JAPAN
JP/MERI
The Marine Ecology Research Institute (MERI) was founded in 1975 under the co-supervision of the then Environment Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and Ministry of Trade and Industry, with the object of scientifically investigating effects of intake and discharge of power plant cooling water upon marine environment and organisms. Since then MERI has been conducting researches, in a practical and demon-strating way, on problems that the public is concerned about. We have traced the movement of salmon swim-ming in and around the warmed effluent area of a nuclear power plant, by following fish tagged with an echo transmitter. We also have been observing growth and behavior of fishes, shellfishes and algae under controlled temperature conditions. MERI has contributed to clarifying ecological effects of warmed effluent of power plant cooling water and has been responding to the public expectations, as a unique research institution specializing in this field. In recent years, MERI's research activities have expanded to a broader area, including marine environmental amelioration measures relating to power plant facilities, marine radioactivity, eutrophication, enhanced ultraviolet radiation and denuded algal beds. Development of environmental impact estimation methods, and effects of hazardous chemical substances on the marine environment are also among our latest study themes. Website: "http://www.kaiseiken.or.jp/" [Summary provided by MERI]