The Aitsu Marine Station faces the sea just at the border of the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, an area where the difference between the ebb and flow extremes is over 5 meters. No other marine station in Japan is situated near such a great ebb and flow difference.The Aitsu Marine Station always employs three staff members who specialize in the analysis of Bioresources and Biodiversity and who conduct education and research.

The station has 3 buildings: the 3-story dormitory for researchers (589 m2), the 2-story building for practical study (785 m2) and the 1-story building for culture. The station takes pride in that it has two practical study rooms. One has aquariums for collected animals and sea plants to be observed. The other, which is air conditioned, is used for lectures as well as for observing objects with microscopes. They can be used for two different universities’ projects simultaneously.　The dormitory has 2 instructor rooms, 5 student rooms with bunk beds and 1 Japanese style room with 10 tatami mats. It can accommodate up to 36 guests. The building has also a kitchen where guests can cook their own meals.

There are 2 boats: the Dolphin II (9.7tons, cruising speed-18 knots/h, launched in 1989) is 2 storied and can be steered from either story. A GPS plotter is installed in the cockpit on the second story.The wide rear deck is useful for collecting and observing. The boat’s capacity is 30 people but this includes the crew; therefore, the maximum capacity for students is limited to 28.The number of students permitted is usually limited to 25. The other, smaller boat is called Shiranuhi(1.5 tons). It was launched in 2004. Its capacity is 5 people, and it has 50-horsepower engine.

The Aitsu Marine Station is located near the Matsushima Bridge or the 5th bridge of the so-called Amakusa Five Bridges and is about 65km away from Kumamoto City. It takes about 90 minutes from Kumamoto University campus by car. Every hour or half hour a rapid bus bound for Hondo runs by way of Kumamoto Station from the Kumamoto Traffic Center in the downtown of Kumamoto City. The Maeshima bus stop is nearest to the facility and convenient. It takes only 5 minutes on foot.

Those wishing to make use of the Aitsu Marine Station, please inform us of your schedule before submitting the application form to the Research Collaboration Division of Center for Marine Environment Studies. This is because the 3 staff members are at times absent, or the station might be engaged for other programs.

Contact Imformation：Tel: 0969-56-0277, Fax: 0969-56-3740.
E-mail: henmi@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp