Assistant Professor Kohei HAMAMOTO has joined the MECOH Laboratory

Kohei has spent most of his research career in the subtropical Okinawa Islands, giving him a strong marine ecological background. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the University of the Ryukyus, specializing in the ecology of benthic invertebrates, particularly echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sea stars, etc.). Additionally, being originally from Hiroshima, near Matsuyama, he is eager to understand the biodiversity of the Seto Inland Sea and its surrounding waters.

Kohei’s research aims to uncover the ecological roles of “understudied” marine benthic invertebrates in local ecosystems. For example, some species of sea cucumbers are known to protect surrounding coral colonies and enhance the productivity of seagrass meadows. However, the mechanisms behind these phenomena remain unknown, and he wishes to understand how echinoderms contribute to ecosystems, the environment, and coastal human communities. Echinoderms are found everywhere from shallow coastal areas to the deep sea floor, so his research field encompasses virtually any marine habitat.