S/ Sasaki Hiroki, NTV cameraman: 
CORALS are spreading out. 

Nippon TV’s Underwater Team dived in Tokyo Bay, to research the effects of rise of the sea surface temperature. There, various types of corals were seen.  Some were in branches and some were flat like tables. 

Also, a popular clownfish hiding among sea anemones were found.

All this looks like a tropical sea, but in fact this is…. off the coast of Chiba.

Yes, it’s Tokyo Bay.

S/ Uoji Shiro, Paro Paro Aquatic: The corals were found about 30 years ago, but the increase in number has been accelerating since 5 or 6 years ago.

It seems the corals are increasing in this area. Mr.Uoju from the diving shop in the area and the scholar say that the recent rise in seawater temperature is having an impact.

S/ Agostini Sylvain, Assistant Professor, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba: If the water temperature rises, the growth speed of the coral will increase. The corals in the warm sea are able to overwinter, grow large, and increase in number.

They said that before, most of the corals that prefer warm seas could not survive the cold winter in Tokyo Bay, but due to the rise in seawater temperature in recent years, they have been able to overwinter and increase their numbers.

However, this would be a troublesome effect for the fishing industry.

S/ Hirashima Koichiro, Head of Kyonanmachi Katsuyama Fishermen’s Cooperative: Tropical fish are increasing.

Katsuyama fishing port, which is in the area used to be a place bustling with the landing of high-class fish such as red sea bream and sardines for dried sardines.

But due to the rise in seawater temperature there was a change in the type of fish caught, the number of fishermen going out of business has increased, and the landing volume has almost halved in the past 10 years.

In the midst of all this, we heard that the offshore seawater temperature had dropped unusually last month, so we accompanied a fishing trip.

When we arrived at a fishing ground and pulled in the net….

S/ Kobayashi Daisuke, Nippon TV reporter: It’s a huge number of sardines.

It was sardines that were caught. The fishermen smile at the rare big catch.Tthe sardines caught on this day were about 30 tons. It is an amount that exceeds the catch of March last year in one day.

S/ Hirose Masayuki, Captain of the ship: It may be unusual considering the past few years. About a week ago, we started catching them. Until then, there was no catch at all.

However, there is also concern that the sardines will disappear again if the water temperature rises.

S/ Hirose Masayuki, Captain: If the water temperature goes up or down, fluctuates drastically, that’s not good. If nature is like that, fishermen have no alternative except for accepting it.

Tokyo Bay is changing due to the record rise in seawater temperature, which in turn is affecting people’s lives.

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