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Papers
19 resultsShowing papers from Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
ClearPotential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere
Researchers reviewed emerging evidence that airborne microplastics can carry and transport living microorganisms — including potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria — across long distances through the atmosphere, identifying this as an overlooked global health threat that bridges pollution and infectious disease.
An Integrated Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Coastal Surface Water and Sediment of Japan
Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment at 15 coastal locations across Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. They extracted over 53,000 suspected microplastic particles and identified the most common polymers using FTIR spectroscopy. The study provides an integrated baseline dataset for understanding the extent and distribution of microplastic contamination along Japanese coastlines.
Analysis of small microplastics in coastal surface water samples of the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan
Using optical Raman tweezers on marine aggregates from coastal Okinawa waters, researchers identified small microplastics (down to 1 µm) by chemical composition, finding that low-density polyethylene accounted for 75% of identified particles — the smallest microplastics detected in any marine surface water sample at the time.
Recent trends in marine microplastic modeling and machine learning tools: Potential for long-term microplastic monitoring
This review examines recent advances in numerical modeling and machine learning tools for tracking marine microplastic transport, highlighting their potential for improving long-term microplastic monitoring and understanding environmental fate.
From Antioxidant Defenses to Transcriptomic Signatures: Concentration-Dependent Responses to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Reef Fish
Researchers exposed clownfish to polystyrene nanoplastics at low and high concentrations for seven days and assessed toxic effects using biochemical and gene expression analyses. While standard antioxidant biomarkers showed limited changes, transcriptomic analysis revealed significant alterations in stress response and metabolic pathways at higher concentrations. The study suggests that conventional biomarkers may underestimate nanoplastic toxicity, and that molecular-level analysis is needed to capture the full scope of effects on reef fish.
Detection and analysis of microplastics in the subtropical ocean of Okinawa using micro-Raman Optical Tweezers
Micro-Raman optical tweezers were used to isolate and identify individual microplastic particles from seawater samples collected off Okinawa, demonstrating that this single-particle technique can characterize polymer composition of very small particles that are difficult to detect with conventional methods.
The flourishing and vulnerabilities of zoantharians on Southwestern Atlantic reefs
A survey of zoantharians in Southwestern Atlantic reefs found that nutrient excess and organic pollution are driving hard coral habitat degradation and enabling zoantharian dominance, with microplastic pollution identified as an additional stressor threatening reef health in the region.
The dynamics of fibres dispersed in viscoelastic turbulent flows
Researchers used direct numerical simulation to study how fibres dispersed in viscoelastic turbulent flows behave differently from fibres in Newtonian fluids, finding that viscoelasticity alters fibre orientation and clustering. The results have implications for understanding synthetic fibre transport in polymer-laden environmental flows and industrial processing.
Response of Coral Reef Dinoflagellates to Nanoplastics under Experimental Conditions Suggests Downregulation of Cellular Metabolism
Coral reef dinoflagellates were exposed to nanoplastics under controlled laboratory conditions to examine effects on cell growth, aggregation, and physiology. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered dinoflagellate behavior and cellular responses, with implications for reef symbiotic relationships that depend on algal health.
The role of temperature-induced effects generated by plasmonic nanostructures on particle delivery and manipulation: a review
This review examined how plasmonic nanostructures generate localized heat and hydrodynamic effects — including natural and Marangoni convection and thermophoresis — that can be exploited to trap, manipulate, and deliver nanoparticles and biological molecules with precise spatial control.
Quantifying connectivity between mesophotic and shallow coral larvae in Okinawa Island, Japan: a quadruple nested high-resolution modeling study
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it uses a high-resolution ocean circulation model to study larval connectivity between shallow and mesophotic coral reef ecosystems around Okinawa, Japan, focused on coral conservation.
On the fully coupled dynamics of flexible fibres dispersed in modulated turbulence
Researchers investigated the dynamics of flexible elastic fibers freely suspended in turbulent flow using direct numerical simulations, finding that fiber inertia, flexibility, and turbulence intensity interact to produce complex deformation and preferential concentration behaviors relevant to microplastic fiber transport.
An integrated assessment of microplastic pollution in coastal surface water and sediment of Japan
Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution across 14 coastal locations around Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa, measuring concentrations of 288.7 g/km2 in surface water and 1,185 kg/km2 in sediment and characterizing polymer types, shapes, and size distributions.
Sources of marine debris for Seychelles and other remote islands in the western Indian Ocean
Researchers used global Lagrangian particle tracking simulations incorporating ocean currents, waves, and variable windage to identify sources of marine debris accumulating at Seychelles and other remote western Indian Ocean islands, finding that high-buoyancy terrestrial debris originates primarily from Indonesia and South Asia, while fishing gear fragments and shipping waste also contribute significantly with seasonal accumulation peaking during February to April.
Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, <em>Oikopleura dioica</em>
This methods paper describes a low-maintenance lab culture system for the marine filter-feeder Oikopleura dioica, a zooplankton organism useful for studying microplastic ingestion. Reliable culturing of this species supports research into how filter-feeders interact with microplastics and other particles in the water column.
Anemonefish Husbandry
This book chapter describes the husbandry and breeding requirements for anemonefish in aquaculture settings, noting that unlike most reef fish, anemonefishes are benthic spawners that lay eggs on substrates near their sea anemone hosts. Successful captive breeding depends on replicating key environmental and behavioral conditions. Sustainable aquaculture of anemonefish reduces pressure on wild reef populations.
Response of coral reef dinoflagellates to nanoplastics under experimental conditions
Researchers exposed symbiotic dinoflagellates from coral reefs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that cell growth and aggregation were significantly reduced after 10 days. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could harm the tiny algae that are essential to coral reef health, with potential consequences for reef ecosystems.
Raman optical tweezers for microplastic pollution identification in the surface waters of Okinawa
Researchers used laser optical tweezers combined with Raman spectroscopy to trap and identify individual microplastic particles in marine surface water aggregates from coastal Okinawa, Japan. This single-particle chemical identification technique extends our understanding of small microplastic pollution in subtropical ocean waters.
From Far-Field to Near-Field Micro- and Nanoparticle Optical Trapping
This physics review covers optical trapping techniques, commonly known as optical tweezers, and their development from trapping micron-scale particles to near-field manipulation of nano-scale objects. Researchers discuss how advances in optics and plasmonics have extended trapping capabilities to objects as small as individual proteins and nanoparticles. The technique has potential applications in characterizing nanoplastic particles.