The Strategic Innovation Promotion Program（SIP) for Ocean issue, led by the Cabinet Office of Japan, began in 2014 and has promoted research and development related to seafloor mineral resources including technical study for environmental issues. In this program, we focus on three monitoring objectives, Biodiversity is an indicator of environmental changes, Ecotoxic risk is a direct effect from mining activity, Submersible probes are necessary tools to support the monitoring works, and AI, machine learning, digital model are essential part of data analysis.

The development of environmental monitoring methods for the seabed mining has aimed to standardize for use in the private sector, speed up the monitoring process, and labor-saving. For standardization of monitoring methods, we successfully establish four technical ISO standard, which three are to do for biodiversity monitoring (ISO 23730, 23731, 23732), another is onboard bioassay for ecotoxicity risk assessment (ISO23734).

The Edokko Mark-1, developed in the SIP project, is a stand-alone seafloor observation platform. Basic concept of Edokko Mark 1 is easy deployment and recovery. Using glass sphere units achieved the low-cost and high-performance observation method. The glass sphere, made by Okamoto Glass Co.Ltd., is a key technology of Edokko Mark-I.

In 3rd phase of the SIP Ocean program, system development for environmental monitoring and assessment consisting of ISO standards, seafloor observation platform Edokko Mark-I and AUV, has started collaborating with several institutes and companies. To confirm the practical usage of onboard system for biodiversity monitoring, onboard ecotoxic risk assessment, and seafloor observation for mining machine activity, sea trial has been scheduled.

• Japan
• Southeast Asia
• Central/South Asia
• China/ East Asia
• Middle East
• Africa
• Oceania
• North America
• Europe
• Central/South America
• ASEAN countries
  

  Indonesia,Cambodia,Singapore,Thailand,Philippines,Brunei Darussalam,Viet Nam,Malaysia,Myanmar,Lao PDR

• The Ocean Best Practices System Repository (OBPS-R)
• Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL)

• 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
• 13. Climate Action
• 14. Life Below Water