Research Activities 

1. Fujitani T, Ena S, Hosoya T, Lee S, Nishijima M, Iguchi A, Nakano H, Iwasaki N. 2026. Multiple approaches to meso- and macroplastics and the food habitat of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. PeerJ 14:e20425 [Link]  

2. Luadnakrob, P., Alfonso, M. B., Isobe, A., Irfan, T., Uchida, K., Arakawa, H., ... & Viyakarn, V. (2025). A numerical model approach on floating riverine plastic debris with wind-induced re-drifting process from beaches along the Gulf of Thailand. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 104718. [Link] 

3. Andoy, C. J. M., Ochigue, P. C. D., Romarate, R. A., Rodil, M. S. P., Nakano, H., & Bacosa, H. P. (2025). Spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediment in the southern Philippines. Marine Environmental Research, 209, 107223. [Link] 

4. Ellos, D.M.C.; Chien, M.-F.; Inoue, C.; Nakano, H.; Isobe, A.; Onda, D.F.L.; Watanabe, K.; Bacosa, H.P. Mesoplastics: A Review of Contamination Status, Analytical Methods, Pollution Sources, Potential Risks, and Future Perspectives of an Emerging Global Environmental Pollutant. Toxics 2025, 13, 227.[Link]

5. Klangnurak, W., Prachumwong, S., Alfonso, M.B. et al. (2025) Occurrence of microplastics in Russell’s snapper (Lutjanus russellii) and associated prey species in the Central Gulf of Thailand. Environ Sci Pollut Res https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36068-1 

6. Celik, M., Zijiang, Y., Xu, H., Nakano, H., Isobe, A., & Arakawa, H. (2025). Carbonyl index of miniaturized microplastics at the sea surface. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 211, 117376.[Link]

7. Nakano H., Alfonso M. B., Phinchan N., Jandang S., Manap M. A., Chavanich S., Viyakarn V., Müller M., Wong C., Bacosa H. P., Celik M., Cordova M. R., & Isobe A. (2025). Aquatic microplastics research in the ASEAN region: Analysis of challenges and priorities. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 210, 117342. [Link]

8. Takeda, H., & Isobe, A. (2024). Quantification of ocean microplastic fragmentation processes in the Sea of Japan using a combination of field observations and numerical particle tracking model experiments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 208, 117032. [Link]

9. Jandang, S., Alfonso, M. B., Nakano, H., Phinchan, N., Darumas, U., Viyakarn, V., Chavanich, S., & Isobe, A. (2024). Possible sink of missing ocean plastic: Accumulation patterns in reef-building corals in the Gulf of Thailand. Science of The Total Environment, 954, 176210.[Link]

10. Higuchi, C., & Isobe, A. (2024). Reduction scenarios of plastic waste emission guided by the probability distribution model to avoid additional ocean plastic pollution by 2050s. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 207, 116791. [Link] 

11. Tanoiri, H., Nakano, H., Arakawa, H., & Yokota, M. (2024). Assessment of microplastic occurrence in tidal flat biota of the Tsurumi River estuary (Tokyo Bay, Japan): Preliminary study and first evidence. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 103661. [Link]

12. Kako, S., Muroya, R., Matsuoka, D., & Isobe, A. (2024). Quantification of litter in cities using a smartphone application and citizen science in conjunction with deep learning-based image processing. Waste Management, 186, 271-279. [Link] 

13. Alfonso, M. B., Nakano, H., Jandang, S., Tanaka, M., Viyakarn, V., Chavanich, S., & Isobe, A. (2024). Small microplastic ingestion by the calanoid Centropages furcatus in the Gulf of Thailand. Science of The Total Environment, 930, 172837. [Link]

14. Yang, Z., Zhang, J., NAKANO H., Murat, C., & Arakawa, H. (2024). Spectral analysis of environmental microplastic polyethylene (PE) using average spectra. Science of The Total Environment, 927, 171871. [Link]

15. Kuroda, M., Isobe, A., Uchida, K., Tokai, T., Kitakado, T., Yoshitake, M., Miyamoto, Y., Mukai, T., Imai, K., Shimizu, K., Yagi, M., Mituhasi, T., & Habano, A. (2024). Abundance and potential sources of floating polystyrene foam macro- and microplastics around Japan. Science of The Total Environment, 925, 171421. [Link] 

16. Nakano H., Alfonso M.B, Jandang S., Phinchan N., Chavanich S., Viyakarn V., and Isobe A. (2024)  Influence of Monsoon Seasonality and Tidal Cycle on Microplastics Presence and Distribution in the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Sci. Total Environ., 170787. [Link]  

17. Jandang, S., Viyakarn, V., Yoshioka, Y., Shinzato, C., & Chavanich, S. (2024). Ontogenetic shifts in Symbiodiniaceae assemblages within cultured Acropora humilis across hatchery rearing and post-transplantation phases. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1138021.[Link] 

18. Irfan, T.**, A. Isobe, and H. Matsuura “A particle tracking model approach to determine the dispersal of riverine plastic debris released into the Indian Ocean”, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 199, 115985, 2024.

19. An, Y., T. Kajiwara, A. Padermshoke, T. V. Nguyen, S. Feng, H. Masunaga, Y. Kobayashi, H. Ito, S. Sasaki, A. Isobe, A. Takahara “Photooxidative degradation and fragmentation behavior of oriented  isotactic polypropylene”, Polymer Journal,[Link] , 2024

20. Umberto, A, T. Konstantinos, van Emmerik. T. H. M., Papakonstantinou, A., Monteiro, J. G., A. Isobe, Hidaka, M., Kako, S., Kataoka, T., Gonçalves, G. “Drones for litter monitoring on coasts and rivers: suitable flight altitude and image resolution”,  Marine Pollution Bulletin, 195, 115521, 2023.

21. Yona, D., F. O. Setyawan, S. E. N. Putri, F. Iranawati, M. A. Kautsar, and  A. Isobe “Microplastic Distribution in Beach Sediments: Comparison Between the North and South Waters of East Java Island, Indonesia” Jurnal Ilmiah Perikanan dan Kelautan, 15, 303–315, 2023.

22. Yuan, D., C. Corvianawatie, M. R. Cordva, D. Surinati,  Y. Li, Z. Wang, X. Li, R. Li, J. Wang, L. Lei, A. N. Yuan, D. Dirhamsyah, Z. Arfin, X. Sun,  A. Isobe  “Microplastics in the tropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean and the Indonesian seas” Journal of Sea Research, 194, 102406, 2023. 

23. Yohitake, M.**, A. Isobe, Y. K. Song, W. J. Shim “A numerical model approach toward a settling process and feedback loop of ocean microplastics absorbed into phytoplankton aggregates” Journal of Geophysical Research -Oceans, 128, e2022JC018961, 2023.

24. Nakano, H., Alfonso, M. B., Jandang, S., Imai, K., & Arakawa, H. (2023). Microplastic pollution indexes in the coastal and open ocean areas around Japan. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 103287.[Link] 

25. Yang, Z., Murat, Ç., Nakano, H., & Arakawa, H. (2023). Accessing the intrinsic factors of carbonyl index of microplastics: Physical and spectral properties, baseline correction, calculation methods, and their interdependence. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 197, 115700. [Link]

26. Alfonso, M. B., Lindsay, D. J., Arias, A. H., Nakano, H., Jandang, S., & Isobe, A. (2023). Zooplankton as a suitable tool for microplastic research. Science of The Total Environment, 167329. [Link]

27. Tanoiri, H., Barrientos, E. E., Nakano, H., Arakawa, H., & Yokota, M. (2023). The pretreatment method in marine organisms and sediment for microplastics analysis by FTIR using “Cylindrical microplastics fractionator”. MethodsX, 11, 102396. [Link] 

28. Arafat, Tanoiri, Yokota, Nakano, Arakawa, Terahara, and Kobayashi (2023) Microplastics pollution in the gastrointestinal tract of giant river-catfish Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839) from the Meghna River, Bangladesh.　Environ Sci Pollut Res. [Link]　

29. Nava, Chandra,  Aherne,  Alfonso et al. (2023). Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs. Nature, 619(7969), 317-322. [Link]

30. Tun, Htwe, Than, Khine, Chavanich, Viyakarn, Isobe., & Nakata (2023). Polymer types and additive concentrations in single-use plastic products collected from Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, and Thailand. Science of The Total Environment, 889, 163983.[Link] 

31. Cheng, Zhang, Nakano, Ueyama and Arakawa (2023). Coumarin 6 staining method to detect microplastics. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 193, 115167. [Link]

32. Okubo, Yamamoto, Kurima, Sakabe, Ide, & Isobe. (2023). Estimation of the age of polyethylene microplastics collected from oceans: Application to the western North Pacific Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 192, 114951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114951

33. Arakawa, Nakano, and Uchida (2023) Plastics contamination in the coastal areas around Japan: A review. La mer, No. 1-2, Vol. 61. (in press)

34. Mofokeng, Faltynkova, Alfonso et al. (2023)  The future of ocean plastics: designing diverse collaboration frameworks, ICES Journal of Marine Science, fsad055, [Link]

35. Celik, Nakano, Uchida, Isobe, & Arakawa (2023). Comparative evaluation of the carbonyl index of microplastics around the Japan coast. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 190, 114818. [Link]

36. Yona, D., M. R. Evitantri, D. S. Wardana, D. A. Pitaloka, D. Ningrum, M. A. Z. Fuad, Y. P. Prananto, L. I. Harlyan, A. Isobe  "Microplastics in Organs of Commercial Marine Fishes from Five Fishing Ports in Java Island, Indonesia"  Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences , 27, 199-214, 2022. 

37. Nakano, Aikawa, Hagita et al. (2023) Hydrographic structures of Tokyo Bay between 1992 and 2019 and evidence of temperature increase; observational results by the training vessel Seiyo-Maru. J Oceanogr.[Link] 

38. Richardson, Holgerson, Farragher, Hoffman, King, Alfonso et al. (2022) A functional definition to distinguish ponds from lakes and wetlands. Sci Rep 12, 10472. [Link]

39. Xu, Nakano, Tokai, Miyazaki, Hamada and Arakawa (2022). Contamination of sea surface water offshore the Tokai region and Tokyo Bay in Japan by small microplastics. [Link] 

40. Isobe and Iwasaki (2022). The fate of missing ocean plastics: Are they just a marine environmental problem? Science of the Total Environment [Link]

——  Center Established ——

41. Nakano and Arakawa (2022). Oceanic microplastics in Japan: A brief review on research protocol and present pollution. Regional Studies in Marine Science [Link]

42. Alfonso et al., (2021a). Microplastics on plankton samples: Multiple digestion techniques assessment based on weight, size, and FTIR spectroscopy analyses. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

43. Alfonso et al., (2021b). Assessing threats, regulations, and strategies to abate plastic pollution in LAC beaches during COVID-19 pandemic. Ocean and Coastal Management [Link] 

44. Alfonso et al., (2021c). Continental microplastics: Presence, features, and environmental transport pathways.Science of the Total Environment [Link] 

45. Arias, Alfonso, Girones, Piccolo, Marcovecchio. (2021). Synthetic microfibers and tyre wear particles pollution in aquatic systems: Relevance and mitigation strategies. Environmental Pollution. [Link]

46. Isobe et al., (2021). A multilevel dataset of microplastic abundance in the world’s upper ocean and the Laurentian Great Lakes. Microplastics and Nanoplastics [Link]

47. Morales-Caselles, Viejo, Martí, González, Pragnell-Raasch, González-Gordillo, Montero, Arroyo, Hanke, Salvo,  Basurko, Mallos, Lebreton, Echevarría, van Emmerik, Duarte, Gálvez, van Sebille, Galgani, García,  Ross, Bartual, Ioakeimidis, Markalain, Isobe, Cózar (2021) An inshore-offshore sorting system revealed from global classification of ocean litter, Nature Sustainability, [Link]

48. Nakano et al., (2021b) Reevaluation of microplastics identification based on the neuston nets survey data. Marine Pollution Bulletin.[Link]

49. Nakano et al., (2021a). Microplastics on the sea surface of the semi-closed Tokyo Bay. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

50. Refat, Nahiab, Alfonso, Khandaker, Enyoh, Hamid, Alsubaie, Almalki, Bradley, Mohafez, Islam. (2021). Microplastics pollution in salt pans from the Maheshkhali Channel, Bangladesh. Scientific reports. [Link]

51. Tanoiri, Nakano, Arakawa, Hattori, and Yokota (2021) Inclusion of shape parameters increase the accuracy of 3D models for microplastics mass quantification. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Link].

52. Wang, Nakano, Xu, and Arakawa (2021) Small microplastics contamination in seabed sediments on Tokyo Bay. Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science [Link].

53. Van Sebille, Aliani, Lavender Law, Maximenko, Alsina, Bagaev, Bergmann, Chapron, Chubarenko, Cózar, Delandmeter, Egger, Fox-Kemper, Garaba, Goddijn-Murphy, Hardesty, Hoffman, Isobe, Jongedijk, Kaandorp, Khatmullina, Koelmans, Kukulka, Laufkötter, Lebreton, Lobelle, Maes, Martinez-Vicente, Morales Maqueda, Poulain-Zarcos, Rodríguez, Ryan, Shanks, Shim, Suaria, Thiel, Van Den Bremer, Wichmann (2020) The physical oceanography of the transport of floating marine debris, Environmental Research Letters, [Link]

54. Isobe et al., (2019a). Abundance of non-conservative microplastics in the upper ocean from 1957 to 2066. Nature Communications [Link]

55. Isobe et al., (2019b). An interlaboratory comparison exercise for the determination of microplastics in standard sample bottles. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

56. Kako, Isobe, Kataoka, Yufu, Sugizono, Plybon, Murphy (2018) Sequential webcam monitoring and modeling of marine debris abundance. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

57. Kataoka, Murray, Isobe (2018), Quantification of marine macro-debris abundance around Vancouver Island, Canada, based on archived aerial photographs processed by projective transformation, Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

58. Song, Hong, Eo, Jang, Han, Isobe, Shim (2018) Horizontal and Vertical Distribution of Microplastics in Korean Coastal Waters, Environmental Science & Technology, [Link]

59. Isobe et al., (2017). Microplastics in the Southern Ocean.Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

60. Iwasaki, Isobe, Kako, Uchida, Tokai (2017) Fate of microplastics and mesoplastics carried by surface currents and wind waves - A numerical model approach in the Sea of Japan, Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

61. Isobe et al., (2016). Percentage of microbeads in pelagic microplastics within Japanese coastal waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

62. Isobe et al., (2015). East Asian seas: A hot spot of pelagic microplastics. Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Link]

63. Isobe et al., (2014). Selective transport of microplastics and mesoplastics by drifting in coastal waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

64. Kako, Isobe, Kataoka, Hinata (2014) A decadal prediction of the quantity of plastic marine debris littered on beaches of the East Asian marginal seas, Marine Pollution Bulletin. [Link]

65. Nakashima, Isobe, Kako, Itai, Takahashi (2012) Quantification of toxic metals derived from macroplastic litter on Ookushi beach, Japan, Environmental Science & Technology. [Link]

66. Kako, Isobe, Magome, Low altitude remote-sensing method to monitor marine and beach litter of various colors using a balloon equipped with a digital camera (2012) Marine Pollution Bulletin [Link]

1. Center for Ocean Plastic Studies. (2024). Best Practices for Microplastic Research - Webinar. Zenodo. [Link] 2024.05 

2. White paper on Microplastics in Coastal Aquaculture Systems: Development of Regulatory Frameworks, Practices and Mitigation Efforts in APEC Economies. Published by SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE), Ocean and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG),  June 2023, [Link], 95 pp. (As research contributors, Dr. Jangdan & Dr. Nakano)

1. Nakano Haruka
   The Brilliant Female Researchers Award (The Jun Ashida Award) by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)

2. María Belén Alfonso  (Belen-sensei)
   Sanae-I. Itoh Awards, Young Female Researchers Award / The Outstanding Researchers Award (Kyushu University),
   “Presence and impact of microplastic pollution in marine and freshwater aquatic environments”

3. Suppakarn Jandang (Dr. May)
   The Outstanding Alumni 2024 (Prince of Songkla University)

4. Isobe Atsuhiko, Kuroda Mao et al.
   Fisheries Technology Award 2022 (The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science)

”Methodology harmonization and database arrangement for ocean plastics”

ALFONSO, M. B.

(Principal Investigator, External Funding)

1. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists: The effect of plankton dynamics on characteristics and vertical distribution of ocean small microplastics. (4,810,000 yen (Direct costs: 3,700,000 yen, Indirect costs: 1,110,000 yen))

2. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists: Assessing the rainfall and tide effect on the presence and exposure of microplastics to zooplankton in subtropical estuaries intensely polluted by plastics (4,680,000 yen (Direct costs: 3,600,000 yen, Indirect costs: 1,080,000 yen))

3. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Research Start-up: Microplastic pollution impact on the Gulf of Thailand: insights from water samples assessment and ingestion by zooplankton as complementary tools, 2,860,000 yen (Direct costs: 2,200,000 yen, Indirect costs: 660,000 yen)

JANDANG, S.

(Principal Investigator, External Funding)

1. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists: Advancing Techniques to Assess Microplastics Accumulation in Reef-building Corals: Uncovering the Fate of Missing Plastics. (4,810,000 yen (Direct Costs: 3,700,000 yen, Indirect Costs: 1,110,000 yen))

(Principal Investigator, University Grant)

1. Kyushu University Research Start Program, 500,000 yen

NAKANO, C.

(Principal Investigator, External Funding)

1. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for International Collaborative Research Acceleration Fund (Enhancement of International Collaborative Research)): Development of Nanoplastic Detection Methods Using Optical Techniques and International Standardization of Related Technologies. (9,600,000 yen, FY2025-2027)

2. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists: Detection of Microplastics Less Than 300 μm Using Multiple Staining and Multi-Color Fluorescence Imaging (4,420,000 yen (Direct Costs: 3,400,000 yen, Indirect Costs: 1,020,000 yen (FY2023-2025)

(Principal Investigator, University Grant)

1. Chika Nakano, Overseas Training for Acquiring Detection Technology for Ultrafine Microplastics. FY2024 International Research Leader Training Program. Kyushu University Institute for Advanced Study. 5,853,000 yen (Declined due to receiving a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, March 2025)

(Contributing Investigator)

Rahisi, Nakano, et al., "Comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution and chemical additives in Malaysian rivers" Tawaran Geran University Putra Malaysia. (RM 1,000,000; co-investigator); University Grant from Tawaran Geran University Putra Malaysia, approximately 3.3 million yen, Co-PI (no direct allocation)

Narizah, Nakano et al., Pendedahan pencemaran plastik dan kaedah pencegahannya di kalangan pelajar sekolah. KTGS JINM GRANT. 2023 (RM 5000; Dr. Nakano: co-investigator)

FY2025 Marine Plastic Waste Mapping Database Data Operation, Management, and Promotion of International Data Aggregation (Ministry of the Environment) Representative: Atsuhiko Isobe, Contributors: Chika Nakano, Alfonso, M. B., Jandang, S. FY2025

FY2024 Marine Plastic Waste Mapping Database Data Operation, Management, and Promotion of International Data Aggregation (Ministry of the Environment) Representative: Atsuhiko Isobe, Contributors: Chika Nakano, Alfonso, M. B., Jandang, S. FY2024

FY2023 Marine Plastic Waste Mapping Database Data Operation, Management, and Promotion of International Data Aggregation (Ministry of the Environment) Representative: Atsuhiko Isobe, Contributors: Chika Nakano, Alfonso, M. B., Jandang