A group 27 second-year students and 2 teachers from Niigata Prefecture Kashiwazaki Senior High School visited JIRCAS on August 22, 2022 through the Tsukuba Science Tour. Under the Super Science High School (SSH) program, the school is working to develop scientific thinking, judgment, and expression skills among the students through the discovery, exploration, and solution of problems.

After an introduction of JIRCAS research activities, Senior Researcher NAMBU Ryogen (Fisheries Division) gave a presentation on management and propagation of fisheries resources and its impact on the environment. In the lecture, Dr, Nambu introduced the possibility of sustainable use of marine resources through the efforts to increase clams and sea cucumbers, which are the subjects of his research, and showed videos of his on-site activities. After the lecture, the students asked a wide range of questions, and exchanged opinions on the future of fisheries and the impact of ocean acidification on the fishing industry. 

The short visit at JIRCAS provided an opportunity for the students to become familiar with environmental and food issues and to think for themselves about how to solve these problems.