新刊：奄美の生物多様性と人々の暮らし

 

奄美の生物多様性と人々の暮らしに関する書籍が刊行されました。研究室の寺田が奄美の海藻と海草について執筆しています。

寺田竜太 2026．奄美の海藻・海草．

鈴木英治，久米元，髙山耕二，山城徹，山本宗立（編）

奄美の生物多様性と人々の暮らし．pp. 36–43，南方新社，鹿児島

ISBN: 978-4-86124-559-6（2026年3月25日）

https://www.nanpou.com/?pid=190553688

 

The 50th anniversary meeting of the Japanese Society of Phycology

The 50th anniversary meeting of the Japanese Society of Phycology was held at the University of Tsukuba, near Tokyo, Japan, from March 20 to 22, 2026. From the Marine Botany Lab, three faculty members and eight students attended and presented their research achievements. The next meeting will be held in March 2027 at Kagoshima University. We look forward to seeing you in Kagoshima in 2027!

 

 

New article: Significant changes in the southernmost temperate canopy-forming macroalgal communities in Japan

We are pleased to introduce our new article revealing significant changes in the southernmost temperate canopy-forming macroalgal communities in Japan. To assess the decline and species shifts in macroalgal communities over the past decade in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, we investigated the spatial distribution of kelp and fucoid communities at nine sites in early summer 2024, where data from previous surveys (conducted in the late 2000s and early 2010s) were available. We then compared the current status with that of a decade ago.

 

Zemba, Takasugi, Yunokuchi, Terada (2026). Significant changes in the southernmost temperate canopy-forming macroalgal communities in Japan: A comparison of their status in 2024 with that a decade ago. 

Journal of Applied Phycology.

 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03780-x

 

This article is open access and can be downloaded free of charge.

 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-025-03780-x

 

 

New article: Nemalionopsis shawii (formerly known as Nemalionopsis tortuosa in Japan)

Please take a look at our latest article, currently available as an article in press (journal pre-proof), on the ecophysiology of the freshwater endangered red alga Nemalionopsis shawii from Japan. Although the proofs have not yet been corrected, the article has been available online since February 10, 2026. This study reports on light spectral availability and photoinhibition, temperature adaptation, and desiccation and salinity tolerances of this alga. Once the article is officially published online, it will be freely available to download as open access.

Terada, Makino, and Nishihara (2026). The effects of irradiance, temperature, desiccation, and salinity on the photosynthesis of the freshwater red alga Nemalionopsis shawii (Thoreales) from Japan. Algal Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2026.104584

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221192642600069X

 

 

Nemalionopsis shawii

New article: The phylogenetic identity and temperature effects on the photochemical efficiency of the edible green alga “Hitoegusa” (Gayralia spp., referred to as Monostroma nitidum in Japan) from Kagoshima and Okinawa, Japan

Another article was published in 2025! Please take a look at our new study revealing the phylogenetic identity and temperature effects on the photochemical efficiency of the edible green alga “Hitoegusa” (Gayralia spp., referred to as Monostroma nitidum in Japan) from Kagoshima and Okinawa, Japan. We represented that the well-known edible green alga “Hitoegusa” in Japan comprises at least two distinct taxonomic entities.

R. Terada, M. Suzuki, T. Kitayama, Y. Sato, G.N. Nishihara 2026. The phylogenetic identity and temperature effects on the photochemical efficiency of the edible green alga “Hitoegusa” (Gayralia spp., referred to as Monostroma nitidum in Japan) from Kagoshima and Okinawa, Japan. Journal of Applied Phycology 38 (Online: 22 December 2025)

DOI: 10.1007/s10811-025-03736-1 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-025-03736-1 

 

New article: Significant changes in seaweed community structure revealed by a nationwide long-term monitoring survey in Japan “Monitoring-Site 1000” over the past 15 years (2008–2022)

Please take a look at our new review article on the nationwide long-term monitoring program in Japan, “Monitoring-Site 1000,” which summarizes 15 years of surveys (2008–2022) and reveals significant changes in seaweed community structure, including the disappearance of kelp forests. Since the article is open access, anyone can download it from the website. The website also provides extensive supplementary materials, including many beautiful underwater photos taken during the surveys—please don’t miss them.

 

R. Terada, T. Abe, S. Akita, M. Kamiya, H. Kawai, A. Kurashima, C. Nagasato, Y. Sakanishi, H. Shimabukuro, H. Suzuki, J. Tanaka, S. Uwai, Y. Watanabe, R. Ueno, M. Aoki 2026. Significant changes in seaweed community structure revealed by a nationwide long-term monitoring survey in Japan “Monitoring-Site 1000” over the past 15 years (2008–2022).

Phycological Research 74 (1): 39–56 

 

https://doi.org/10.1111/pre.70019 (Online: 8 December 2025; Issue: January 2026)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pre.70019

https://doi.org/10.1111/pre.70019

 

Marine Botany Lab Achievements in 2025

These articles present the 2025 annual research achievements of the Marine Botany Laboratory at Kagoshima University, Japan. As we reflect on the past year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the students, colleagues, co-authors, and contributors who helped make this year a success.

 

Articles

1. Nozomi Shiiba, Momochika Kumagai, Hikaru Endo, Tomoki Tsuruta, Keisuke Nishikawa, Yoshiki Morimoto 2025. Anti-inflammatory diterpenoids from the brown alga Dictyota coriacea. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 89 (2): 224–231 https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbae163 (Online: 24 January 2025).

 

2. Kristina M. Hill-Spanik, Hannah Rothkopf, Allan Strand, Ryan B. Carnegie, James T. Carlton, Lucia Couceiro, Jeffrey A. Crooks, Hikaru Endo, Masakazu Hori, Mitsunobu Kamiya, Gen Kanaya, Judith Kochmann, Kun-Seop Lee, Lauren Lees, Massa Nakaoka, Eric Pante, Jennifer L. Ruesink, Evangelina Schwindt, Åsa Strand, Richard Taylor, Ryuta Terada, Martin Thiel, Takefumi Yorisue, Danielle Zacherl, Erik E. Sotka 2025. Exploring the impact of the widely introduced Pacific oyster Magallana gigas on the dispersal of Bonamia (Haplosporida): A global snapshot. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 161: 39–46 https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03834 (Online: 6 February 2025)

 

3. Ryuta Terada 2025. Significant decline in the seaweed and seagrass communities in Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan. Jeju Journal of Island Sciences 2 (1): 20–26 https://doi.org/10.23264/JJIS.2025.2.1.020 https://www.jjis.or.kr/articles/article/M4xR/ (Online: 28 February 2025)

 

4. Masahiro Suzuki, Ryuta Terada 2025. DNA-based floristic survey of red algae (Rhodophyta) growing in the mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) offshore of Tanegashima Island, northern Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. PLoS ONE 20 (3): e0316067 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316067 (Online: 10 March 2025)

 

5. Erik E. Sotka, Ryan B. Carnegie, James T. Carlton, Lucia Couceiro, Jeffrey A. Crooks, Hilary Heyford, Hikaru Endo, Masakazu Hori, Mitsunobu Kamiya, Gen Kanaya, Judith Kochmann, Kun-Seop Lee, Lauren Lees, Hannah Miller, Massa Nakaoka, Eric Pante, Jennifer L. Ruesink, Evangelina Schwindt, Åsa Strand, Richard Taylor, Ryuta Terada, Martin Thiel, Takefumi Yorisue, Danielle Zacherl, Allan E. Strand 2025. The genetic legacy of a global marine invader. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 122 (15) e2418730122 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2418730122 (Online: 7 April 2025) 

 

6. Masahiro Suzuki, Chiyuki Zemba, Ryuta Terada 2025. Solieria latifolia sp. nov. and S. yoshidae sp. nov. (Solieriaceae, Rhodophyta) from offshore Tanegashima Island, Japan. Phycologia 64 (2): 137–149 https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2494493 (Online: 12 May 2025; Issue: 1 July 2025)

 

7. Ryuta Terada, Kotaro Makino, Gregory N. Nishihara 2025. The photosynthetic response of the freshwater red alga Thorea okadae to environmental gradients of temperature, irradiance, desiccation, and salinity: Adaptations to its stream habitat. Journal of Applied Phycology 37 (4): 2753–2768 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03528-7 (Online: 16 May 2025; Issue: 1 August 2025)

 

8. Ryuta Terada, Aoi Shindo, Hikari Moriyama, Narumi Shimboku, Gregory N. Nishihara 2025. The effects of desiccation and salinity gradients in the photochemical efficiency of a mesophotic green alga, Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu (Ulvaceae) from Kagoshima, Japan. Phycological Research 73 (4): 294–300 https://doi.org/10.1111/pre.70010 (Online: 27 August 2025; Issue: 1 October 2025)

 

9. Ayaka Horikoshi, Hikaru Endo, Masakazu N. Aoki, Yukio Agatsuma (2025) High recruitment of the sea urchin Mesocentrotus nudus following the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami, Japan. Marine Ecology Progress Series 770: 99–112 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14944 (Online: 2 October 2025)

 

10. Christophe Vieira, Shingo Akita, Masahiro Suzuki, Ryuta Terada, Takeaki Hanyuda, Satoshi Shimada, Shinya Uwai. Hiroshi Kawai 2025. A taxonomic sudoku: Resolving the long-standing puzzle of Japanese Dictyoteae (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) with new records and biogeographic insights. Journal of Phycology 61 (5): 1457–1485 https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.70084 (Online: 10 October 2025: Issue: 23 October 2025)

 

11. Taiju Kitayama, Masahiro Suzuki, Ryuta Terada 2025. First record of Ulva kanagawae V.Carneiro, N.T.Martins & Cassano (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) from Japan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series B, Botany 51 (4): 1–9 https://doi.org/10.50826/bnmnsbot.51.4_127 (Issue: 25 November 2025)

12. Ryuta Terada, Takuzo Abe, Shingo Akita, Mitsunobu Kamiya, Hiroshi Kawai, Akira Kurashima, Chikako Nagasato, Yoshihiko Sakanishi, Hiromori Shimabukuro, Haruka Suzuki, Jiro Tanaka, Shinya Uwai, Yuki Watanabe, Ryoko Ueno, Misuzu Aoki 2026. Significant changes in seaweed community structure revealed by a nationwide long-term monitoring survey in Japan “Monitoring-Site 1000” over the past 15 years (2008–2022). Phycological Research 74 (1): 39–56 https://doi.org/10.1111/pre.70019 (Online: 8 December 2025; Issue: January 2026)

13. Ryuta Terada, Masahiro Suzuki, Taiju Kitayama, Yoichi Sato, Gregory N. Nishihara 2026. The phylogenetic identity and temperature effects on the photochemical efficiency of the edible green alga “Hitoegusa” (Gayralia spp., referred to as Monostroma nitidum in Japan) from Kagoshima and Okinawa, Japan. Journal of Applied Phycology 38: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03736-1 (Online: 22  December 2025)

 

In press

14.  Kosuke Uchimura, Yushin Fujimoto, Hikaru Endo, Momochika Kumagai 2026. Marine terpenoids with antimelanogenic activity from the brown alga Dictyopteris polypodioides in B16 melanoma cells. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 90 (2): 166–172 https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbaf167 (February 2026)

 

New article: First record of Ulva kanagawae from Ogasawara Islands, Japan

Please take a look at our new article reporting the first record of Ulva kanagawae V. Carneiro, N. T. Martins & Cassano from Chichi-jima in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, Japan. This alga was described as a new species in 2023, but the type locality was São Paulo, Brazil. Our finding represents the first record of this species from the Pacific Ocean. Because the biogeographic connection between Ogasawara and São Paulo remains unclear, we are very excited to see future records that may further clarify the distribution of this alga.

Kitayama, Suzuki, Terada 2025.
First record of Ulva kanagawae V.Carneiro, N.T.Martins & Cassano (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) from Japan.
Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series B, Botany 51 (4): 127–135
DOI: 10.50826/bnmnsbot.51.4_127

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bnmnsbot/51/4/51_127/_article/-char/ja

Congratulations to Dr. Taiju Kitayama, National Museum of Nature and Science, on his great work!  

New article: Japanese Dictyoteae (Dictyotales) with new records and biogeographic insights.

Please take a look at our new article on the reassessment of the taxonomic status of Dictyoteae algae from Japan. Congratulations to Dr. Christophe Vieira on this excellent work!

Christophe Vieira, Shingo Akita, Masahiro Suzuki, Ryuta Terada, Takeaki Hanyuda, Satoshi Shimada, Shinya Uwai. Hiroshi Kawai 2025.

A taxonomic sudoku: Resolving the long-standing puzzle of Japanese Dictyoteae (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) with new records and biogeographic insights. 

 

Journal of Phycology 61: 1457-1485

 

DOI: 10.1111/jpy.70084

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpy.70084

  

Dictyota haenyeosa

New article: Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu

Please take a look at our new article on the effects of desiccation and salinity gradients on the photochemical efficiency of a mesophotic green alga, Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu.

Terada, Shindo, Moriyama, Shimboku, Nishihara 2025

The effects of desiccation and salinity gradients in the photochemical efficiency of a mesophotic green alga, Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu (Ulvaceae) from Kagoshima, Japan. Phycological Research

https://doi.org/10.1111/pre.70010

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pre.70010

 

Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu

 

Second day of the Special Workshop on Making Seaweed Specimens for Elementary School Kids

On the second day of the seaweed specimen workshop for elementary school children, July 26, participants placed labels on the sheets and created their own herbarium specimens of 30 species, which were compiled into exsiccatae. The exsiccatae included field guide pages for each species, specially prepared by us for the workshop. 

This workshop was supported as part of the outreach programs under the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

 

Special Workshop on Making Seaweed Specimens for Elementary School Kids

We held a special workshop on making seaweed specimens for elementary school children as part of their summer holiday activities. On the first day, July 19, participants pressed samples of 30 species collected during our field surveys, including edible species such as Nori (Pyropia) and Wakame (Undaria). After pressing the samples for the specimens, they also made seaweed bookmarks.

Next weekend, after the samples have fully dried, we will hold the second day of the workshop, during which participants will make herbarium specimens to complete their own exsiccatae. This workshop was conducted with funding from KAKENHI, provided by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

 

 

 

New article: Sheathia yedoensis sp. nov.

Please take a look at our new article on a newly discovered species of the genus Sheathia from near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. It was a collaborative study with the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.

 

Kitayama and Suzuki 2024 

Sheathia yedoensis, a New Species of the Freshwater Red Alga (Batrachospermaceae, Rhodophyta) from Kitanomaru Park, Adjacent to the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan

Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series B, Botany 

https://doi.org/10.50826/bnmnsbot.50.4_131 

New article: Thorea okadae

Our new article, which elucidates the photosynthetic response of the freshwater red alga Thorea okadae to environmental gradients of temperature, irradiance, desiccation, and salinity, was recently published in the Journal of Applied Phycology. Thorea okadae is a freshwater red alga distributed in the southern and western parts of Japan and is listed as an endangered species by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. We believe that the insights presented in the article will contribute to a better understanding of the conservation of this species.

Terada, Makino, & Nishihara 2025. The photosynthetic response of the freshwater red alga Thorea okadae to environmental gradients of temperature, irradiance, desiccation, and salinity: Adaptations to its stream habitat. Journal of Applied Phycology, 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03528-7

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-025-03528-7 

Thorea okadae

New article: Solieria latifolia sp. nov. and S. yoshidae sp. nov. (Solieriaceae, Rhodophyta) from offshore Tanegashima Island

Please take a look at our new article on two newly discovered species of the genus Solieria from offshore Tanegashima Island. It was published on May 12, 2025, in Phycologia, the official journal of the International Phycological Society.

Suzuki, Zemba, & Terada. 2025. Solieria latifolia sp. nov. and S. yoshidae sp. nov. (Solieriaceae, Rhodophyta) from offshore Tanegashima Island, Japan. Phycologia, 64. DOI:10.1080/00318884.2025.2494493
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00318884.2025.2494493
 

In recent years, we have focused on species diversity and environmental adaptations in Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs—ecosystems found at depths greater than 30 m) around offshore Tanegashima Island, and have published a series of related articles. The species name Solieria yoshidae was dedicated to the late Dr. Tadao Yoshida (1933–2024), Professor Emeritus of Hokkaido University, who was a specialist in the taxonomy of Solieria.

https://www.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/topics/2025/05/post-2326.html

Research voyage of the T/S Nansei-Maru, Kagoshima University

The Marine Botany Lab and Kagoshima City Aquarium participated in a research voyage aboard the T/S Nansei-Maru of Kagoshima University, conducting a deep subtidal algal survey off the coast of Tanegashima Island in the northern Ryukyu Islands. The weather and sea conditions were calm, and we successfully returned to Kagoshima today. This survey was conducted as part of a training voyage for university students in the Faculty of Fisheries.

 

Nationwide long-term monitoring of algal communities

As part of a collaboration between our lab and the algal lab at Kobe University, Professor Terada and an MSc student participated in field surveys for the nationwide long-term monitoring of algal communities, which was conducted by Kobe University. During two surveys—at Awajishima Island and Takeno—dense communities of Ecklonia and Sargassum spp. were confirmed.

Kobe University Marine Site at Awajishima Island

Ecklonia cava

Takeno Site

Sargassum spp.

 

MB Laboratory Seminar

We had an MB Laboratory seminar at the beginning of the spring semester. As it was the first seminar of the term, Dr. Terada and Endo presented their recent research topics. The seminar will be held every two weeks until September, during which students will present their progress reports and introduce recently published articles.

 

 

Asian Pacific Phycological Association (APPA) Regional Forum in Shandong 2025

Professor Ryuta Terada of the Marine Botany Lab attended the Asian Pacific Phycological Association (APPA) Regional Meeting in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, China, from April 21 to 23, 2025. During the meeting, studies on kelps and other valuable species were presented, and constructive discussions took place. Rongcheng City is one of China’s most productive regions for Saccharina japonica cultivation. 

The next APPA regional meeting will be held in Thailand in 2026. 

New article: The genetic legacy of a global marine invader (PNAS)

Please take a look at a newly published article on the introduction of the Pacific oyster, as well as other species that were transported with it to various regions. The article is now available in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

This study was led by Professors Erik Sotka and Allan Strand of the Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, USA, and was conducted through international collaboration, including contributions from our laboratory.

Congratulations to Erik, Allan, and all the other outstanding coauthors involved!

Erik E. Sotka et al. 2025. The genetic legacy of a global marine invader. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 122 (15) e2418730122

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2418730122

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418730122