Author(s)

Hiroshi Kuroda^1,2, Takashi Setou², Shigeho Kakehi³, Shin-ichi Ito^3,4, Takeshi Taneda⁵, Tomonori Azumaya¹, Denzo Inagake², Yutaka Hiroe², Kenji Morinaga^2,6, Makoto Okazaki^2,6, Takashi Yokota⁷, Takeshi Okunishi³, Kazuhiro Aoki², Yugo Shimizu², Daisuke Hasegawa³, Tomowo Watanabe⁸

¹Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Kushiro, Japan.
²National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama, Japan.
³Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Shiogama, Japan.
⁴Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan.
⁵Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki, Japan.
⁶National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama, Japan.
⁷Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Akkeshi, Japan.
⁸Headquaters, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama, Japan.

To address various fisheries science problems around Japan, the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA) has developed an ocean forecast system by combining an ocean circulation model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with three-dimensional variational analysis schemes. This system, which is called FRA-ROMS, is a basic and essential tool for the systematic conduct of fisheries science. The main aim of FRA-ROMS is to realistically simulate mesoscale variations over the Kuroshio-Oyashio region. Here, in situ oceanographic and satellite data were assimilated into FRA-ROMS using a weekly time window. We first examined the reproducibility through comparison with several oceanographic datasets with an Eulerian reference frame. FRA-ROMS was able to reproduce representative features of mesoscale variations such as the position of the Kuroshio path, variability of the Kuroshio Extension, and southward intrusions of the Oyashio. Second, using a Lagrangian reference frame, we estimated position errors between ocean drifters and particles passively transported by simulated currents, because particle tracking is an essential technique used in applications of reanalysis products to fisheries science. Finally, we summarize recent and ongoing fisheries studies that use FRA-ROMS and mention several new developments and enhancements that will be implemented in the near future.

ROMS, 3D-Var Objective Analysis, Reanalysis Data, Fisheries Science, Particle-Tracking Experiment

Kuroda, H. , Setou, T. , Kakehi, S. , Ito, S. , Taneda, T. , Azumaya, T. , Inagake, D. , Hiroe, Y. , Morinaga, K. , Okazaki, M. , Yokota, T. , Okunishi, T. , Aoki, K. , Shimizu, Y. , Hasegawa, D. and Watanabe, T. (2017) Recent Advances in Japanese Fisheries Science in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Region through Development of the FRA-ROMS Ocean Forecast System: Overview of the Reproducibility of Reanalysis Products. Open Journal of Marine Science, 7, 62-90. doi: 10.4236/ojms.2017.71006.