LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Sato Lab (Behavior, Ecology and Observation Systems)
Machine-translated · View original
The lab attaches data loggers to sea turtles and seabirds to explore their hidden lives in the sea.
AboutAbout the lab
The ocean is full of mysteries
Sato Lab studies the behavior, physiology, and ecology of marine animals, with a strong emphasis on field research.
Animals that live in the vast ocean and dive deep are hard to observe, so the ecology of many aquatic animals has remained poorly understood.
To address this, the lab uses biologging: small data loggers are attached to animals to record dive depth, swimming speed, body temperature, and more.
The lab studies a wide range of animals, from sea turtles in the tropics and penguins in the polar regions to fish and seabirds around Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture.
Key terms
- Biologging
- A method of attaching small data loggers to free-moving animals to record their behavior, physical condition, and surrounding environment
- Data logger
- A small device that combines sensors measuring depth, speed, acceleration, and other variables with a recording unit
- Biomechanics
- A field that studies how animals swim or fly using the principles of mechanics (physics)
NewsLab news
Published a paper on the migration routes of male loggerhead turtles
Launched a project with a company to improve environmental impact assessment for offshore wind power generation
Published a review paper summarizing research conducted along the Sanriku coast
A paper on the "toilet habits" of streaked shearwaters was published in Current Biology
A student published a paper on the foraging of green turtles
ResearchResearch themes
The lab attaches small data loggers to aquatic animals that are difficult to observe, such as fish, sea turtles, penguins, and seals, and investigates their behavior in a world hidden from view. Along the coast of Iwate, the lab has long conducted field surveys of sea turtles and seabirds.
*Illustrative imageAnimal behavior seen through data loggers
The lab attaches data loggers to aquatic animals that are hard to observe and reads their behavior from records such as acceleration. If a logger can be attached and later recovered, even birds that fly in the sky can be studied.
*Illustrative imageMechanics of swimming and flying
This is biomechanics research on how swimming marine animals and flying seabirds travel widely and deeply while saving on the energy cost of locomotion.
*Illustrative imageExploring the lives of seabirds and sea turtles
The lab uncovers the poorly understood life histories of seabirds and sea turtles, which are known for their long lifespans. Along the Sanriku coast, it analyzes long-term data to study, for example, the migration routes of male loggerhead turtles.
MembersFaculty
Members of Sato Lab include faculty, project researchers, and doctoral and master's students.
- ProfessorKatsufumi SatoPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorFukuoka TakuyaPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Sato Lab (Behavior, Ecology and Observation Systems)
Sakamoto LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Aquatic Life SciencesResearch using biologging to record and analyze the natural …
Marine Ecosystem Variability LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Aquatic Life SciencesUnderstanding the structure of marine ecosystems and elucida…
Microbiology LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Aquatic Life SciencesPhysiological and ecological functions of marine microbes an…
Aquatic Biology and Environment LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Aquatic Life SciencesEcology and environmental adaptation of bacteria and phytopl…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Weddell Seal ( )” David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Animal behavior seen through data loggers: “Loggerhead sea turtle with satellite transmitter” Tom MacKenzie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (cropped)
- Mechanics of swimming and flying: “Spheniscus humboldti -swimming-6” Martin Pettitt / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Exploring the lives of seabirds and sea turtles: “Loggerhead sea turtle” ukanda / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Sakamoto Lab): “Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) ( )” Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Marine Ecosystem Variability Lab): “SHINSEI-MARU” Pointerseven / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Microbiology Lab): “Hakuho Maru, Fremantle, 2019 (03)” Bahnfrend / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Aquatic Biology and Environment Lab): “Marine plankton - Dinoflagellat (Neoceratium horridum), diatom (Coscinodiscus radiatus) - 160x ( )” Picturepest / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.