[Topics] Assistant Professor Akihiko Koyama Receives the Japanese Association of Benthology Young Scientist Award!

Assistant Professor Akihiko Koyama has received the 2025 Young Scientist Award from the Japanese Association of Benthology.
The Young Scientist Award of the Japanese Association of Benthology is presented to early-career researchers who have made outstanding achievements in benthic studies and contributed to the activities of the association.

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Research Overview

Benthos refers to organisms inhabiting the bottom of water bodies. Estuarine and coastal areas are habitats for a wide variety of benthos, and it is no exaggeration to say that our rich and sustainable life depends on them. However, many benthos are threatened due to human activities. The conservation of these benthos is one of my research themes and I have focused on various taxonomic groups, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and polychaetes, studying their distribution, habitat conditions, and suitable habitat areas. My research achievements have been recognized as significant contributions to the advancement of benthic studies and have been highly evaluated by the Japanese Association of Benthology.

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Expected Outcomes

I hope that my findings will be reflected in real-world applications, specifically contributing to the conservation of threatened benthos and the estuarine and coastal habitats that they inhabit. Furthermore, I anticipate that initiatives aimed at restoring these benthic populations and estuarine and coastal areas will become increasingly active in pursuit of the global societal goal of achieving Nature Positive. Also, through these achievements, I would like more people to appreciate the ecological appeal of benthos and the need for environmental conservation and restoration.

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Message from the Award Recipient

Building a society that can sustainably benefit from the ecological services of aquatic environments is one of the key goals in the field of fisheries and agricultural science. Benthos inhabiting estuarine and coastal areas provide us with various ecological services including a food source, but studies on their conservation are insufficient. While the term "benthos" may be unfamiliar to many, I hope that this opportunity will spark interest in their unique ecological appeal and, ultimately, in the conservation and restoration of threatened benthos and their habitats.

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For Research-related inquiries

Japanese Association of Benthology Website
Akihiko Koyama, Assistant Professor