About me

Kota Ishikawa

  • Assistant professor
    at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University and Tohoku U & JAMSTEC Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC)

    • Interested in how flows affects animal ecology and behavior. Working on the interdisciplinary research of ethology × fluid dynamics.

    • Ph.D. (Feb 2024)
      Okinawa Insititute of Science and Technology
    • B. Sc. (Mar 2019)
      Department of Biology, Waseda University

Experience

2025.05 –
Assistant professor. Graduate School of Life Sciences,Tohoku University | Tohoku University & JAMSTEC Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC)
2024.08 – 2025.04
Postdoc Researcher. Tohoku University & JAMSTEC Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC)
Supervisor: Michio Kondoh (Tohoku University/WPI-AIMEC)
2024.03
Junior Research Fellow. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)
Supervisor: Satoshi Mitarai (OIST), Amatzia Genin (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
2024.03
Research Fellow PD. Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS)
2023.04 – 2024.02
Research Fellow DC. Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS)
2019.09 – 2024.02
Ph.D. student. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)
Supervisor: Satoshi Mitarai (OIST), Amatzia Genin (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
2019.04 – 2019.08
Contract position. Waseda University, Department of Biology
Supervisor: Takashi Kato (Waseda University)
2015.04 – 2019.03
Undergraduate student. Waseda University, Department of Biology
Supervisor: Takashi Kato (Waseda University)

Publications

Journal papers

  1. Ishikawa K., Wu H., Mitarai S., and Genin A. (2025) Turbulence effects on free and anchored zooplanktivorous fish in coral reefs. Coral Reefs. 44, 1079–1091. doi:10.1007/s00338-025-02673-2 (Corresponding author)
  2. Ishikawa K., Wu H., Mitarai S., and Genin A. (2025) Use of videos to measure dynamic body acceleration as a proxy for metabolic costs of coral-reef damselfish (Chromis viridis). Journal of Experimental Biology. 228 (7) doi:10.1242/jeb.249717 (Corresponding author)
  3. Wu H., Yamada Y., Chuang P.-S., Ishikawa K., and Mitarai S. (2024) Effects of flows on transparent exopolymer particles released from branching Acropora coral colonies. Frontiers in Marine Science. 11:1404526. doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1404526
  4. Omata K., Kashima M., Ohkido-Yamamoto M., Murai N., Ishikawa K., Hirata H., and Kato T. (2024) Canonical and non-canonical functions of erythropoietin and its receptor in mature nucleated erythrocytes of western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. Zoological Science. 41(4). https://doi.org/10.2108/zs240004
  5. Ishikawa K., Wu H., Mitarai S., and Genin A. (2022) Effects of prey density and flow speed on plankton feeding by garden eels: A flume study. Journal of Experimental Biology. 225 (8). doi:10.1242/jeb.243655 (Corresponding author)
  6. Chuang P.-S., Ishikawa K., and Mitarai S. (2021) Morphological and Genetic Recovery of Coral Polyps After Bail-Out. Frontiers in Marine Science. 8:609287. doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.609287

Conferences

  1. Ishikawa K, Masui T, Koeda K, Kondoh M. (Jun, 2025) Estimation of fish density and community structure in a coral reef using computer vision. 2025 Joint Conference of the Asian Society of Ichthyologists Annual Meeting and the 12th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference. Taipei, Taiwan.
  2. Ishikawa K, Masui T, Koeda K, Kondoh M. (May, 2025) Responses of coral reef fish community to flow velocity and turbulence. Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2025. Makuhari Messe.
  3. Ishikawa K, Masui T, Koeda K, Kondoh M. (Mar, 2025) Effects of flows on fish communities in coral reefs. The 72nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Japan. Hokkaido University.
  4. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (Sep, 2023) Empirical energy cost and benefit of damselfish, Chromis viridis. Annual meeting of the Ichthyological Society of Japan. Nagasaki University.
  5. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (May, 2023) Turbulence effects on zooplanktivory by free-swimming damselfish and anchored garden eels in coral reefs. Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023. Makuhari Messe.
  6. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (Jan, 2023) Differential responses of swimming reef fish and anchored garden eels to turbulence. The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology 2023. Austin, TX. Charlotte Mangum Student Support.
  7. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (Nov, 2022) Effects of flows on feeding behavior of reef fish. Okinawa Marine Science Workshop. University of the Ryukyus.
  8. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (Sep, 2022) Adaptation of garden eels to flows. Zoological Society of Japan. Waseda University.
  9. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (May, 2022) Effects of flow speed on plankton feeding by garden eels: A flume study. Microscale Ocean Biophysics 6.0. Mallorca, Spain
  10. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A. (Feb, 2022) Effects of prey density and flow speed on plankton feeding by garden eels: a flume study. Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022. Online. Registration Award.
  11. Ishikawa K, Wu H, Mitarai S, and Genin A (Sep, 2021) Effects of flow speed on feeding behavior of garden eels. Japan Ethological Society. Online.
  12. Ishikawa K, Sato K, Omata K, Ogasa K, Adachi M, and Kato T. (Mar, 2019) Structure and Cross-activity of a Red Blood Cell Production Factor, Erythropoietin, of Western Clawed Frogs. Kanto branch of Zoological society of Japan conference. Korakuen campus of Chuo University.

Teaching and Outreach activity

Teaching

2025.05–
Practice in Reading Biological English I | 生物学演習I (Tohoku University)
2025.04–
Special Lecture on Biology | 生物学特殊講義C (Ryukyu University)

Public lectures

2023.08
OIST kids campus tour
2023.07
Science cafe @Ricca Rika, Okinawa Koza
2023.07
OIST kids campus tour
2022.08
Science Tech Caravan in Iheya island
2022.08
Kids Science College @Okinawa zoo&museum
2021.12
Urasoe elementary school
2021.08
Kansei Gakuin elementary school students
2021.03
Kochi-Yamada high school

Others

2025.07
Supervision on TV program. "Gyogyo-to Sakana Star Garden Eels (ギョギョッとサカナスター チンアナゴ)"
2025.06
Interview for science magazine for students "someone" vol.71
2022.09
Exhibition at Zoological Society of Japan
2021.10 –
Website: All about Garden Eels

Awards and Grants

Grants

2025.04 – 2027.03
Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency. Environment Research and Technology Development Fund. 4RA-2502. (8,768,500 yen)
2025.04 – 2027.03
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists. JP25K18296. (4,550,000 yen)
2023.04 – 2025.03
Grant-in-Aid for JSPS fellows. JP23KJ2133. (2,000,000 yen)

Awards

2016.04 – 2019.03
Sato Pharmaceutical co., Ltd. Scholarship. (1,000,000 yen)
2018.07 – 2018.08
Trish Morse Endowed Scholarship for Japan / U.S. Exchange. (5,300 dollars)

Certifications

PADI Divemaster
Sensuishi (Japanese National qualification as a diver)
Washington state boaters license