Oshoro Marine Station, Hokkaido University

The Oshoro Marine Biological Station belonging to Hokkaido University was founded in 1908. The station is located in a small bay named Oshoro Bay on the west coast of Hokkaido.  The bay is protected from wind and waves by steep rocky cliffs on both sides, providing a profitable collection place of shore animals and algae, as well as an area for various kinds of experimental work under natural conditions.

  Yearly variations of air temperature of this area are -4.1~20.9℃, the sea surface temperature and specific gravity are 5.1~21.9℃ and 20.39~25.60δ₁₅respectively.

 The bay is an inlet on the coast of a large bay, Ishikari Bay where the warm Tsushima Current prevails during summer to autumn, while in the other seasons the cold water of the Liman Current is mixed with coastal water. This results give characteristic features to the shore fauna, the flora and also those of plankton on the northern coast of Japan Islands facing the Sea of Japan.

  There have never been resident biologists at this station. Various kinds of collections and experiments have been made by visiting scientists. Students’ courses have been held frequently at this station.

  So far as reported, 208 species of marine algae have been collected on the shore. 389 species of invertebrates collected on the shore, by dredging and by commercial gill net fishing and 85 species of fishes collected on the shore and by commercial gill net fishing in the bay and neighbouring areas are listed. Plankton calendar dealing with 291 species is compiled.  Seasonal changes in plankton abundance in each year from 1949 to 1969 are illustrated, indicating that there have been remarkable spring bloomings but not always. In some years autumn bloomings are more pronounced than spring bloomings. 

                                                   (Motoda S. 1971)