The primary objective of Professor Mitarai’s research is to understand the role of ocean turbulence in regulating biological processes and its consequences for population structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems, through international collaborations. These studies include investigations of larval dispersal via coastal eddies and the role of dispersal in structuring marine populations, understanding biological responses of corals to turbulent flows and their integrated effects on biogeochemical cycling, and impacts of tropical cyclones on particle aggregation and biological pumps. Using his skills and experience as a fluid dynamicist, Professor Mitarai contributes to a new interdisciplinary field in the marine sciences.
