The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku was one of the most significant natural disasters humankind has ever experienced. Our mission is to assess the impact that the earthquake and tsunami had on the Tohoku coastal area and to observe the subsequent transition process over time. Based on this information, we aim to determine what is needed to restore the area’s fishing industry.

To execute this mission, the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (AORI) of the University of Tokyo launched Project Grand Maillet, which is based in Otsuchi town. Otsuchi’s name translates to ‘big mallet’ in English and ‘grand maillet’ in French. Project Grand Maillet is named after the first new research vessel built for the International Coastal Research Center since the disaster.

Project Grand Maillet is part of the Tohoku Ecosystem-Associated Marine Sciences (TEAMS) initiative, funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (MEXT). AORI will conduct scientific research in close collaboration with Tohoku University and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

Projet Grand Maillet Web page