Okinawa's fragile coral threatened by 'Black Devil' killer sponge

Aug 08, 2020 | News On Japan

Aug 08, 2020 (Japan Times) - In recent years, coral in the seas around Okinawa Prefecture has been turning black and dying off due to a particular variety of coral-killing sponge called Terpios hoshinota.

The sponge is like a sheet of paper of about 1 millimeter thick and attaches itself to coralâ€™s calcareous skeleton. It expands by 1 to 2 millimeters every day, covering the coral in black material.

Blackened coral in Okinawa was first confirmed in the 1980s, but the ecology behind the phenomenon was unclear.

Yamashiroâ€™s team began its research in full scale two years ago. It has confirmed blackened coral damage due to Terpios hoshinota on seven islands â€” Kouri, Minna, Aguni, Shimoji, Kurima and Yonaguni in Okinawa Prefecture, and Kikaijima in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Much of the blackened coral lies in shallow shoals only a few meters deep, but the damage has also spread to a reef spanning a kilometer off the west coast of Okinawaâ€™s main island from the villages of Nakajin and Ogimi.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.