Impact of Oceanographic Environmental Shifts and Atmospheric Events on the Sustainable Development of Coastal Aquaculture: A Case Study of Kelp and Scallops in Southern Hokkaido, Japan

We provide an overview of selected recent operational applications of satellite remote sensing and marine Geographic Information Systems (GIS) procedures to the practice of sustainable aquaculture in southern Hokkaido, Japan, focusing mainly on kelp and scallop aquaculture. We also developed a suitable aquaculture site-selection model (SASSM) for suspension culture of Gagome (a kelp species) in the same region. Models for Japanese kelp and Gagome showed that the distributions of the most suitable areas for both species overlapped. Competition between kelps was especially marked along the coastline between Hakodate and Esan. In addition, we examined the impact of oceanographic environmental changes and atmospheric events on scallop and kelp aquaculture sites, demonstrating that variations in the coastal Oyashio Current and the Tsugaru Warm Current significantly influenced the growth and harvesting seasons of scallops and kelps in Funka Bay and other sections of southern Hokkaido. Because a strong El Niño event occurred in 2010, January of that year was extremely cold. The proportion of suitable areas for both scallops and kelps during their respective growing seasons contracted in 2010. Thus, shifts in oceanographic OPEN ACCESS Sustainability 2015, 7 1264 and atmospheric conditions should be incorporated into sustainability management planning for coastal scallop and kelp aquaculture in southern Hokkaido.