A study of the present condition and problems of marine environmental education in Tokyo Bay

The aim of this paper is to clarify the present condition and problems of environmental education which are carried out at the tidal flats in Tokyo Bay. Two natural tidal flats called 'Sanbanze' and 'Banzu' exist in Tokyo Bay. In recent years, there have been active civic activities for conserving these two tidal flats, and attention is attracted also as an activity place of the environmental education in schools. These two tidal flats are optimal as teaching material for studying the importance of sustainable use of the ocean. The elementary and junior high schools which perform environmental education on these two tidal flats or the other coastal areas for periods of integrated study are actually increasing. However, those activities are not continuous and it is aimed at mere natural experience in most cases. It seems that the reasons are the following: (1) school staff knowledge about the sea is insufficient, (2) activity out of school places a large burden on school staff, (3) an activity result evaluation method is not established, and (4) the target of environmental education is indefinite. The authors consider the construction of the support system for reducing the burden on the school staff and the creation of an integrated environmental education program aiming at the sustainable use of Tokyo Bay which can be carried out continuously at both elementary and junior high schools.