Local efforts to reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake and restore tidal flats in Shizugawa Bay, Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the tidal flats of Matsubara Beach, located in the inner part of Shizugawa Bay, were conserved by setting back the location of a large seawall when that washed-away seawall was rebuilt at the request of a local citizens. Since 2017, members of the natural science club of a local high school have conducted a series of benthos surveys. During the restoration work on this tidal flat, efforts were made to conserve the tidal flat environment, and monitoring, including recording of the subsequent recovery process, is ongoing. Furthermore, restoration work was conducted at Oritate Beach in 2015, which is also located in the inner part of Shizugawa Bay, with the construction of a submerged breakwater on the inland side and the laying of a large quantity of crushed stone along the tidal flats, which significantly deteriorated the habitat quality for benthos. Since 2022, the local fishery association has taken the lead in partially removing the crushed stone from the tidal flats, seeking to restore the tidal flat environment. Local elementary and high school students are monitoring the effects of environmental improvement. These surveys using citizen survey methods that are accessible to non-professional scientists have not only elevated the significance of an educational activity but also reinforced the case for continued assessment of biodiversity recovery through cooperative teamwork between local children and scientists. Cooperative activities have played an important role in the conservation of local areas after the Great East Japan Earthquake.