Coastal Area 14603 Adjacent waters of Northeastern Amami Oshima Island

Basic Information References

Reason(s) for selection Criteria

Characteristics References

These are the waters from the vicinity of Cape Kasari at the northern tip of Amami Oshima Island to the river-mouth tidal mud flats of the Sumiyo River on the east coast. The mouth of Sumiyo Bay (the mouths of the Sumiyo and Yakugachi rivers and the Jo Inland Sea) are habitat for Kandelia obovata and black mangrove, and a rare spot where mangroves are distributed, as well as home to rare conches in proliferation. In the mangrove forests the fry and larva of species including Plecoglossus altivelis ryukyuensis, crustaceans, and other fish are born and raised (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). Upogebia sakaii have been confirmed to inhabit the tidal mud flats, and other important benthic species are distributed in the large mangrove communities (Itani, 2004a; 2004b).