Focus Systems Co., Ltd.
Launch of “TASUKI Project” to challenge biodiversity assessment of the aquatic sphere together with the next generation
~ Collaborating with high school students who are the future researchers to protect the biodiversity of the aquatic sphere ~ ……
Fishpass Co., Ltd. (Head office: Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, Representative Director: Shigehiro Nishimura), Focus Systems Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Keiichi Mori), Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, President and COO: Shuichiro Takahashi (hereinafter referred to as “Leave a Nest”) is the academic partner of Fukui Prefectural University Regional
Collaboration Headquarters (headquarters: Yoshida District, Fukui Prefecture, Director: Keitsugu Kitajima), Ryukoku University Biodiversity Science Research Center (Headquarters: Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Director: Hiroki Yamanaka) will work together with the next generation to improve the biodiversity of the hydrosphere from June 1, 2024. We have started this project to challenge gender evaluation.
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[Background of the project launch]
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 69% of the world’s biodiversity has been lost over the past 50 years (*1), and the economic loss is estimated to reach $44 trillion ( *2). In response to this, a global goal (30 by 30) (*3) has been set to conserve at least 30% of the country’s land as natural environmental areas by 2030. In Japan, the Cabinet has approved the National Biodiversity Strategy 2023-2030, and efforts have begun to conserve 30% of the sea and land by 2030.
In this social context, there is a need for concrete and practical action plans that contribute to the realization of nature positivity (*4), but methods for managing and measuring biodiversity have not been standardized. In particular, there are still very few
verification cases in real environments. In addition, we believe that it is important to develop the next generation of human resources in order to ensure that these initiatives are not temporary and that we continue to work towards achieving long-term goals that will continue beyond 2030. Masu.
Therefore, in this project, the next generation and companies will form a coalition to take on the challenge of assessing the
biodiversity of the aquatic environment using Lake Biwa, a river that connects to Tokyo Bay, as a field.
[Project aim]
Students from participating schools will carry out a comprehensive analysis of biological species from water samples while incorporating environmental DNA technology (*5), which is rarely used, into their research activities. In addition, based on the survey results obtained, students interpret data and conduct scientific
considerations, and experience the process of arriving at discoveries that no one knows yet. Through these surveys and research activities, we aim to foster the next generation who can realize the richness of nature and take action by exploring the current state of the global environment inhabited by a variety of living things and its connection with human society. Masu.
[TASUKI – Sash – Project Overview]
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*WEB site: TASUKI -Tasuki- Project (https://ed.lne.st/project/tasuki-project/) Four educational institutions have been selected to participate in this project, and a kickoff event was held on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
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Sponsored by
Fishpass Co., Ltd.
At Fish Pass, we are working with fishing cooperatives across the country to digitize recreational fishing tickets for the future of the people and regions connected by rivers. As a new challenge with fishermen’s cooperatives, we will use environmental DNA to clarify the fish fauna that inhabits rivers, and provide services to fishermen’s cooperatives to protect their fishery resources and preserve biodiversity. Through this project, we hope that you will become part of a team that will play a part in supporting the future of the waterfront.
Focus Systems Co., Ltd.
We believe that ideas about how to use IT and what to combine it with to take action to solve serious social issues and enrich our lives are important. Masu. In this project, the next generation of high school researchers and companies share their knowledge while learning, thinking, and putting into practice about the natural environment. We hope that the new knowledge and human resources that will be created will continue to preserve the richness of our planet into the future. Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.
It is difficult to solve global issues such as maintaining and improving biodiversity through the efforts of one company alone. Leave a Nest believes that it is important to have a system in which companies, ventures, universities, etc. come together as a coalition and work as a team to solve problems. In addition, in order to pass on a rich earth to the future, it is essential to involve the next generation in our efforts. Through this project, we will work with the next generation to examine the process of implementing
university-originated technology into society, and to create a system that will “realize the development of science and technology and contribute to the earth.”
academic partner
Fukui Prefectural University
The environmental DNA analysis center we provide makes it possible to identify and analyze the diverse species that live in rivers and lakes, revealing previously unknown ecosystem data. By utilizing this technology, you can experience the real scientific research process and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of biodiversity. Furthermore, we hope that our market analysis and advice will lead to the results of this project being widely disseminated to society and leading to concrete environmental conservation measures.
Ryukoku University
We are very much looking forward to the fact that the environmental DNA analysis technology that our university has been developing and implementing in society for many years will be able to contribute to the excitement of high school students. It’s very exciting to go into the water and directly observe living things, but I think that using DNA analysis technology to obtain information without touching them will also arouse a different kind of intellectual curiosity. Masu. Let’s do underwater forensics together!
Tokyo Metropolitan Tachikawa High School
We aim to preserve native ecosystems in rivers, and by quantifying the environment, we are conducting research to find out what kind of environments domestic non-native species live in and how native species are affected. doing. My motto is “just go out in the field” and whenever I have time, I go to the river and do research. There are some things you can only understand because you’ve been to the river a lot. In the future, we will carry out activities to make the world more aware of the problem of domestic invasive species.
Tokyo Metropolitan Musashi High School
For generations, we at the Biology Department at Musashi High School have conducted research on the Tama River and fieldwork in Hinohara Village, Tokyo, with the theme of conservation of Satoyama. I participated in this project because I felt the environmental changes through the Tama River survey and wanted to learn more about the current situation. We will comprehensively investigate the
relationship between rivers and the natural and social environments by incorporating environmental DNA technology from the perspective of “rivers and satoyama,” making use of the data we have accumulated on the Tama River and the knowledge and experience of satoyama. I want to.
Shiga Prefectural Takashima High School
In the previous year, we were researching the impact of the domestic invasive species Phyllis spp. on the ecosystem in Lake Biwa. This year, we will conduct research that we were unable to do in the previous year, such as investigating the distribution of Numatiti using environmental DNA and investigating the reproductive status of otoliths, and hope to elucidate the ecology of Numatiti and its relationship with native species. Masu. I would also like to utilize the results of this research for the conservation of native species in Lake Biwa.
Shiga Prefectural Yahata Technical High School
Through this project, we would like to confirm the presence of Ayumodoki individuals and clarify their population size. I want to get involved in this project and learn about various things and creatures. To that end, I would like to make the project a success and acquire environmental DNA technology that will allow me to learn deeply about Ayumodoki and the creatures and ecology of Lake West and Lake Biwa. I would also like to know the reasons why the Ayumodoki population is decreasing, the effects of living organisms, and changes in the environment.
Information on our activities will be published on our website from time to time.
TASUKI project website (https://ed.lne.st/project/tasuki-project/) [Source/terminology explanation]
*1) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Living Planet Report: Living Planet Report 2020
*2) World Economic Forum (WEF): The Future of Nature and Business (2020) *3) Aiming to effectively conserve more than 30% of land and sea as healthy ecosystems by 2030, with the goal of halting and restoring biodiversity loss (nature positive) by 2030. the goal
*4) Halting and reversing biodiversity loss to put nature on a recovery track *5) Environmental DNA technology
An analytical method that estimates the distribution, diversity, and abundance of species living in environmental media such as water and soil based on information on DNA (environmental DNA) contained in environmental media such as water and soil, without capturing the organisms.
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000023.000085937.html