| REQUIEM FOR FISH LARVAE AND JUVENILES KILLED BY A RESEARCHER DURING HIS 45 YEARS ELH STUDIES: SIGNIFICANCE OF "H TO O STUDIES" TO RECOVER HAPPY LIFE OF FISH LARVAE |
| TANAKA, Masaru, International Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS), Kizugawadai 9-3, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0225, Japan masatnk4@yahoo.co.jp |
| This paper is a kind of requiem for all fish larvae and juveniles which were killed by the author during his 45-year early life history (ELH) studies and the author's declaration to recover future happy life of fish larvae and juveniles. The author started ELH studies using classic methods of morphology and histology based on the rearing experiments for a larage variety of fish sepecies in late 1960's. During 1970's and early 1980's his research focus was placed on field ecological work for a restricted number of model species like red sea bream and Japanese flounder. Afterwards target species were laragely expanded again and its inter-specific comparative studies were done by various methods as taxisonomical, morphological, immunohistological, endocrinological, molecular biological, molecular genetical, physiological, ecoloical ones primarily under combination of field observations and laboratory rearing experiments. After 40 years studies he found most coastal marine fish show inshore migration during metamorphosis to aggregate in near-shore habitats like sandy beach, eel grass bed, mangrove estuary and so on, but simultaneously he noticed singnifiant area of such important nursery grounds had been already deteriorated heavily by human activities. After seriously considering what was his long-term ELH study and how did he contribute to fish larvae and juveniles, then he proposed a new integrated studies on the linkage of forest-sato (human habitation)-sea named as "H to O Studies" (from Headwater to Ocean) of which final goal is to restore the nature. The major background of this idea was emerged from intimate linking between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. For instance, forest ecosystem could produce dissolved iron and it is transported without oxidization by surface (river) and/or underwater systems to the sea to enhance primary production, finally contributing to survival and growth of marine fish larvae. In this paper the author presents a model study, conducting in a unique estuarine ecosystem of Ariake Sea, southwestern Japan, on the early life history which brought him to a conclusion of "Mountain breeds marine fish larvae". |
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