September 27th: "The Little-Known World of Tiny Creatures 'Meiobenthos'" will be held! (Updated September 7th: Online participants are now being recruited)

Hiroshi Namikawa (Marine Invertebrate Research Group, Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science)

The National Museum of Nature and Science is currently hosting a special exhibition, "The Super World of Living Things: National Museum of Nature and Science x Darwin's Coming!". This special exhibition combines specimens, materials, and research results accumulated by the National Museum of Nature and Science and other institutions with valuable footage filmed by the NHK program "Darwin's Coming!", allowing visitors to experience the fascinating world of living things even more vividly. This time, I'd like to talk about the highlights of this special exhibition, including the ingenuity used to showcase small creatures in the exhibits.

Born in 1962. Completed doctoral coursework at Hokkaido University Graduate School of Science in March 1992. Joined the Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science in April of the same year. Holds a PhD in Science from Hokkaido University in June 1992. Specializes in the biology of hydroids.

Hiroshi Yamazaki (Marine Invertebrate Research Group, Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science)

If you scoop up some sand from the sea, you'll find countless tiny creatures called "meiobenthos" living in the gaps between the grains—creatures almost invisible to the naked eye. Meiobenthos include a wide variety of taxonomic groups, such as nematodes, crustaceans, tardigrades, and kinorhynchs, and their forms and lifestyles are incredibly diverse. They not only play an important role in marine ecosystems but are also used as indicators to understand the marine environment. In this lecture, we will introduce what meiobenthos are, peek into the micro-world that unfolds in the gaps of the sand, and convey the fascinating appeal of marine biodiversity—a biodiversity that is often overlooked but continues to be discovered.

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1985. After obtaining a PhD in Science from Hokkaido University Graduate School in 2013, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Ryukyu University and the Humboldt Museum in Berlin, Germany, before becoming an assistant professor at Kyushu University in 2020. From July 2026, he will be affiliated with the Department of Zoology at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Since his student days, he has consistently engaged in research on biodiversity, classification, and evolution, particularly focusing on meiobenthos, especially kinorhynchates.

Hayato Tanaka (Education and Outreach Section, Animal Care and Exhibition Division Tokyo Sea Life Park)

The crevices in the sand where meiobenthos live are narrow, dark, and intricate, like a three-dimensional maze. In a place where vision is useless and encounters with other individuals are rare, how do meiobenthos meet and reproduce? In this lecture, using the meiobenthos species "cosmid" as an example, we will discuss the reproductive behavior of males and females that takes place in the crevices of the sand.

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1983. Since 2018, she has been working in the Education and Outreach Section of the Animal Care and Exhibition Department Tokyo Sea Life Park, where she is responsible for explaining aquatic life and conducting educational outreach activities. She holds a PhD in Science. Her major publications include "Shogakukan's NEO POCKET Encyclopedia of Plankton" (co-edited, Shogakukan), "Small and Beautiful Creatures in the Water" (co-edited, Asakura Shoten), and "The Story of Bioluminescent Organisms" (contributing author, Asakura Shoten).

Fumika Shibagaki (Natural Science Department, Production Center 1, NHK Enterprises)

NHK's nature program "Darwin's Coming!" is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Over the more than 950 episodes it has aired, it has focused on many "niche creatures." And this time, we're introducing "Meiobenthos," the smallest subject in the program's history, almost invisible to the naked eye. How can we convey its charm to both nature lovers and those who aren't? We'll talk about the behind-the-scenes story of the program's production, which involved working together with researchers and going through a lot of trial and error.

She joined NHK in 2018. As a director, she was involved in planning a wide range of programs including documentaries, science programs, and sports broadcasts, and since 2022, she has been in charge of "Darwin Comes!". The creatures she has covered include mushrooms, salamanders, midges, newts, and bush mussels.