Activities

2025.12.23

Contributing to International Coordination for Kuroshio Research at the Sixth CSK-2 International Steering Group Meeting

WPI-AIMEC Administrative Director Kentaro Ando (KA) and WPI-AIMEC Researcher, Prof. Baolan Wu (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, BW) participated in the Sixth International Steering Group (ISG) Meeting of the CSK-2 program, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 27–28 November 2025, where KA and BW co-chaired the sessions to review and coordinate international research plans and the session to facilitate discussions for early-career professionals, respectively.

The 2nd Cooperative Study of the Kuroshio and Adjacent Regions (CSK-2 ) program is an international collaborative initiative that aims to advance scientific understanding of the Kuroshio and its adjacent regions through coordinated observations, data sharing, and interdisciplinary research under the frameworks of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) and UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The Sixth ISG Meeting brought together representatives from participating countries and institutions to review recent progress, exchange scientific updates, and discuss future directions of the program.

During the meeting, Dr. Ando served as a Co-Chair of the ISG, jointly moderating the sessions with Prof. Xiaopei Lin from Ocean University of China. In this role, Dr. Ando facilitated discussions on national activity reports, program coordination, and future planning, contributing to the effective operation of the meeting.

Prof. Wu participated as a representative of the program’s Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP). Together with Prof. Jae-Hyoung Park from Pukyong National University, Prof. Wu co-chaired the ECOP Session, which featured presentations and discussions led by early-career researchers on physical oceanographic, biogeochemical, and climate-related processes associated with the Kuroshio system.

The ISG meeting provided a constructive and collegial platform for exchanging scientific knowledge and strengthening coordination among participating countries and with other UN Decade Actions including “Collaborations for Northwest Pacific Marine Ecosystem Prediction (COSMEC)”, which was proposed by Prof. Suga in WPI-AIMEC. The ECOP session, in particular, highlighted the active engagement and growing contributions of early-career scientists, fostering open discussion and cross-regional interaction within the CSK-2 community.

Background of CSK-2

CSK-2 is the second phase of an international cooperative effort focusing on the Kuroshio and its adjacent regions, building on earlier collaborative studies. The program integrates physical oceanography, biogeochemistry, ecosystems, and climate variability, with an emphasis on long-term observations and multinational cooperation. By bringing together scientists from countries influenced by the Kuroshio, CSK-2 provides a shared framework for addressing scientific questions that cannot be resolved by single-nation efforts alone.

Significance

During the meeting, Prof. Baolan Wu expressed a strong interest in further expanding collaboration and scientific exchange with researchers from a broader range of countries that share scientific and societal interests related to the Kuroshio. Enhanced cooperation among Kuroshio-related stakeholder countries is essential for advancing integrated studies that link observations, theory, and modeling across regional boundaries.

The CSK-2 program plays a key role in improving understanding of how the Kuroshio influences regional climate variability, marine ecosystems, and human society. Participation in this ISG meeting aligns closely with WPI-AIMEC’s mission to promote international collaboration and to foster interdisciplinary and next-generation research on ocean–climate–ecosystem interactions.