Tue. May 26, 2026 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
201A (International Conference Hall, Makuhari Messe)
Chairperson:Wakamatsu Lael(Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change - Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology), Ito Daiki(Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency)
Midlatitude oceans are experiencing rapid and complex transformations, including a rise in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves. Around Japan in particular, ocean warming has been accelerating, with unprecedented changes in major currents such as the longest Kuroshio large meander on record, the northward retreat of the Oyashio, and the extreme northward meandering of the Kuroshio Extension. These changes have contributed to record-breaking hot summers, heavy rainfall events, and major shifts in fisheries and marine ecosystems. This session invites studies employing observational, modeling, and theoretical approaches to explore how large-scale atmospheric processes drive midlatitude ocean variability and how changes in ocean currents, temperature, and stratification feed back to influence weather, climate, and marine ecosystems. Covering a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, from synoptic variability to long-term climate change, the session aims to deepen discussions toward building a new integrated midlatitude science that connects atmospheric physics, physical oceanography, biogeochemistry, and fisheries science, taking Japan as a key perspective. With various datasets and methodologies now available, this session welcomes contributions that advance process understanding and future perspectives. Taking Japan and the western North Pacific as a focal region, we also encourage contributions addressing connections with tropical or polar regions to better understand their roles in the global climate system.
