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An approach was developed to help evaluate and predict the combined effects of ocean acidification and deoxygenation on calcifying organisms along the coast of Japan. The Coastal and Regional Ocean COmmunity (CROCO) modeling system was set up to couple the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to the Pelagic Interaction Scheme for Carbon and Ecosystem Studies (PISCES) biogeochemical model and used to reproduce physical and biochemical processes in the area around Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Future scenario cases were also set up, which used initial and boundary conditions based on Future Ocean Regional Projection (FORP) simulations. Present day simulations were able to reproduce the general features of observed physical and biochemical parameters, except for some rapid decreases in salinity, pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag). This suggests that more local factors which have not been introduced into the model, such as submarine groundwater discharge, may be involved, or that river inputs may be underestimated. Results of the future projections suggest a significant impact of global warming and ocean acidification on calcifying organisms for the worst case of climate change under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. In particular, it is feared that values of Ωarag would approach the critical level for calcifying organisms (Ωarag< 1.1) throughout the year, under which decreased larval shell lengths and malformation have been observed experimentally for the locally grown Haliotis discus hannai (Ezo Abalone) species. However, these findings may not be true for a different coastal locality, and this study highlights and continues to stress the importance of developing model setups capable of incorporating both regional and local factors affecting ocean acidification and deoxygenation.

Introduction Given an increasing use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the real-world setting, we conducted a prospective observational study (Japan-based Clinical Research Network for Diabetes Registry: J-BRAND Registry) to elucidate the safety and efficacy profile of long-term usage of alogliptin.Research design and methods We registered 5969 patients from April 2012 through September 2014, who started receiving alogliptin (group A) or other classes of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs; group B), and were followed for 3 years at 239 sites nationwide. Safety was the primary outcome. Symptomatic hypoglycemia, pancreatitis, skin disorders of non-extrinsic origin, severe infections, and cancer were collected as major adverse events (AEs). Efficacy assessment was the secondary outcome and included changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and urinary albumin.Results Of the registered, 5150 (group A: 3395 and group B: 1755) and 5096 (3358 and 1738) were included for safety and efficacy analysis, respectively. Group A patients mostly (>90%) continued to use alogliptin. In group B, biguanides were the primary agents, while DPP-4 inhibitors were added in up to ~36% of patients. The overall incidence of AEs was similar between the two groups (42.7% vs 42.2%). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the incidence of cancer was significantly higher in group A than in group B (7.4% vs 4.8%, p=0.040), while no significant incidence difference was observed in the individual cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the imbalanced patient distribution (more elderly patients in group A than in group B), but not alogliptin usage per se, contributed to cancer development. The incidence of other major AE categories was with no between-group difference. Between-group difference was not detected, either, in the incidence of microvascular and macrovascular complications. HbA1c and fasting glucose decreased significantly at the 0.5-year visit and nearly plateaued thereafter in both groups.Conclusions Alogliptin as a representative of DPP-4 inhibitors was safe and durably efficacious when used alone or with other OHAs for patients with type 2 diabetes in the real world setting.

As the ocean absorbs excessive anthropogenic CO2 and ocean acidification proceeds, it is thought to be harder for marine calcifying organisms, such as shellfish, to form their skeletons and shells made of calcium carbonate. Recent studies have suggested that various marine organisms, both calcifiers and non-calcifiers, will be affected adversely by ocean warming and deoxygenation. However, regardless of their effects on calcifiers, the spatiotemporal variability of parameters affecting ocean acidification and deoxygenation has not been elucidated in the subarctic coasts of Japan. This study conducted the first continuous monitoring and future projection of physical and biogeochemical parameters of the subarctic coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Our results show that the seasonal change in biogeochemical parameters, with higher pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in winter than in summer, was primarily regulated by water temperature. The daily fluctuations, which were higher in the daytime than at night, were mainly affected by daytime photosynthesis by primary producers and respiration by marine organisms at night. Our projected results suggest that, without ambitious commitment to reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, such as by following the Paris Agreement, the impact of ocean warming and acidification on calcifiers along subarctic coasts will become serious, exceeding the critical level of high temperature for 3 months in summer and being close to the critical level of low saturation state of calcium carbonate for 2 months in mid-winter, respectively, by the end of this century. The impact of deoxygenation might often be prominent assuming that the daily fluctuation in DO concentration in the future is similar to that at present. The results also suggest the importance of adaptation strategies by local coastal industries, especially fisheries, such as modifying aquaculture styles.

As ocean acidification (OA) sensor technology develops and improves, in situ deployment of such sensors is becoming more widespread. However, the scientific value of these data depends on the development and application of best practices for calibration, validation, and quality assurance as well as on further development and optimization of the measurement technologies themselves. Here, we summarize the results of a 2-day workshop on OA sensor best practices held in February 2018, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, drawing on the collective experience and perspectives of the participants. The workshop on in situ Sensors for OA Research was organized around three basic questions: 1) What are the factors limiting the precision, accuracy and reliability of sensor data? 2) What can we do to facilitate the quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process and optimize the utility of these data? and 3) What sort of data or metadata are needed for these data to be most useful to future users? A synthesis of the discussion of these questions among workshop participants and conclusions drawn is presented in this paper.

Chlorophyll a (Chl-푎) often retains its maximum concentration not at the surface but in the subsurface layer. The depth of the Chl-푎 maximum primarily depends on the balance between light penetration from the surface and nutrient supply from the deep ocean. However, a global map of subsurface Chl-푎 concentrations based on observations has not been presented yet. In this study, we integrate Chl-푎 concentration data not only from recent biogeochemical floats but also from historical ship-based and other observations, and present global maps of subsurface Chl-푎 concentration with related variables. The subsurface Chl-푎 maximum deeper than the mixed layer depth was stably observed in the subtropics and tropics (30°S to 30°N), only in summer in midlatitudes (30–40°N/S), and rarely at 45–60°S of the Southern Ocean and in the northern North Atlantic (north of 45°N). The depths of the subsurface Chl-푎 maxima are deeper than those of the euphotic layer in the subtropics and shallower in the tropics and midlatitudes. In the subtropics, seasonal oxygen increases below the mixed layer implied substantial biological new production, which corresponds to 10% of the net primary production there. During El Niño, the subsurface Chl-푎 concentration in the equatorial Pacific is higher in the middle to the east and lower in the west than that during La Niña, which is opposite that on the surface. The spatiotemporal variability of the Chl-a concentration described here would be suggestive results not only for the biogeochemical cycle in the ocean but also for the thermal structure and the dynamics of the ocean via the absorption of shortwave radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in the particulate organic matter (POM) of the euphotic layer were investigated around the Kuroshio from 2008 to 2019 (n = 474). Significant seasonality in POM δ13C and δ15N were observed in the coastal and offshore areas divided by the northern edge of the Kuroshio. Seasonal mean δ13C was highest during the summer (-23.2 ± 1.1‰ and -23.7 ± 1.1‰ in coastal and offshore areas, respectively) and lowest during the winter (-24.6 ± 0.8‰ and -25.0 ± 0.9‰ in coastal and offshore areas, respectively) in both areas. Seasonal mean δ15N exhibited different spatial variations. The mean δ15N value in the coastal area was the lowest during the winter (1.0 ± 1.9‰) and increased to a similar level (-3‰) during the other three seasons. In contrast, δ15N in the offshore area near the surface decreased from the spring (2.5 ± 1.5‰) to the summer (1.2 ± 1.7‰). These spatial and seasonal differences in δ15N are significant in generalized linear models and the generalized additive models, and suggest that the nitrogen sources used in biological production differ between coastal and offshore areas and between seasons. Nitrate originating in deeper water and rivers is the main sources used for new production throughout the year in the coastal area. Contributions from atmospheric deposition and nitrogen fixation are significant in the offshore area during the summer, while nitrate originating in deeper water is main during winter, spring, and fall in the offshore area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon stable isotope (δ13C) values of six species of euphausiids predominant in the northwestern (NW) Pacific Ocean were investigated to elucidate speciesspecific feeding habits and seasonal and regional differences. The order of annual mean δ15N values was: Tessarabrachion oculatum Hansen, 1911 (11.2 ± 0.8‰) > Thysanoessa longipes Brandt, 1851 (10.4 ± 0.4‰) > Thysanoessa inspinata Nemoto, 1963 (9.3 ± 0.8‰) > Nematoscelis difficilis Hansen, 1911 (8.2 ± 1.4‰) > Euphausia pacifica Hansen, 1911 (7.7 ± 0.5‰) > Euphausia gibboides Ortmann, 1893 (6.9 ± 0.9‰). The trophic levels of four species based on δ15N values were estimated as 3.6, 3.2, 2.9, and 2.5 for T. oculatum, T. longipes, T. inspinata, and E. pacifica, respectively, in the Oyashio region in June 2011. The seasonal differences in δ15N values of these species were relatively small, which suggests euphausiids play the same role in the food web throughout the year. Carapace lengths were negatively correlated with δ15N values of five species except T. longipes. Regional differences in stable isotope ratios that might reflect regional differences in the primary producer signature were observed: higher δ13C values and lower δ15N values in the Oyashio-Kuroshio mixed water region compared to those in the Oyashio region. The biplot of δ13C and δ15N annual mean values with zooplankton in the NW Pacific shows that euphausiids have a wide range of δ15N values, suggesting they play diverse roles in the pelagic food web in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured the radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) contamination of 236 greenlings (Hexagrammos otakii) off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011. The radiocesium concentrations of greenlings caught approximately 40 km south of the power plant were significantly higher than those of greenlings caught approximately 50 km north of the power plant. The radiocesium concentrations of greenlings caught in southern waters were significantly higher in shallow than in deep waters. Meanwhile, two outlier specimens of greenlings with higher 137Cs concentrations, 16,000 Bq/kg-wet on 1 August 2012 and 1,150 Bq/kg-wet on 8 May 2013, were caught approximately 20 km from the power plant. Our calculations suggest that the probability of two such outlier specimens being found off the coast of Fukushima is exceedingly low. By contrast, extremely contaminated greenlings were frequently caught in the power plant port (geometric mean of 137Cs = 17,364 Bq/kg-wet). Our results suggest that the two outlier greenlings with higher 137Cs concentrations migrated from the power plant port. Continued close monitoring of radiocesium concentrations in the area should be done to ensure the safety of food supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  In this study we used two stable isotopes, δ13C and δ18O, for water mass classification in the coastal region off eastern Hokkaido. δ13C* values, which were corrected for the biological effect, and δ 18O values up to 300 m depth suggested that the isotopic character of the onshore and offshore water in the southern Okhotsk Sea, the Nemuro Strait and the western North Pacific could be explained by the mixing of three source waters: the Oyashio water (OYW), Soya Warm Current water (SWCW) and East Sakhalin Current water (ESCW). In summer, δ 13C*-δ 18O plots indicated mixing between SWCW from the southern Okhotsk Sea and OYW in the Pacific coast of southeastern Hokkaido, while temperature-salinity plots of the onshore water showed minimal difference from the offshore OYW. In winter, on the other hand, the mixed water of ESCW and OYW (or SWCW) appeared in the Pacific coastal region, distributed as cold, low salinity onshore water. Finally, we estimated mixing ratios of OYW, SWCW and ESCW in the coastal region of western North Pacific using their mean values of δ 13C* and δ 18O as endmembers. These results suggest seasonal and yearly changes of water mass combination en route from the southern Okhotsk Sea to the western North Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  To examine whether the regime shift in 1998 that has been variously reported to have occurred in the oceanographic conditions of the central and eastern North Pacific also occurred in the Oyashio region, western North Pacific, we compared data over the period 1990–2003. Oceanographic conditions were compared before 1997 with those after 1998, using the A-line dataset (1990–2003) obtained by the oceanographic surveys of the Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency (HNFRI/FRA). Seasonal changes of the monthly-mean SST (as temperature in the surface layer) show a significant increase in spring after 1998. After 1998, the mean concentration of chlorophyll a at the surface was higher in spring than that before 1997. This was more remarkable in the main current of the Oyashio. These changes suggest that the spring phytoplankton bloom in the Oyashio region after 1998 was larger in magnitude and initiated earlier. Consumption of nutrients during the spring bloom and standing stock of netplankton also shows a distinct difference between the time period before 1997 and after 1998. These results support the occurrence of the regime shift around 1998 in the Oyashio region. The changes of hydrographical conditions accompanying with the 1998 regime shift are discussed. The hydrographic mechanism of enhancement of primary productivity during the spring phytoplankton bloom was not fully clarified, though. Results in this study may support the usefulness of the A-line dataset for analysis of long-term variability in the western subarctic Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight-year observation results of DIC from 1996 to 2003 in the Oyashio region have been analyzed to obtain a climatological view of its seasonal variation and interannual variation. Data of DIC obtained by several institutes are synthesized to give a dataset with an uncertainty lower than 5 μmol/kg. The obtained climatology of NDIC seasonal variation in the Oyashio mixed layer shows a seasonal amplitude of 176 μmol/kg, with a maximum in January and a minimum in September. These features closely resemble those observed in the southern half of the western subarctic North Pacific (WSNP) including Station KNOT, although the timing of the NDIC maximum is slightly advanced in the case of the Oyashio. Analysis using a quasi-conservative tracer Cp0 (NDIC - 106NP) shows that among 176 μmol/kg of NDIC seasonal variation, only 16 μmol/kg is attributed to hydrographic processes while the remaining 160 μmol/kg is attributed to biological processes. The Cp0 value in the Oyashio mixed layer also resembles that of the WSNP mixed layer during the months May to November, suggesting further resemblance of the Oyashio water mass to that of WSNP in terms of carbon dynamics. The present results also suggest that a single data obtained in Oyashio mixed layer contains 30 μmol/kg of potential uncertainty for the representativity of this region, which leads to a note about a need to treat with caution results obtained by a single observation in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and related chemical species have been measured from 1992 to 2001 at Station KNOT (44N, 155E) in the western North Pacific subpolar region. DIC (1.3~2.3 mol/kg/yr) and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU, 0.7~1.8 mol/kg/yr) have increased while total alkalinity remained constant in the intermediate water (26.9~27.3s?). The increases of DIC in the upper intermediate water (26.9~27.1s?) were higher than those in the lower one (27.2~ 27.3s?). The temporal change of DIC would be controlled by the increase of anthropogenic CO2, the decomposition of organic matter and the non-anthropogenic CO2 absorbed at the region of intermediate water formation. We estimated the increase of anthropogenic CO2 to be only 0.5~0.7 mol/kg/yr under equilibrium with the atmospheric CO2 content. The effect of decomposition was estimated to be 0.8 0.7 mol/kg/yr from AOU increase. The remainder of non-anthropogenic CO2 had increased by 0.6 1.1 mol/kg/yr. We suggest that the non-anthropogenic CO2 increase is controlled by the accumulation of CO2 liberated back to atmosphere at the region of intermediate water formation due to the decrease of difference between DIC in the winter mixed layer and DIC under equilibrium with the atmospheric CO2 content, and the reduction of diapycnal vertical water exchange between mixed layer and pycnocline waters. In future, more accurate and longer time series data will be required to confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the time series data sets collected from the 1960s to 1990s in the Oyashio Water revealed signs of alteration in the physical, chemical and biological properties of the water column in the western subarctic North Pacific. Wintertime salinity, phosphate concentration and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) in the subsurface increased linearly over the 30 years. At the same time, salinity and phosphate in the surface mixed layer decreased. An increase in the density gradient in the surface and subsurface suggested that the water column stratification intensified, reducing the vertical exchange of water properties during the period. The Net Community Production (NCP), estimated from the phosphate consumption from February through August, also declined. Water column Chl a was approximately halved and diatoms decreased by one order of magnitude in spring, consistent with the multi-decadal decreasing trend of NCP. Zooplankton biomass was also nearly halved during the same period. In contrast, wintertime Chl a increased by 63% and diatom abundance doubled. Developmental timing became earlier in Neocalanus flemingeri, and spring occurrence of N. plumchrus increased after the 1980s. Reduced vertical water exchange might have limited nutrient supply to the level, decreasing winter-summer NCP for these three decades. It is speculated that, in the meantime, the earlier stabilization of the surface layer might have enhanced wintertime diatom production in the Oyashio's light-limited environment. This condition could allow zooplankton to effectively utilize diatoms from earlier timing, resulting in the apparent early developmental timing and abundance increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a compilation of apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) changes observed in the upper pycnocline of the North Pacific Ocean over the last several decades. The goal here is to place previously-published data in a common format, and assess the causes of the observed changes. The general trend along repeat cross sections of the eastern and western subtropical ocean and the subarctic ocean is an increase in AOU from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. AOU has also been increasing in a time-series study in the northwest subarctic Ocean off of Japan since the late 1960s. Observed AOU changes south of 35°N in the subtropical ocean are 10–20 μmol kg−1, with much greater changes, reaching 60–80 μmol kg−1 in isolated areas, in the subtropical/subarctic boundary and the subarctic ocean. Analysis of changes in both AOU and salinity on isopycnals suggests that there are significant salinity-normalized increases that must be due to alteration in the rate of ventilation or organic matter degradation. A common feature in the data is that the maximum increase in AOU is centered near the density horizon σθ= 26.6. Time series results from the Oyashio Current region near the winter outcrop area of this density horizon indicate that surface waters there have become fresher with time, which may mean this density surface has ceased to outcrop in the latter decades of the 20th century. Whether this is due to natural decadal-scale changes or anthropogenic influences can be decided by determining future trends in AOU on these density surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual transport of anthropogenic carbon (Canth) to the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) from the Western Subarctic Gyre (WSG) has been re-estimated by using newly estimated Oyashio transport and Canth concentration, the latter calculated by the recently-established “ΔC*” method with some modifications. Estimated annual Canth transport through the nearshore Oyashio west of 146°E was 0.020 ± 0.010 GtC y−1, closely approximating the previous estimation based on a 1-D model calibrated with the CFC vertical distribution. The present study, however, found that an additional 0.025 ± 0.010 GtC y−1 of Canth was transported into NPIW in the region east of 146°E. Total Canth transport, 0.045 GtC y−1, contributes about 35% of annual Canth accumulation of the whole temperate North Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify the actual usefulness of time-dependent tracer dating techniques in the ocean, we simultaneously obtained two cross sections of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and chlrofluoromethanes (CFC-11, trichlorofluoromethane; CFC-12, dichloro-difluromethane; CFC-113, trichlorotrifluoroethane) in the western North Pacific in 1998. The vertical distribution patterns of SF6 and CFC-113 were similar in shape to those of CFC-11 and CFC-12. Maximum penetration depths of SF6 and CFC-113 remained around 800 m in the subpolar region and 400 m in the tropical region, while the maximum penetration depths of CFC-11 and CFC-12 were still found below 1000 m depth. We also found all maximum contents of these tracers around 26.6−26.8σθ with a gradual decrease southward. This suggested that a new subsurface water mass in the subpolar region spread out over the entire North Pacific, which agrees closely with previous studies based on the salinity minimum. Moreover, we compared the tracer ages (the elapsed period of a water mass from when the water mass left from the ocean surface) using ten time-dependent tracer dating techniques, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, SF6, CFC-11/CFC-12, CFC-113/CFC-11, CFC-113/CFC-12, SF6/CFC-11, SF6/CFC-12 and SF6/CFC-113. This quantitative evaluation of multiple tracer dating techniques in the ocean was the first confirmation of its usefulness based on the observational data on the ocean basin-wide scale. We conclude that SF6/CFC-11, SF6/CFC-12, SF6/CFC-113 and SF6 dating techniques would be the most promising tools for determining the age of water mass not only just for the past several decades but for the future, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change may harm the growth and yield of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) without the introduction of appropriate irrigation facilities. Therefore, new irrigation methods should be developed to maximize water use efficiency and reduce operational costs. OPSIS (optimized subsurface irrigation system) is a new solar-powered automatic subsurface irrigation system that creates a phreatic zone below crop roots and relies on capillarity to supply water to the root zone. It is designed for upland crops such as sugarcane. We investigated the performance of OPSIS for irrigating sugarcane and evaluated its performance against sprinkler irrigation under subtropical conditions. We conducted field experiments in Okinawa, Japan, over the period from 2013 to 2016 and took measurements during spring- and summer-planted main crops and two ratoon crops of the spring-planted crop. Compared with sprinkler irrigation, OPSIS produced a significantly higher fresh cane yield, consumed less irrigation water and provided a higher irrigation water use efficiency. We conclude that OPSIS could be adopted as a sustainable solution to sugarcane irrigation in Okinawa and similar environments.

Technologies that ensure the availability of water for crops need to be developed in order for agriculture to be sustainable in the face of climate change. Irrigation is costly, so technologies need to be improved or newly developed, not only with the aim of the sustainable use of precious water resources, but also with the aim of reducing associated labor and energy costs, which lead to higher production costs. OPSIS (optimized subsurface irrigation system) is a super water-saving subsurface irrigation system developed to irrigate upland crops by soil capillarity. It is an environmentally-friendly, solar-powered automatic irrigation method with minimum energy consumption and operational costs. In soils vulnerable to drought damage, OPSIS can outperform other irrigation methods. This technical note introduces OPSIS.