This Q&A features Professor Mitsutaku Makino, Professor in the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute at the University of Tokyo, who spoke to Back to Blue about the priorities for communicating scientific research with the policy community, and what attitudes are driving ocean health initiatives in Japan.

As a professor in the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute and head of the Makino Lab at the University of Tokyo, Professor Mitsutaku Makino is an expert voice on marine conservation and the interaction between science and policy. His work emphasises collaboration between scientists and diverse stakeholders through transdisciplinary research into the dynamics of natural processes and human use of the ocean.

The need for carbon-free energy is pressing, but society must progress with information that ensures we are developing sources that are themselves environmentally responsible and sustainable.

The ocean and its ecosystems are facing unprecedented challenges from climate change which is heating both land and sea to record levels. According to NOAA research forecasts, 40% of the global ocean is experiencing marine heatwave conditions and that figure is expected to remain high through the end of 2023. These anomalously warm ocean temperatures have significant impacts on marine life and coastal communities and economies, bleaching coral reefs, creating conditions that can favor harmful algal blooms and decreasing the productivity of cold water ecosystems like those off California and other upwelling zones that harbor whales, salmon and lush kelp forests. Continued observational monitoring helps marine managers and researchers understand and mitigate climate impacts on marine life, but ocean data is also critical when looking to the ocean for climate solutions, including offshore wind and other technologies to generate renewable ocean energy.