OCEAN MONITORING INITIATIVE
Data Collection for Marine Conservation in Japan
WELCOME TO OMI
Purpose
OMI, Ocean Monitoring Initiative, is a program for marine conservation in Japan with primary aim to collect data on marine diversity to document the evolution of Japan archipelago's ecosystem.
By organizing conservation programs, OMI gathers marine enthusiasts & research divers, trains on data collection methods and underwater good practices to record ocean’s status through diving or snorkeling. The data collected are to be used in partnership with NPOs, universities and researchers for publication purposes.
With dive practices respectful of the environment and non-invasive data collection methods, we will explore the little known Japanese coasts and enjoy the local feel of what we like to call “the 3rd Japan”: Not the traditional nor the urban one, but the Japan of island’s nature and ocean.
2026
Schedule
From March to October, we are planning conservation programs and diving trips.
Some location are not yet suitable for data collection activities thus we are currently exploring them under diving excursions.
The below schedule is clickable, conservation programs are displayed in black, diving trip in grey.
Conservation Programs
Diving Trips
March
23rd-28th
April
20th-25th
May
25th-30th
June
6th-17th
July
13th-15th
August
20th-25th
September
8th-9th
October
5th-7th
Conservation Programs
Diving Trips
波の涙を控える
Marine Conservation in Japan
Japanese culture has a natural tendency to evolve in symbiosis with nature. Internationally, it is known for its whaling and dolphin hunting activities, but little is known about the hard work of numerous organisations. Actions of marine conservation are widely spread across the archipelago from localities, NPOs, Universities and Governemental actions.
Marine conservation in Japan is supported by government initiatives and academic research. The Japanese government promotes ocean sustainability through measures such as the Basic Act on Ocean Policy, the establishment of marine protected areas, and coral reef restoration projects in Okinawa and other islands. Universities across the country play a key role in advancing marine science and conservation: the University of the Ryukyus leads coral reef monitoring and restoration studies in Okinawa, the University of Tokyo and Hokkaido University conduct long-term research on marine biodiversity and fisheries management, while Kyoto University contributes to cetacean and ocean ecosystem studies. These collaborations between public policy and academic research provide essential data and strategies for protecting Japan’s marine environments and ensuring the resilience of coastal ecosystems.
In the coastal communities, citizens usually spontaneously gather for ocean conservation. Many NPOs with bilingual interface are active but most of the efforts are strictly locally based and conducted. We can see it with the many beach cleaning organized by prefectures (i.e. Sustainable island Ishigaki, Miyakojima Eco-island etc.) and local NPOs flourishing activities (ie. Amami Whales and Dolphins Association, Coral Churaumi etc.). Regarding corals, a Japan based citizen science platform has been in place to record corals health around the archipelago but the effort is sporadic (SangoMap).
OMI aims at contributing to the conservation effort by conducting recurrent check-ups in set-up locations in order to draft tendencies of the reef. We follow the GRCMN guidelines, details about data collection can be found below.