Senkaku Islands Scientific Survey Team returns (Okinawa Times)

Senkaku Islands Scientific Survey Team returns
New and rare species discovered
"Ideal as winter fishing grounds"

On March 29th, a survey team comprising Takara Tetsuo (Assistant Professor at the University of the Ryukyus) and 6 others set off aboard the Wakaba Maru for the Senkaku Islands, nine small islands surrounded by cliffs at the southernmost end of the Ryukyu chain. After an itinerary of about one month, they returned safely on board the Seiko Maru, faces heavily tanned and full of good cheer.

Although the trip was one week longer than originally planned, the team stayed for five days each on Minami Kojima Island and Uotsuri Island, which they surveyed in line with their respective assignments, with a view to assessing new biogeographical fields and their value from the perspective of resources. As a result, the team's unanimous conclusion was that "The islands possess important material in terms of biogeography. As for resources, however, no particularly large value can be recognized, with the exception of fisheries."
(part omitted)