In today’s article, we shall be discussing the stunning body of water known as Tokyo Bay. Tokyo Bay is a large bay that is located next to the cities of Tokyo & Yokohama at the northern end, & Yokosuka at the southern end. It is extremely industrialized, with many harbours, & commercial districts along its shore. The bay rests in the northern Pacific Ocean, on the island of Honshu. Though the bay has an average depth of 130 feet, it can become over 1,500 feet deep in certain areas. The area as well as the bay itself is well known in film, as it is often the place were the fictional kaiju “Godzilla”, emerges from. Godzilla is a fictional Japanese Monster, created by Toho Studios in the 1950’s.
Historically, the bay has been used for trade, & as a strategic location during war. Islands in the bay both artificial & natural have been used to store artillery during battle, & have been used as fortresses.
The bay is extremely biodiverse, with animals of many varieties living both in its waters & around its shore. One of the strangest of these animals, is the Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina Owstoni). To those who wish to learn more, we published an article about this creature on August 20th, 2024. To find this article, please type “Mitsukurina owstoni”, in the search function of our website.
In addition to their coastal & deep sea environments, Tokyo Bay has beautiful seaweed forests. A seaweed forest is a dense aggregation of seaweed, that provides a unique environment to marine animals. These specific seaweed forests are the ideal habitat for a prized kind of sea snail, known as the abalone. Abalone is prized for both its shell & its meat, & is a major source of income for many Japanese fishermen.
In this article, we will be delving into the salinity, tides, temperatures, marine geography, & depth Of Tokyo Bay, The Marine Environments Of Tokyo Bay, The Marine Flora & Fauna Of Tokyo Bay, & How Ocean Acidification as well as Rising Oceanic Temperatures are affecting Tokyo Bay. With that being said, let us delve into this beautiful Japanese Bay.
The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Depth Of Tokyo Bay
The Salinity Of Tokyo Bay can range from 32 to 29.5 parts per thousand. Salinity is measured in 1000 gram increments of water, & for every 1000 grams of water, a certain amount is salt. This measurement is called Parts Per Thousand, or Practical Salinity Units. There are not many known Brine Pools in Tokyo Bay, nor are there many salt deposits.
The tidal charts for Tokyo Bay may be found on a multitude of websites, including: https://www.windfinder.com, https://www.tide-forecast.com, https://www.tideschart.com, & https://www.tidetime.org. Generally, the tides do not go over 3.57 meters high, & don’t go below -1.5 meters.
The oceanic temperatures can be found on similar websites, such as: https://www.tideschart.com, & https://www.seatemperature.org. Using information provided by these charts, the approximate yearly average temperature is 66.883333333333° Fahrenheit (19.3796296296294486° Celsius). Using a wetsuit guide, it is recommended that a person uses a wetsuit of 2 to 3 millimeters in thickness. The bay is safe for swimming, however swimming is prohibited in most areas, except for select beaches. The waters are not very polluted, & are safe for oceanic sports. Although there is quite a lot of tourism in the surrounding areas, there isn’t as much tourism to see the bay itself.
Tokyo Bay lacks sea mounts, & only has 1 natural island, that being Sarushima. The bay can get extremely deep, with some areas reaching over 2,000 feet deep. The average depth is approximately 140 feet deep.
The Marine Environments Of Tokyo Bay
Ecosystem Type No. 1: Seaweed Forests
A Seaweed Forest is a dense aggregation of Seaweed, similar to terrestrial forests. Tokyo Bay has beautiful Seaweed Forests, which provide a space for hundreds of interesting marine species. Unfortunately it is unknown which species of Seaweed that the forest is made of.
These seaweed forests are slowly decreasing in size, & have vanished in certain areas completely. The reason for this decline is rising oceanic temperatures, which simply isn’t compatible with the seaweed. In certain areas, they are being replaced by a new ecosystem, that being coral reefs.
Ecosystem Type No. 2: Intertidal Zones
Intertidal zones are located along the coastlines, & are exposed to air at low tide. These zones are where the ocean meets the shoreline, & occasionally have tide-pools located along them. Many marine animals from Sea Stars to Japanese Littleneck Clams, may be found in these areas.
Ecosystem Type No. 3: Fringing Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are considered to be one of the main hubs for all marine life, however they are an unwelcome surprise for local Japanese Ecology. Historically coral reefs have not been seen in the bay, however with modern temperatures climbing, the bay is becoming a more suitable environment for tropical corals.
There are various different kinds of coral reefs, the most important of which are atoll, barrier, & fringing. The specific kind of coral reefs in Tokyo bay are Fringing Coral Reefs. Fringing Coral Reefs grow directly against the coastline, & do not have a section of ocean between them as a barrier. Coral reefs are mass structures of coral polyps, typically located along the ocean floor.
The Marine Flora Of Tokyo Bay
Unfortunately, it is not clear what kind of Marine Flora live in Tokyo Bay. We can only say that Sargassum Fusiforme lives there, because our field agents found it on Tokyo Bay's shores.
The Marine Fauna Of Tokyo Bay
Although Tokyo Bay is very biodiverse, however we do not have much information on the animals in the bay. There is very little public information available about the fauna in the bay, & there have been no animal surveys conducted. For this reason, we cannot provide any information about the Marine Fauna Of Tokyo Bay.
How Ocean Acidification & Rising Oceanic Temperatures Are Affecting Tokyo Bay
Ocean acidification is a phenomenon in which the pH level in the ocean decreases, causing a higher level of acidity. Oceanic Acidification is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased, largely because of human-caused burning of fossil fuels, & deforestation, for the past 150 years. When carbon dioxide contacts sea water, it forms carbonic acid. Carbonic acid gives off positive H+ ions, which causes increased oceanic H+ concentrations & decreased oceanic Ph. When the ocean has decreased Ph, it creates a more acidic environment, which is extremely hostile to many marine species. These conditions that will eat at the shells of bivalves, stress out & eventually bleach coral, & utterly destroy seagrass patches.
Both ocean acidification & Rising oceanic temperatures are negatively affecting Tokyo Bay. One of the major issues caused by Rising Oceanic Temperatures, is the Seaweed Forest Decline. The high oceanic temperatures seen today are not compatible with Seaweed, causing quite a lot of Seaweed to die. When Seaweed Forests die, many animals lose their habitat, forcing them into population decline, & closer to being endangered.
Rising Oceanic Temperatures are also ushering in a new Ecosystem for Tokyo Bay, that being Coral Reefs. Coral Larvae from farther south floated into Tokyo Bay, & laid themselves in the sand. These larvae grew & reproduced, creating the Coral Reefs in Tokyo Bay Today. These coral reefs are bringing with them many tropical fish such as Lionfish, which create competition with the native fish. Overall, these reefs provide a habitat for invasive species, decrease resources for Seaweed Forests & the animals in them, & are not a part of the natural fauna.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Tokyo Bay”, Written by Unknown, & Published on July 20th, 1998. Published by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieval Date: July 22nd, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “Wetsuit thickness & temperature guide”, Written By Mark Evans, & Published On April 24th, 2023, at 3:05 PM. Published By Scuba Divers Magazine. Retrieval Date: July 22nd, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “Tokyo Bay’s Seaweed Forests - & The Prized Abalone That Live In Them - Disappear” Written by Justin McCurry, & Published On August 18th, 2024.
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