Healthy Environment advances the recognition that human health and environmental health are inseparable. The Stream develops molecular, digital, and field-based tools to monitor biodiversity, assess ecosystem resilience, and anticipate risks to both nature and society. Projects range from pioneering eDNA metabarcoding for coral reefs and eRNA-based biodiversity monitoring of fish, to new approaches for tracking ocean currents, terrestrial ecosystems, and soil microbiomes that link environmental processes to nutrition and human health. These world-first systems not only provide rapid, scalable, and cost-effective monitoring methods but also generate baselines critical for understanding climate impacts on ecosystems. By situating Okinawa as a living laboratory while designing globally transferable protocols, the Stream creates practical pathways for conservation, climate adaptation, and long-term resilience of both ecosystems and communities.
Stream 3. Healthy Environment
Partner (Academic)
- University of the Ryukyus (Japan),
- Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University (Japan)
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University (Japan)
- TropWATER, James Cook University (Australia)
Partner (Business)
- Zamami Village Tourism Association (Japan)
- Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa (Japan)
- Onna Village (Japan)
- Zamami Village (Japan)