Information about the sea is indispensable for Japan to prevent coastal and oceanic disasters and to understand and predict the climate change because of the major role of the ocean in the climate system. To meet these necessities, the JMA keeps in operation an oceanographic and marine meteorological observation network, collects data on a nationwide and worldwide scale and issues various kinds of information for public use.

As a basis of these JMA's tasks, the Oceanographic Research Department develops methods of observation and analysis, analyzes observation data and constructs numerical models to understand oceanic phenomena and to predict them. The Department places special emphases on analysis of oceanographic data obtained by research vessels as well as satellites, observation with profiling floats and development of ocean general circulation models and ocean data assimilation systems.

• Development of ocean environmental model and assimilation system, and study on variation mechanisms of ocean environment -feasibility study-
  

• Quantitative evaluation of formation and dissapearance conditions on the Kuroshio large meander by controling initial states using data assimilation techniques (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
  

• Study on the role of the barrier layer oscillation mode in the ENSO physics using a coupled ocean-atmosphere model(Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
  

• Linear trend of global mean sea level due to thermal expansion in 20th century (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
  

• Study on mechanisms of the effects of mountain and strait topography on monsoon and ocean environment (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
  

• Can tsunami be monitored from the space? - Tsunami detectability of the satellite altimetry mission (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)