Amid growing global efforts toward the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, our understanding of species diversity—an essential unit of conservation—remains incomplete. Current estimates suggest that only 1–10% of all extant species have been formally described. This gap in knowledge is particularly pronounced for taxa that are small or poorly known to the general public. Nevertheless, given that ecosystems are maintained through complex interconnections among all species, elucidating biodiversity across a wide range of taxa, regardless of their public visibility, is of critical importance.
Genetic diversity—reflected in genome-level variation among populations of the same species—is likewise fundamental for conservation, yet its documentation lags even further behind species-level taxonomy.
My research centers on ostracods, a group of minute aquatic crustaceans characterized by a bivalved carapace enclosing a soft, shrimp-like body. Despite their occurrence across diverse aquatic environments—from deep-sea habitats to brackish waters and alpine streams—their extremely small body size (typically ~1 mm) contributes to their general obscurity and the significant gaps in our understanding of their diversity.
Focusing on freshwater ostracods, I conduct integrative research encompassing the following themes:
Taxonomy and phylogeny – to document species diversity, morphological variation, and phylogenetic relationships based on both morphological and molecular data.
Population genetics – to assess genetic structure, gene flow, and demographic patterns across populations.
Biological and ecological studies – to investigate distributional ranges, reproductive modes, and life-history traits.
Through this work, I aim to advance our understanding of ostracod diversity and contribute to broader discussions in biodiversity science.