Major Research Development of analytical methods for the topographic dynamics of carbonate islands

Most remote islands located on the southern edge of Japan, such as Okinotorishima and Minamitorishima Islands, mainly consist of carbonates formed by corals, foraminifers, and other reef-forming organisms, unlike Honshu and other parts of Japan, which are mainly comprised of silicates.
 

External stresses such as climate change and the environmental changes caused by large typhoons ravaging remote islands pose threats to the conservation of those remote islands as national land.
 

When investigating the current status of those threats and formulating countermeasures against them, there are constraints specific to remote islands, such as scarcity of goods, supplies, and labor.
 

Therefore, in this study, we aim to develop and present methods for analyzing topographical dynamics that can cover wide areas for an extended period of time in a resource-efficient manner, while taking into account the constraints that are typical of remote islands.
 

During the fiscal year, we conducted in situ observations of model sites, and analyzed existing core sample specimens. In addition, we examined the relationship of coral coverage with the environmental conditions at the Urasoe breakwater in Naha Port.