Kei Nomiyama Talks about Capturing the Essence of Ecology and Conservation
Through his lens, environmental scientist Kei Nomiyama casts a spotlight on the detrimental effects of pollution on the natural world, all while capturing the delicate beauty of aquatic ecosystems.
Serving as an associate professor in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology at Ehime University’s Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES) and its Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Nomiyama is adept at documenting the natural environment and its wildlife. His expertise in underwater photography shines through as he investigates the challenges posed by environmental pollutants. With a keen eye for detail and a steadfast patience, he produces striking photographs that reveal the intricate behaviors and interactions within marine habitats and their connection to life on land. His portfolio, featuring luminous fireflies, serene snow monkeys, and majestic whales, underscores his commitment to utilizing photography as a means of scientific inquiry. Nomiyama’s photographic endeavors strive to convey the inherent beauty and vulnerability of our natural surroundings, while also bringing attention to the threats of pollution and the pervasive issue of plastic waste. Honored as the 2016 Open Photographer of the Year with his “Enchanted Bamboo Forest” image, his work has gained international recognition, gracing various media platforms and exhibitions globally. Through his art, he underscores the critical need to safeguard our environment, reminding us of the urgency to preserve its splendor for future generations.
Can you tell us about your journey into the Center for Marine Environmental Studies as an Associate Professor, Nature photographer? What sparked your interest in this field?
Reading books about the decline of biodiversity due to human impact, especially since high school, made me want to become an environmental scientist, which is what I do now. I went to a university and began to study an environmental issue. In studying environmental issues, we focused on the effects of environmental destruction on living organisms, especially the effects of harmful chemicals. This is also related to the fact that I studied chemistry at university.
What are some of the most significant research projects you have been involved in at the Center for Marine Environmental Studies? Can you share a particularly memorable discovery or breakthrough from your research in marine environments?
Ascertaining ecological effects by environmental pollutants from a global perspective: that’s the core of research activity in our lab in Center for Marine Environmental Studies.
Our laboratory undertakes research on development of high-precision analytical methods, local and global contamination status, environmental behaviour and fate, temporal trends, bio-concentration and -magnification features, toxicokinetics and risk assessment of environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals from a global perspective. Besides, using various environmental and biological samples stored in the environmental specimen bank (http://esbank-ehime.com/dnn/), we also promote advanced studies of environmental chemistry and interdisciplinary environmental studies. Our research focuses on a global scale including terrestrial, coastal, oceanic, polar regions and a whole ecological system from plankton to terrestrial and marine mammals.
In addition, we try to provide scientific policies and ways to protect the terrestrial and marine ecosystems from environmental pollution by various chemicals, which is very important for the government and society.
My studies focus on the sensitivity of different animals, such as marine and terrestrial animals, to harmful chemicals. As a recent new finding, we discovered that chemical pollution from humans is not only affecting the ocean, but also living things on land, and we found that pet cats are particularly contaminated. This discovery shows that cats love fish, so humans actively feed them fish, exposing them to harmful chemicals in the ocean that come from fish. And cats have weak defences against these harmful chemicals.
Capturing the enchanting beauty of fireflies at night, you won Open Photographer of the Year in the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. You shared with the world an enchanting and magical nature phenomenon which is becoming increasingly rare due to the impact of climate change. What did this recognition mean to you?
After receiving the SWPA award in 2016, people became interested in my firefly photography and other ecological photography. I started to get people interested not only in photography, but also in my work and ideas as an environmentalist. This is a very good opportunity. My basic way of thinking is as a person who loves nature and animals. I became a scientist to protect nature, and I am interested in photography to record nature. I am looking for the opportunity to emphasise the importance of preserving beautiful nature and wildlife. We don’t need words, just beautiful photos of nature to convey the importance of what we cherish. I may never see the landscape I see before my eyes again. So I want to preserve it for the next generation, so that the emotion I felt when I captured it lives on.
Did you face some unexpected moment during your photography shoot that made a difference in your work? Can you describe one of your favourite photographs and the story behind it?
I will answer these two questions together: two photographs are important to me.
I was interested in photographing the fantastic landscapes created by species of firefly: Luciola parvula, and one day I had the opportunity to learn about the biology of Luciola parvula. This firefly species is unable to fly freely because the wings of the female have degenerated during the evolutionary process. Therefore, the female attracts the male by climbing plants and glowing on them. This photo shows a female climbing on a dandelion to attract males.
This firefly species has lost its migratory diffusivity. This means that the Luciola parvula cannot move from where they were born and raised, and spend the rest of their lives in that area. This photo was taken on a small uninhabited island in Japan’s inland sea, known as the Seto Inland Sea. This island is cut off from land by the sea. But why are these fireflies, which cannot move, living quietly on this island? What this means is that this island was connected to the land tens of thousands of years ago, and the fireflies that inhabited the island at that time were left behind on this small island due to tectonic movement. I am moved by the flow of time and the continuing workings of life.
Read the full interview with Kei Nomiyama at Retrofuturista.com
