News

16 April 2025

Our below article received enough views to be a TOP Viewed Article!

Evaluating the effects of filtration volume and filter pore size on detection of fish environmental DNA using metabarcoding for practical use in the open ocean
Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9921

Kawakami T, Yamazaki A, Asami M, Gotoh Y, Yamanaka H, Hyodo S, Ueno H, and Kasai A 

1 April 2025 

We have started the new fiscal year. 
We welcomed Kosuke Sumi, Shuka Morimoto, and Ryosei Narusawa as new fourth-year students, and Dr. Shang Yangke as a post-doctoral researcher.

24 March 2025

Metazoan diversity and its drivers: an eDNA survey in the Pacific Gateway of a changing Arctic Ocean has been published in Environmental DNA. DOI:10.1002/edn3.70082
Gerlien Verhaegen, Tatsuya Kawakami, Ayla Murray, Akihide Kasai and Charlotte Havermans

9 March 2025

Long-term increasing trends of water quality in Hakodate Bay, Hokkaido, driven by meteorological factors
Regional Studies in Marine Science, DOI: 10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104123

Chalvin Putra Rura and Akihide Kasai

4 March 2025 

Overwintering fish community in ice-covered Saroma-ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan, inferred from metabarcoding-based detection of fish environmental DNA has been published in Environmental DNA. DOI: 10.1002/edn3.70068.

Tatsuya Kawakami, Makoto Ozaki, Aya Yamazaki, Daiki Nomura and Akihide Kasai

25 August 2024

Distribution and habitat preference of polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Bering and Chukchi Seas inferred from species-specific detection of environmental DNA has been published in  Frontiers in Marine Science   https:// doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1193083

Kawakami T,  Yamazaki A, Jiang H, Ueno H and Kasai A

28 March 2024

We are pleased to announce winning Award of Excellence for a Scientific Paper from the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science.  The highest number of citations in the past six years was highly evaluated.
The effect of temperature on environmental DNA degradation of Japanese eel

Kasai A, Takada S, Yamazaki A, Masuda R and Yamanaka H
Fisheries Science, (2020) 86, 465-471. DOI: 10.1007/s12562-020-01409-1 

19 April 2023

Evaluation of community science monitoring with environmental DNA for marine fish species: “Fish survey project using environmental DNA” in Environmental DNA has  

been published in Environmental DNA.  http://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.425 

Suzuki-Ohno Y, Tanabe A, Kasai A, Masuda R, Seino S, Dazai A, Suzuki S, Abe T and Kondoh M

24 Mar 2023

'Evaluating the effects of filtration volume and filter pore size on detection of fish environmental DNA using metabarcoding for practical use in the open ocean' has been published in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9921

Kawakami T, Yamazaki A, Asami M, Gotoh Y, Yamanaka H, Hyodo S, Ueno H, and Kasai A 

 21 Mar 2023

'Inshore migration of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica encouraged by active horizontal swimming during the glass eel stage'  has been published in  Fisheries Oceanography,  https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12637
Karaki T, Sakamoto K, Yamanaka G, Kimura S, and Kasai A 

9 Sep 2022

'Otolith isotopic characterization as a nursery habitat indicator for stone flounder Platichthys bicoloratus' has been published in Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Sciences. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.108028
Amano Y, Otake T, Togashi H, Wada T, Kasai A, Kato Y, Yoshizumi C, Tayasu I, Kurita Y, and Shirai K 

13 Apr 2022

'Atmosphere–sea ice–ocean interaction study in Saroma-ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan 2021' has been published in Bulletin of Glaciological Research.
https://doi.org/10.5331/bgr.21R02

Nomura D, Ikawa H, Kawaguchi Y, Kanna N, Kawakami T, Nosaka Y, Umezawa S, Tozawa M, Horikawa T, Sahashi R, Noshiro T, Kaba I, Ozaki M, Kondo F, Ono K, YABE IS, Yae Son E, Toyoda T, Kameyama S, Wang C, Obata H, Ooki A, Ueno H, and Kasai A

21 Mar 2022

'Inshore migration of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica encouraged by active horizontal swimming during the glass eel stage' has been published in Fisheries Oceanography.
https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12637 

Karaki T, Sakamoto K, Yamanaka G, Kimura S, and Kasai A 

11 Sep 2021

'Watershed proportion of forest cover fostering the conservation of red-listed fish richness in estuaries' has been accepted in Conservation Biology. 

Lavergne E, Kume M, Ahn H, Henmi Y, Terashima Y, Ye F, Kameyama S, Kai Y, Kadowaki K, Yamashita Y, and Kasai A 

22 Jul 2021

'Intraspecific genetic variability and diurnal activity affect environmental DNA detection in Japanese eel' has been accepted in PLOSONE.

Takahashi S, Takada S, Yamanaka H, Masuda R and Kasai A
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231718

3 Feb 2021

'Distribution of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica revealed by environmental DNA' has been accepted in Frontiers Ecology and Revolution. 
Kasai A, Yamazaki A, Ahn H, Yamanaka H, Kameyama S, Masuda R, Azuma N, Kimura S, Karaki T, Kurokawa Y and Yamashita Y
doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.621461 

23 Nov 2020
'Factors structuring estuarine and coastal fish communities across Japan using environmental DNA metabarcoding' has been accepted in Ecological Indicators.
Kume M, Lavergne E, Ahn H, Terashima Y, Kadowaki K, Ye F, Kameyama S, Kai Y, Henmi Y, Yamashita Y, and Kasai A
doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107216 

11 Nov 2020

'Traditional land use effects on nutrient export from watersheds to coastal seas' has been accepted in Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems

 Sugimoto R, Kasai A, Tait DR, Rihei T, Hirai T, Asai K, Tamura Y, and Yamashita Y 

doi.org/10.1007/s10705-020-10102-9

1 Oct 2020
An environmental DNA project collaborating with the Earthwatch Japan has started. We will collect coastal waters from all over Japan and investigate fish communities using environmental DNA. 

Earthwatch Japan
Coastal Fish eDNA Monitoring Project with Earthwatch Japan

28 Sep 2020
'Evaluation of biodiversity of five estuaries in Japan using environmental DNA metabarcoding method' has been accepted in PLOSONE. 

Ahn H, Kume M, Terashima Y, Ye F, Kameyama S, Miya M, Yamashita Y and Kasai A

doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231127 

11 July 2020
'An illustrated manual for environmental DNA research: Water sampling guidelines and experimental protocols' has been accepted in Environmental DNA. 

Minamoto T, Miya M, Sado T, Seino S, Doi H, Kondoh M, Nakamura K, Takahara T, Yamamoto S, Yamanaka H, Araki H, Iwasaki W, Kasai A, Masuda R and Uchii K 

doi.org/10.1002/edn3.121 

24 June 2020
'Estimating fish population abundance by integrating quantitative data on environmental DNA and hydrodynamic modelling' has been accepted in Molecular Ecology.
Fukaya K, Murakami H, Yoon S, Minami K, Osada Y, Yamamoto S, Masuda R, Kasai A, Miyashita K, Minamoto T and Kondoh M

doi.org/10.1111/mec.15530

6 March 2020

'The effect of temperature on environmental DNA degradation of Japanese eel' has been accepted in Fisheries Science.

Kasai A, Takada S, Yamazaki A, Masuda R and Yamanaka H
doi.org/10.1007/s12562-020-01409-1 

25 November 2019
'Quantitative estimation of the ecosystem services supporting the growth of Japanese chum salmon' has been accepted in  Deep Sea Research Part II 

Karasawa Y, Ueno H, Tanisugi R, Dobashi R, Yoon S, Kasai A and Kiyota M
doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2019.104702 

13 October 2019
'Correlation of changes in seasonal distribution and catch of red sea bream Pagrus major with winter temperature in the eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan (1972-2010)' has been published in Fisheries Oceanography 

Yamamoto M, Omi H, Yasue N and Kasai A
doi.org/10.1111/fog.12432

10 September 2019
'Winter monsoon promotes the transport of Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus eggs and larvae toward the innermost part of Tango Bay, the Sea of Japan' has been published in Fisheries Oceanography.

Suzuki K, Fuji T, Kasai A, Itoh S, Kimura S and Yamashita Y
doi.org/10.1111/fog.12450