Like many scientists from throughout the world as well as numerous scientists from across Japan, I have had the good fortune to work on R/V Hakken with Professor Michio Kumagai. This is a superb vessel that he designed specifically to conduct studies on Lake Biwa, and it has many features that have made it ideal for collaborative investigations on such a large lake. For example, we used the vessel as a platform for the study of UV radiation, which we measured underwater using the submersible radiometer that my student Claude Belzile is holding in the photo, and which we lowered down from the ship in the North Basin and South Basin of Lake Biwa. With colleagues from Japan and overseas (as shown in the second photograph) we discussed the factors the controlling water quality of lakes, and the relevant measurements that could be made by the ship in Lake Biwa. R/V Hakken is one of Japan’s most well known scientific treasures, and its innovative design has attracted the attention of freshwater scientists throughout the world. Here in Canada, we based the design of our research vessel for the Saint Lawrence River and Gulf on R/V Hakken, allowing observations to be made in all weather conditions, and in shallow as well as deep waters. We look forward to hearing about the new phase of R/V Hakken’s famous life on Lake Biwa.
Warwick F. Vincent
Professor, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
