Iwata, Takashi

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University. PhD. Born in Yamato City, Kanagawa, Japan. Specialises in animal ecology. His research focuses on elucidating the behavioural ecology of wild animals using a method known as biologging, which involves attaching small data loggers to animals to record their movements and surrounding environmental conditions. He has conducted field research in various regions of the world, including the Antarctic, sub-Antarctic, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Thailand, and Mexico, studying a wide range of marine animals such as whales, seals, fur seals, penguins, albatrosses, and billfish. Since 2021, he has also expanded his research activities within Japan, working on diverse species including whales and dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, freshwater turtles, and salamanders. In addition to biologging, his research integrates multiple approaches, including underwater acoustic monitoring and dietary analyses, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour and ecology of wild animals. While grounded in fundamental research on animal ecology, his work also aims to contribute to broader efforts to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife and to improve understanding of marine environments.

I conduct research using a method known as biologging, in which small data loggers or cameras are attached to animals to record their behaviour and surrounding environment. This approach enables us to reveal aspects of animal lives that have been difficult to observe directly in the wild. My research particularly focuses on marine mammals, including cetaceans such as whales and dolphins, as well as pinnipeds such as seals, with the aim of understanding their behaviour and acoustic ecology. I am also engaged in ecological studies of finless porpoises and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins inhabiting Osaka Bay. In addition to biologging, my research integrates multiple approaches—including underwater acoustic monitoring and dietary analysis—to achieve a comprehensive understanding of wildlife ecology. My research fields extend beyond Japan to marine regions around the world, and I collaborate with research institutions in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Iceland, Thailand, Norway, the United States, and Germany. Building on fundamental research into animal ecology, my work also addresses broader challenges such as promoting coexistence between wildlife and humans, understanding the impacts of climate change on animals, and exploring ways to apply biologging technologies to address issues in marine environments.

• Marine Mammals
• /Behavioural Ecology
• /Animal Ecology
• /Biologging