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Hokuyoken Ecology Lab
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A lab that explores how ecosystems work, from plankton in northern seas to whales and seabirds.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the relationship between the sea and the life in it
The Hokuyoken Ecology Lab studies the relationships between the marine environment and the many kinds of organisms that live in it.
Its research subjects are organisms of the subarctic North Pacific, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea.
Its goal is to understand the structure and function of marine ecosystems and to find ways to use marine resources sustainably while preserving biodiversity.
Depending on the research theme, the lab uses field surveys conducted aboard ships and laboratory experiments.
Key terms
- Marine ecosystem
- The whole formed by organisms living in the sea and environmental factors such as water temperature and currents, connected through relationships such as eating and being eaten
- Trophic level
- A position in the food chain. Phytoplankton are at the bottom, followed by the animals that eat them, and then the animals that eat those
- Biologging
- A research method in which small data loggers are attached to animals to record their behavior and surrounding environment
ResearchResearch themes
The lab seeks to understand the structure and function of marine ecosystems, what changes will occur in the future, and how people can use marine resources sustainably while preserving the diversity of marine life. Its subjects range widely, from zooplankton to fish, squid, seabirds, marine mammals, and whales.
*Illustrative imageOrganisms that make up northern marine ecosystems
In the subarctic North Pacific, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea, the lab studies the organisms that make up the ecosystem, including zooplankton, micronekton of the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones, fish, squid, seabirds, marine mammals, and whales.
*Illustrative imageHow climate change and fishing affect the ocean
The lab investigates how global-scale climate change and human activities such as fishing have affected marine ecosystems from the past to the present, and how organisms have responded. As a foundation for this, it also studies the physiology and ecology of organisms across their whole life cycles.
*Illustrative imageRelationships among higher-level organisms and their communities
The lab studies the relationships among organisms at relatively high trophic levels in marine ecosystems, and the community structure behind them. Much of this research is conducted aboard the university's training vessels and outside research vessels.
*Illustrative imageSeabirds as mirrors of ocean change
The lab treats seabirds as indicators that reflect changes in marine ecosystems, such as environmental change and the effects of human activities, and studies their ecology and conservation at sea. It uses biologging and long-term observation of populations.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Hokuyoken Ecology Lab are faculty, research fellows, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorOrio Yamamura
- Assistant ProfessorJean-Baptiste Thiebot
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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: “Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus monteriensis) in water Tofino” Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Organisms that make up northern marine ecosystems: “Alaska pollock school” NOAA Fisheries / Public domain (cropped)
- How climate change and fishing affect the ocean: “Theragra chalcogramma fishing” Allen Shimada, NOAA NMFS OST / Public domain (cropped)
- Relationships among higher-level organisms and their communities: “OshoroMaru5 a fishery research and training vessel of School of Fisheries Sciences Hokkaido University” Ootahara / CC0 (cropped)
- Seabirds as mirrors of ocean change: “Rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) with fish Salish Sea” Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (松石研究室
（資源生物学講座） ): “Phocoena phocoena ssp. vomerina” Ben Phalan / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (漁場学講座
（資源生物学講座） ): “Flounder Larva, Woods Hole, MA, USA” Taeylenol / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (海洋環境科学講座
（大木淳之 教授） ): “Uchiura-bay Yakumo” Bakkai at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) - Related lab (北方生物圏フィールド科学センター 臼尻水産実験所): “Usujiri Fishing Port 20220605” Reh gambare / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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