Green Census Survey on seaweed and seagrass beds
Background and Objectives
From land to sea, wetlands support a wealth of biodiversity and are thus
crucial areas for the protection of species. In response to calls at COP7
of the Ramsar Convention to double the number of Ramsar sites (Resolution
VII.11), WIJ was commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment from 1999-2001
to compile a list of 500 Important Wetlands of Japan.
Despite these efforts, information on biota in shallow coastal wetlands
such as tidal flats and seaweed beds remained scarce. Furthermore, large
discrepancies in research and survey methodologies and thus results made
comparative and comprehensive analyses nearly impossible.
t was against this backdrop that WIJ was commissioned by the Ministry of
the Environment to develop a standardized methodology for the survey of
tidal flat and seaweed beds as part of Japan’s Green Census Survey initiative.
The objective of this project was to gather accurate information using
this methodology to better understand the current state of biodiversity
in these ecosystems. 145 tidal flats and 129 seaweed beds were surveyed
between the periods of 2002-2004 and 2002-2006, respectively. The uniqueness
of this project lies in its broad scope covering wide territory across
Japan; unified methodology allowing for accurate comparisons; and identification
of species based on expert judgment. Gaining a better understanding of
the current state of tidal flats and seaweed beds in Japan will allow researchers
to monitor changes in the future and thus contribute to an already important
collection of data. This will in turn be used in developing policies for
the conservation of tidal flats and seaweed beds in Japan.