Marine biodiversity and derived ecosystem services are critical to the healthy functioning of marine ecosystems, and to human economic and societal well-being. Thus, an understanding of marine biodiversity in different ecosystems is necessary for their conservation and management. Coral reefs in particular are noted for their high levels of biodiversity, and among the world’s coral reefs, the subtropical Ryukyu Islands (RYS; also known as the Nansei Islands) in Japan have been shown to harbor very high levels of marine biodiversity. This study provides an overview of the state of marine biodiversity research in the RYS. First, we examined the amount of English language scientific literature in the Web of Science (WoS; 1995–2017) on six selected representative taxa spanning protists to vertebrates across six geographic sub-regions in the RYS. Our results show clear taxonomic and sub-region bias, with research on Pisces, Cnidaria, and Crustacea to be much more common than on Dinoflagellata, Echinodermata, and Mollusca. Such research was more commonly conducted in sub-regions with larger human populations (Okinawa, Yaeyama). Additional analyses with the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) records show that within sub-regions, records are concentrated in areas directly around marine research stations and institutes (if present), further showing geographical bias within sub-regions. While not surprising, the results indicate a need to address ‘understudied’ taxa in ‘understudied sub-regions’ (Tokara, Miyako, Yakutane, Amami Oshima), particularly sub-regions away from marine research stations. Second, we compared the numbers of English language scientific papers on eight ecological topics for the RYS with numbers from selected major coral reef regions of the world; the Caribbean (CAR), Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and the Red Sea (RES). As expected, the numbers for all topics in the RYS were well below numbers from all other regions, yet within this disparity, research in the RYS on ‘marine protected areas’ and ‘herbivory’ was an order of magnitude lower than numbers in other regions. Additionally, while manuscript numbers on the RYS have increased from 1995 to 2016, the rate of increase (4.0 times) was seen to be lower than those in the CAR, RES, and GBR (4.6–8.4 times). Coral reefs in the RYS feature high levels of both endemism and anthropogenic threats, and subsequently they contain a concentration of some of the world’s most critically endangered marine species. To protect these threatened species and coral reef ecosystems, more data are needed to fill the research gaps identified in this study.

Terrestrial cyanobacterial strains were isolated from the Nishihara campus of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. The 13 sampling sites were distributed in a 200 m radius and appeared as dry, blackened stains. From these small areas, 143 cyanobacterial strains were established. The strains were divided into five morphotypes, including unicells, unicells with baeocytes, non-branching filaments, false-branching filaments, and heterocystous strains. From the strains, 105 partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained and could be classified into 30 generic types. Among them, 22 unique strains and over 1100 bps of data were selected for further phylogenetic analyses. These sequences were positioned into six main clades corresponding to cyanobacterial orders: Nostocales, Chroococidiopsidales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, Pleurocapsales, and Synechococcales. Almost all sequences had no identical matching data in GenBank and many of them had no closely related data. These data suggest that the terrestrial cyanobacteria are very divese even within close sampling areas, such as within the campus of the University of the Ryukyus. The established strains are not only important for classification of terrestrial cyanobacteria but also for possible application studies in the future.

Digital transformation in the management of agricultural cooperatives has emerged as a strategic solution to enhance operational efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness in the era of agriculture 4.0. This paper develops an analytical framework grounded in established theories, including the technology - organization - environment framework, to identify the key factors influencing digital transformation. These include the technological infrastructure, enabling institutional frameworks, human resource capacity, market-driven imperatives, and organizational digital readiness. Based on this framework, the study proposes a five-stage digital transformation roadmap, ranging from basic data digitization to the integration of intelligent management. The findings suggest that small-scale cooperatives should start with low-cost technologies such as Excel and basic accounting software; mid-sized cooperatives can adopt e-commerce platforms and product traceability systems; and leading cooperatives may incorporate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. Some policy implications are proposed to improve the digital transformation process in cooperative management.

In Japan, the subtropical Ryukyu Archipelago (RYS; also known as the Nansei Islands) with its coral reefs has been shown to harbor very high levels of marine biodiversity. This study provides an overview of the state of marine biodiversity research in the RYS. First, we examined the amount of scientific literature in the Web of Science (WoS; 1995-2017) on six selected representative taxa spanning from protists to vertebrates across six geographic sub-regions in the RYS. Our results show clear taxonomic and sub-region bias, with research on Pisces, Cnidaria, and Crustacea to be much more common than on Dinoflagellata, Echinodermata, and Mollusca. Such research was more commonly conducted in sub-regions with larger human populations (Okinawa, Yaeyama). Additional analyses with the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) records show that within sub-regions, records are concentrated in areas directly around marine research stations and institutes (if present), further showing geographical bias within sub-regions. While not surprising, the results indicate the clear need to study ‘understudied’ taxa in ‘understudied sub-regions’ (Tokara, Miyako, Yakutane, Amami Oshima), and to study ‘understudied areas’ of some sub-regions away from marine research stations. Second, we compared the numbers of scientific papers on eight ecological topics for the RYS with numbers from selected major coral reef regions of the world; the Caribbean (CAB), Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and the Red Sea (RES). Not unexpectedly, the numbers for all topics in the RYS were well below numbers from all other regions, yet within this disparity, research in the RYS on ‘marine protected areas’ and ‘herbivory’ was an order of magnitude lower than numbers in other regions. Additionally, while manuscript numbers on the RYS have increased from 1995 to 2016, the rate of increase (4.0 times) was seen to be lower than those in the CAB, RES, and GBR (4.6 to 8.4 times). As the RYS are considered to contain among the most critically endangered coral reef biodiversity in the world due to high levels of both endemism and anthropogenic threats, much work is urgently needed to address the areas of relative research weakness identified in this study.

In Japan, the subtropical Ryukyu Archipelago (RYS; also known as the Nansei Islands) with its coral reefs has been shown to harbor very high levels of marine biodiversity. This study provides an overview of the state of marine biodiversity research in the RYS. First, we examined the amount of scientific literature in the Web of Science (WoS; 1995-2017) on six selected representative taxa spanning from protists to vertebrates across six geographic sub-regions in the RYS. Our results show clear taxonomic and sub-region bias, with research on Pisces, Cnidaria, and Crustacea to be much more common than on Dinoflagellata, Echinodermata, and Mollusca. Such research was more commonly conducted in sub-regions with larger human populations (Okinawa, Yaeyama). Additional analyses with the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) records show that within sub-regions, records are concentrated in areas directly around marine research stations and institutes (if present), further showing geographical bias within sub-regions. While not surprising, the results indicate the clear need to study ‘understudied’ taxa in ‘understudied sub-regions’ (Tokara, Miyako, Yakutane, Amami Oshima), and to study ‘understudied areas’ of some sub-regions away from marine research stations. Second, we compared the numbers of scientific papers on eight ecological topics for the RYS with numbers from selected major coral reef regions of the world; the Caribbean (CAB), Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and the Red Sea (RES). Not unexpectedly, the numbers for all topics in the RYS were well below numbers from all other regions, yet within this disparity, research in the RYS on ‘marine protected areas’ and ‘herbivory’ was an order of magnitude lower than numbers in other regions. Additionally, while manuscript numbers on the RYS have increased from 1995 to 2016, the rate of increase (4.0 times) was seen to be lower than those in the CAB, RES, and GBR (4.6 to 8.4 times). As the RYS are considered to contain among the most critically endangered coral reef biodiversity in the world due to high levels of both endemism and anthropogenic threats, much work is urgently needed to address the areas of relative research weakness identified in this study.