Elucidation of the relationship between the ocean and CO₂ and maximization of ocean functions

Overview

Understanding the globalcarbon cycle is essential for decreasing the atmospheric concentration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of the crucial issues for combatting climate change. However, many aspects of the relationship between CO₂ and the ocean remain unclear, despite the ocean being one of the largest CO₂ sinks in nature. This objective aims at deepening understanding of this relationship from  micro-to-global-scale, cross-disciplinary, and inter-disciplinary approaches. Specifically, research will mainly focus on the following themes: the ocean carbon cycle process and the impact on this cycle by the phenomena accompanying the increase in CO₂, such as ocean warming, ocean acidification, and ocean deoxygenation; the impact of the increase in CO₂ on marine ecosystems; and Negative Emission Technologies utilizing the ocean functions. The achieving of this objective aims at contributing to climate change countermeasures by optimizing the ocean functions.