¹Department of Ocean Mechanical Engineering Kobe University of Mercantile Marine, Kobe, Hyogo, JAPAN

kouzai@cc.kshosen.ac.jp

　

²Toba National College of Maritime Technology, Toba, Mie, JAPAN

³Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai. Osaka, JAPAN

⁴Kinki University, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JAPAN

　

During the research cruise of R/V MIRAI (MR-01-K05 Leg3) from Nov. 7 to Dec. 11, 2001 at the point of 2 degrees north and 138 degrees east in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean SeaWiFS local area coverage (LAC) scenes are received by the station onboard R/V MIRAI while in situ atmospheric and oceanographic observations including the parameter of sea surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and current velocity profile to the depth of 300 meters are carried out.

　

The observed surface salinity and chlorophyll concentration increase from 34.1 to 34.3 and from 0.05 to 0.1 mg/m³ respectively while sea surface temperature decreases from 30 to 29.3 degrees after the weeklong prevailing northwest monsoon wind with the maximum gust of more than 20 m/s. The increase of chlorophyll in this region is also shown in the multi-date SeaWiFS chlorophyll concentration products. During the period of the weeklong northwest monsoon wind the current velocity of upper 30 meters reaches 2 knots in the southeastward direction while the current velocity at the depth of 95 meters indicates 1 knot in the north-westward direction. The current of upper 30 meters corresponds to the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) and the intrusion of NECC enhanced by the northwest monsoon wind causes a reversal in the sub-surface current (New Guinea Coastal Undercurrent (NGCU)) which creates temporal upwelling in this region.

　

　

Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC) Minato-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN

tsutomuy@restec.or.jp

　

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an active microwave sensor. SAR transmits electromagnetic signals of microwave band to the Earth's surface and receives the backscattering intensity from Earth's surface.

　

SAR images of sea surface show the complex patterns composed from various backscattering-intensity patterns. The authors analyze these patterns by spectral analysis method and reveal some applicability of SAR data to understand the sea surface and internal phenomena. Factor to make the backscattering-intensity patterns are the sea surface geometrical shape on the facet due to the current and wind. Interference and composition of various ocean waves that have different origins create the shape of sea surface. Origins of waves are local wind, difference of sea surface temperature (SST) between ocean currents, difference between air temperature and SST, swells driven by tropical storms, etc. Among these the authors analyze the swells first. Swells can distinguish from the other waves that have different origins in SAR image, because their shape is periodic and shows apparent patterns in SAR image. The wavelength of swells is obtained by FFT spectral analysis.

　

Subtracting the swell component from original image, the authors extract the structure of backscattering patterns except for swell next. These patterns are compared with results from another ways using another types of satellite data and in-situ observation data.

　

　

Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Kinki University Nara, JAPAN

itakura@nara.kindai.ac.jp

　

Cellulose is the major source of energy in the xylophagous termites. Termites produce cellulases by themselves. The site of secretion of cellulases in lower termites is the salivary glands, and that in higher termites is the midgut epithelium. Lower termites harbor cellulolyic protists in their hindgut. cellulolyic bacteria are not important in digestion of cellulose in intestine of both lower and higher termites.

　

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, by which pyruvate derived from glucose via the glycolytic pathway is oxidatively decarboxylated to acetyl-CoA, in termite tissue mitochondria had been reported to be maintained in the inactive form until we found significant activity of the complex in the lower termite Coptotermes formosanus. We also found considerable activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in termite tissue mitochondria of the higher termite Nasutitermes walkeri and about 60% of the complex was maintained in the active form. The utilization of acetate requires activity of acetyl-CoA synthetase and the activity was mostly detected in cytosol of termite tissue but not inside mitochondria. The major substrates used by the termites are glucose derived from cellulose and acetate produced in the hindgut by symbionts. Protists provide acetate for termite and bacterial metabolism as well as H₂ and CO₂ for acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria. The end products of bacterial fermentation are mainly acetate and CO₂ with the minor end products such as CH₄ and H₂. Symbionts use cellulose provided by the termite and in return provide acetate for the termite.

　

　

Laboratory of Aquatic Natural Products Chemistry The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN

assmats@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

　

Calyculins are unique polyfunctional metabolites of the marine sponge Discodermia calyx. They exhibit cytotoxic and tumor-promoting activities through inhibition of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A.

　

We have recently isolated novel congeners from the sponge and prepared variety of derivatives by chemical transformations. By using the resulting library of compounds we predicted the structural units associated with binding to the enzymes.