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Obata Lab
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The lab uses chemistry to explore how substances circulate in the ocean, starting from trace metals such as iron.
AboutAbout the lab
Decoding the mysteries of the ocean through chemistry
The Marine Inorganic Chemistry Group uses chemical methods to study how elements and substances circulate in the ocean (material cycles).
Researchers board research vessels to collect seawater, seafloor sediment, and air samples, and use precise chemical analysis to examine their composition and isotopic differences.
The world's oceans, including the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Sea of Japan, are the lab's field sites.
The lab aims to clarify how the ocean responds to global environmental problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, and what role it plays.
Key terms
- Material cycles
- The movement and cycling of substances such as carbon, nitrogen, and metals among the ocean, atmosphere, land, and living organisms
- Isotope
- Atoms of the same element that differ only in mass (number of neutrons). Differences in their ratios can serve as clues for tracing the origin of a substance.
- Primary production
- The process by which phytoplankton and other organisms produce organic matter from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis
NewsLab news
Collaborative study showing the role of zooplankton in the iron cycle announced
Graduate School Guidance 2026 held at the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute
Master's student receives the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences Dean's Award
Lecturer Kurisu publishes a paper examining anthropogenic iron originating from East Asia
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies, mainly from a chemical perspective, the mechanisms that support primary production in the ocean and the movement of carbon from the sea surface to deep waters. By combining fieldwork on research vessels with precise chemical analysis, it examines changes that occur at the boundaries with the atmosphere, land, seafloor, and living organisms.
*Illustrative imageIron Supporting Phytoplankton
Trace metals such as iron are essential nutrients for phytoplankton growth. The lab aims to clarify where and how much of these metals are present in the open ocean, and how they move.
*Illustrative imageMetal Speciation in Seawater and Microorganisms
The lab investigates the chemical forms (speciation) in which metals such as iron and copper exist in seawater, and clarifies how these forms affect microorganisms.
*Illustrative imageFate of Anthropogenic Metals in Coastal Waters
In coastal waters and estuaries, the lab studies the processes by which metals such as copper, originating from human activities, are transported from land, taken up by organisms, and removed.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Marine Inorganic Chemistry Group consist of faculty, administrative and technical assistants, doctoral and master's students, professors emeritus, and visiting researchers.As of 2026
- ProfessorHajime ObataPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorShigeyoshi Otosaka
- Project Associate ProfessorMitsuhide Sato
- LecturerMinako Kurisu
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Hakuho Maru, Fremantle, 2019 (03)” Bahnfrend / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Iron Supporting Phytoplankton: “Campagne GHASS2 - La CTD à bord du Pourquoi pas ? (Ifremer )” Stephane Lesbats / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Metal Speciation in Seawater and Microorganisms: “NASA satellite view of Southern Ocean phytoplankton bloom” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Fate of Anthropogenic Metals in Coastal Waters: “ISS064-E-40707 - View of Japan - Tokyo Bay - Yoro River - Ichihara and Sodegaura, Chiba prefecture golf course landscape (cropped)” NASA Johnson Space Center (Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Komatsu Lab): “Pacific swells ( )” Russ / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Microbiology Lab): “Hakuho Maru, Fremantle, 2019 (03)” Bahnfrend / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Saito Lab): “Calanus finmarchicus” Leïla Brunner / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (International Coastal Research Center · Biological Resource Regeneration Lab): “Hourai Islnd in Otsuchi” Ty19080914 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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