Session Report Cover Sheet
SESSION CODE: F&EN - 08
Name of Convener(s): Shin-ichi Nakano, Kentaro Nozaki
DATE:
17 - March, 2003
Session Title: Management of water
resources and biological production in
coastal environments
Accommodation: CMES, Ehime University
Contact information
Contact No.: +81-89-927-8551
in Japan
Contact E-mail: shin@agr.ehime-u.ac.jp
Session Report
SESSION CODE: F&EN - 08
Reporter/Rapporteur:Shin-ichi Nakano
Contact E-mail : shin@agr.ehime-u.ac.jp
1. Key Issues
Aquatic environments are the systems consist of numerous physical, chemical, biological, geological,
meteorological and their synergistic processes. Only limited information about the processes has so far
been acquired by human beings, though we human beings have utilized aquatic environments for
drinking, agriculture, industry, fisheries, recreations and so on. Without enough information, the better
management of aquatic environments would not be feasible.
2. Actions
To understand the ecology of each biological species and the interactions between organisms and
environments in various aquatic systems is primarily important not only for sustainable development and
management of freshwater resources but also for sustainable utilization of fisheries production, prior to
formulation of appropriate measures for environmental conservation. We the Japanese Society of
Limnology (JSL) can promote researches on physical, chemical, biological and geological and their
synergistic processes in aquatic environments, encouraging its members to conduct scientific
researches in various systems.
3. Commitments
It is important to consider and manage a water system as a whole from multiple scientific approaches.
Since in JSL there are researchers from various scientific fields, we can scientifically help the better
management of aquatic environments. JSL keeps its efforts until complete, scientific understanding of
aquatic environments, though science continues forever.
4. Recommendations
We know that artificial management of aquatic environments cannot be maintained only by science.
Thus, we need the partnership among various human activities for the better management of aquatic
environments. Also, the long-term monitoring on aquatic environments should be conducted for
detecting temporal but subtle changes in physical, chemical, biological and geological processes there.
Debates
Drs. Hayami & Hodoki and Prof. Kim talked about matter transport through rivers into lakes or coastal
seas with special attention to changes in rates and ratios of nutrient supplies or loadings. These changes
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have been occurred due to human activities such as flood prevention, water resource managements,
electric power generation, dam constructions and the other large scale river improvements, followed by
serious environmental damages such as deterioration of water quality, reduction of biological production
and so on. Dr. Nakayama and Prof. Ueda reported that organisms living in aquatic environments have
also had damages because each biological species take its habitat quite susceptible to subtle
environmental changes.
Our general discussion was quite active, and we used whole 30 minutes. “Dam” was the hot topic of
discussion, and it was pointed out that the discharge from a dam would have serious problems on
downstreams. One attendant gave the comment that use of watershed management would be effective
for reducing discharges from dams.
Our discussions were also focused on the reality that we human beings should use aquatic
environments for our survival, though any human activity would have generally negative effects on them.
Thus, there are dilemmas between lives of other organisms and human beings, and between
environmental and economical issues. In our session, the importance of long-term monitoring on aquatic
environments was also paid attention for detecting temporal but subtle changes in physical, chemical,
biological and geological processes there.
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