In 1996, Japan's unmanned Kaiko remotely operated vehicle was the first to collect living organisms and sediment at a depth greater than 10,000 meters in the Challenger Deep, according to JAMSTEC. Kaiko was also used to identify the wreck of the Tsushima Maru, a cargo and passenger ship sunk off Okinawa by the U.S. submarine Bowfin during World War II while carrying hundreds of schoolchildren. Kaiko was lost off Shikoku, one of Japan's main islands, in 2003. Japan's crewed Shinkai 6500 can descend to 6,500 meters and its unmanned Urashima 8000 can go to 8,000 meters. "We need to unlock puzzles of ecosystems and geological conditions in the deepest sea," said Yu Matsunaga, a senior official at JAMSTEC. The probe will have to withstand enormous water pressure in the depths. It will consist of two units -- an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) measuring 50 centimeters in length and width and 1 meter deep, and a lander of about two meters a side that carries the AUV to the seafloor. JAMSTEC has adopted the design because a single-unit structure would make the probe bigger, less mobile and costlier. The probe is so designed that when the lander reaches the seafloor, the AUV will separate and vacuum up organisms and mud while moving on a predetermined route. Engineers will consider whether to add robotic arms to the vehicle. The plan is to have the AUV stay on the seafloor for more than five hours and move a distance of around 4 kilometers. The lander, though immobile, may have a hose to gather samples from around its landing site. In an experiment conducted in 2023, a prototype lander descended to a depth of 9,200 meters in the Japan Trench off the Boso Peninsula east of Tokyo and succeeded in sending visual data over the water by means of sound waves. Other technologies under development include the combined use of cameras and artificial intelligence to allow the AUV to move and collect samples. If the AUV is outfitted with rechargeable batteries and allowed to navigate automatically, it will be able to expand its scope of activity as there will be no need to connect a vessel at sea with cables for communication and power supply. JAMSTEC will begin testing the AUV and the lander as a unit in fiscal 2026 and lower the probe to 9,000 meters to collect samples in fiscal 2027. It will then begin the full use of the probe for its research activities.
The Mainichi
19 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan research team discovers new gut bacterium that boosts cancer immunotherapy
TOKYO -- A Japanese research team led by the National Cancer Center Japan announced in the British journal Nature on June 14 that it has discovered a new type of gut bacterium that enhances the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy drugs, raising hopes for the development of new treatments that further strengthen the immune response against cancer. Cancer immunotherapy leverages the body's immune system to attack cancer cells. One class of drugs, known as immune checkpoint inhibitors -- including PD-1 inhibitors such as Opdivo -- works by releasing the "brakes" that cancer uses to evade immune cell attacks, thereby restoring the immune system's natural ability to target tumors. However, even when used in combination with other treatments, checkpoint inhibitors are effective in only about 20% of patients over the long term. Previous studies have shown that transplanting stool from patients who responded well to these drugs into non-responders can improve outcomes, suggesting that gut bacteria play a key role. Until now, the mechanism by which gut bacteria influence cancers located far from the intestines, such as in the lungs, was not well understood. The research team found that patients who responded well to immunotherapy had high levels of a type of gut bacterium from the Ruminococcaceae family. These patients experienced longer-lasting treatment effects and had more T cells -- immune cells that attack cancer -- present within their tumors. The team identified this bacterium as a new strain, named YB328. In mouse experiments, administering both checkpoint inhibitors and YB328 led to tumor shrinkage, and even when YB328 was given together with stool transplanted from non-responders, the drug's effectiveness improved. Further investigation revealed that YB328 activates dendritic cells -- immune system "commanders" that orchestrate immune responses -- in the gut. These dendritic cells then travel from the intestines to distant tumor sites, where they activate nearby T cells and enhance the immune attack on cancer. Hiroyoshi Nishikawa, head of the Cancer Immunology division at the National Cancer Center Research Institute, commented, "Not only could administering this bacterium to (drug) non-responders improve outcomes, but adding it to responders' treatment regimens may further boost effectiveness."
a day ago
Japan's 'Doctor Locust': Scientist Building Resilience Against an Ancient Menace in the African Desert
Locust outbreaks have been a scourge to farmers since ancient times. Koutaro Ould Maeno has closely studied this destructive insect species in Africa's Sahara Desert to better understand its biology. He has detailed his field activities, trials, and insights in humorous and inspiring books. Entomologist and senior researcher at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Born in Akita in 1980. Earned his PhD in agriculture from Kobe University. Was a term assistant professor at the Hakubi Center, Kyoto University, prior to assuming his current post. Received Mauritania's prestigious Chinguetti Prize in 2020 in the field of science and technology and the 2022 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Prize. Works include Batta o taoshi ni Afurika e (A Bug-Catcher's Adventures in Africa). Taking On an Old Menace Japanese entomologist Koutaro Ould Maeno does fieldwork in one of the harshest environments on the planet, the Sahara Desert. A senior researcher at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, he is going head-to-head with the desert locust, a scourge as old as history. These flying insects are the bane of farmers in the region, decimating vital crops and threatening communities with famine. While insecticides help keep ravenous swarms in check, Maeno is working to unlock the mysteries of the bug's biology in a bid to control outbreaks and minimize the use of costly and harmful chemicals. Recognizing Maeno's determination, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah Ebbe, the former director of the Mauritania's National Anti-Locust Center, bestowed upon him the honorary name Ould, meaning 'son of' in Arabic. In Japan, though, he is best known by the moniker 'Doctor Locust.' A swarm of locusts in the Sahara Desert. (© Koutaro Ould Maeno) Koutaro Ould Maeno dressed in traditional Mauritanian garb. © Kawabata Hiroto. Maeno, who has chronicled his fieldwork in two award-winning books, first studied the desert locust in the laboratory. However, he found the environmentally controlled conditions artificial, prompting him to trade his air-conditioned lab for the heat and harshness of the open desert of Mauritania, where he could scrutinize his subject in its natural environment. In 2011, Maeno packed his bags and headed to the vast, arid expanses of Mauritania, the frontline of desert locust outbreaks and home to the recently established National Anti-Locust Center. With the center's support, he conducted field investigations and interviews on-site, seeking to better understand locust ecology. In the process, he realized that almost no fieldwork had been carried out for nearly 40 years. Desert locusts primarily inhabit remote areas, and their populations fluctuate greatly depending on weather conditions and other factors, making the insects extremely difficult to locate in the field. When swarms do form, they can travel huge distances, requiring anyone hoping to study them to remain on the move. Then there is the matter of safety, as locusts are found in isolated regions with harsh environments that are often plagued by political instability. Taken together, conducting long-term research on desert locusts in the field is a highly challenging endeavor. A tent provides shelter and serves as the base of operations for Maeno's field research. (© Koutaro Ould Maeno) Locusts perch on Maeno as he conducts fieldwork. (© Kawabata Hiroto) Subsequently, there had been little attempt among authorities and farmers to study the ecology of wild locusts in order to build a comprehensive strategy to control and prevent outbreaks. Rather, the primary approach was simply to deal with swarms as they arose by spraying them with insecticides, an expensive and environmentally risky tactic. Seeing an opportunity to contribute, Maeno and his local collaborators set about conducting fieldwork with the hope that, by focusing their attention on the biology and behavior of the species, their research might lead to the development of an effective control strategy. Before heading into the field, Maeno procured most of his own materials—insect cages, food for locusts, equipment for conducting experiments—at local markets. He typically needed to cleverly adapt what was available to suit his needs. 'It was a challenge,' he says. 'But growing up, I'd been taught to be resilient, to adjust and improve my approach according to the situation at hand.' An insect cage Maeno created using available materials in Africa. (© Koutaro Ould Maeno) Working in the Sahara presented other issues as well. 'There's no Internet in the desert,' he quips. 'I can't simply ask AI, as is the norm today, when I'm stuck. The limitations have really taught me to use my head.' Time is also a commodity. 'I'm out in the field for ten days at the longest, so it's a race to gather the best data I can,' he says. This means weighing which experiments to do given existing conditions. 'I have to tailor my research according to the demands of the surrounding environment and my own physical state.' Creating a Support Network Maeno says that the desert locust remains a relatively little-understood species, but researchers around the globe are working together to unlock its biological secrets. 'Scientists across various fields are sharing their findings to provide humanity with a clearer picture of these insects,' he explains. Early in his fieldwork, he made a surprising discovery when collecting locusts from a group. All the insects he caught were male, leading him to hypothesize that the species lives in sex-biased groups as part of its mating habits. He discussed this phenomenon with his colleagues at the Mauritanian National Anti-Locust Center and Illinois State University professor Douglas Whitman. Maeno (second row, right) with Douglas Whitman (in the rear at center) and his students. (Courtesy: Koutaro Ould Maeno) 'Field work is my strong point,' Maeno declares, 'but at the time, I was still young and acutely aware of my own inexperience.' He understood that even if he had a good idea, without being able to test it experimentally, it would not advance locust research. Whitman provided invaluable advice and taught Maeno effective experimental techniques and methods, which he utilized in proving his hypothesis. Maeno's work in Africa led in 2014 to a post at Kyoto University's Hakubi Center, where he joined the laboratory of renowned entomologist and termite expert Matsuura Kenji. Maeno says he grew as a scientist under Matsuura, whose open style encouraged everyone in the lab, from students to post-doctorates, to share their views and opinions. 'Professor Matsuura was generous with his knowledge and experience, readily sharing what he'd learned over his many years as a researcher, such as fieldwork tips, research approaches, and even advice on how to write scientific papers. Building on my experience in Africa, my two years in Matsuura's laboratory were a tremendous period of growth.' An Inspirational Tale Desert locusts are a niche field for a Japanese researcher to find himself in, and Maeno took to posting stories about his tribulations in Africa on social media to boost awareness of his work and the region's locust problems. This led to his first book for the general public detailing his work in Africa, titled Batta o taoshi ni Afurika e (A Bug-Catcher's Adventures in Africa). 'I wanted to contribute to bettering society,' he declares. 'Most people don't have the time or know-how to decipher English-language research papers, so I thought if I wrote a book in Japanese detailing my struggles and triumphs in the desert, it might increase public awareness and inspire others to take on new challenges.' The work was a hit, and encouraged by the positive response—he had initially assumed critics would deride him for taking time away from writing research papers—he published a sequel in 2024, Batta o taosu ze, Afurika de (Taking On the Locust in Africa). Maeno's two books are entertaining windows into his research on desert locusts. The prize-winning works have together sold over 360,000 copies. (© Kōbunsha Shinsho) Today, Maeno busily travels the globe conducting fieldwork and taking part in international research projects. His books have earned him a modicum of fame in Japan, where he often sits for interviews and gives presentations to junior high and high school students. 'With the way Japanese society and economy are today, the thought of chasing one's dream can seem extremely daunting,' he says. 'By sharing my journey as a field researcher, I want to ease the concerns of young people and take a step toward building a world where individuals feel emboldened to wholeheartedly pursue their interests. Hearing about someone else's difficulties helps us realize that we're not alone in our struggles. Nothing would make me happier than if my story of flying to Africa to study desert locusts inspires even one person to aim for the stars.' (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Playfully dressed as vegetation, Koutaro Ould Maeno attempts to attract a swarm of locusts. Courtesy: Koutaro Ould Maeno.)
