Terms of Use
Terms and conditions for the use of data published on the Coral eDNA Atlas of the Ryukyu Islands (hereinafter referred to as "this website") vary depending on the type of content. Please review applicable conditions before using any materials.
1. Prohibited Uses
- Any use that is contrary to public order and morals, or related to antisocial organizations or illegal activities.
- Any use that infringes, or may infringe, the rights of this website or the copyright holders.
- Any use of data, images, or other content in offensive, discriminatory, sexual, or extremist contexts that may damage their integrity or intended purpose.
- Any use that may cause inconvenience, harm, or adverse impacts to third parties or to the ecosystems of the survey areas.
- Any use intended for election campaigns, political activities, or criticism of religion.
- Use in works involving the transfer of copyright, except for academic papers, scholarly publications, and research reports.
- Redistribution, resale, unauthorized reproduction, or direct linking of data, images, or other content in substantially unmodified form.
- Any action that imposes excessive load on the website or network, or interferes with the operation of this website.
- Any other use deemed inappropriate by the copyright holders. In such cases, users may be requested to discontinue use.
2. Use of Photographs (Copyright)
- Copyright for all photographs of corals and coral reefs belongs to the respective photographers. When using photographs, please credit either the photographer or the survey site.
- As long as these Terms of Use are observed, photographs on this website may be used free of charge for personal, educational, research, and other non-commercial purposes. However, redistribution or sale of content primarily consisting of photographs from this website is prohibited. Please contact us separately regarding other commercial uses.
- Editing and modification of photographs are permitted. Regardless of whether modifications are made, the original copyright remains with the photographer. Copyright of derivative works created through editing belongs to the editor; however, such rights do not override or infringe upon the rights of the original copyright holder. When publishing or distributing modified images, please clearly indicate the source of the original work.
- Redistribution or sale of content containing photographs from more than 50 survey sites is prohibited.
3. Use of eDNA Data
- For purposes of these Terms of Use, "eDNA data" includes environmental DNA survey data, summarized datasets, distribution maps, and related materials published in the Coral eDNA Atlas of the Ryukyu Islands.
- Viewing and downloading data from individual survey sites are freely permitted. We welcome their use for education, research, government activities, and conservation efforts.
- If you intend to perform analyses at the island level or combine data from multiple sites, or to use the data in publications, reports, or commercial applications, you must obtain prior permission from the Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Unauthorized use is not permitted, and users may be requested to discontinue such use if it is identified.
- If you use these data, please cite the relevant publication or this atlas (see Section 4, "Credit").
4. Credit
5. Disclaimer
- Operators of this website accept no responsibility for any loss, misunderstanding, errors in judgment, or other issues arising from the use of the data or photographs published on this website.
- • eDNA data and photographs published on this website may be corrected, updated, or removed without prior notice. Website operators are not responsible for any consequences resulting from the modification or removal of content already in use.
- • Contents of this website and these Terms of Use may be changed without prior notice. Any revised Terms shall take effect upon publication. Users are encouraged to review these Terms periodically.
6. Data Sources and Surveys
This website provides coral reef landscape photographs taken through fixed-point observations over more than 20 years around Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island.
The fixed-point observations have been conducted as part of the Ministry of the Environment's Monitoring Sites 1000 Project, launched in fiscal year 2003 under Japan's National Biodiversity Strategy. The Monitoring Sites 1000 Project aims to monitor representative ecosystems throughout Japan over the long term using standardized quantitative methods, enabling the detection of changes in species abundance and community composition and supporting effective biodiversity conservation policies. In addition to coral reefs, the project covers alpine ecosystems, forests and grasslands, satoyama landscapes, inland waters, sandy beaches, coastal ecosystems, and small islands, with more than 1,000 monitoring sites established nationwide.
If you require detailed information such as the location, date, or photographer of a particular image, please contact the Okinawa Environmental Science Center.
Last Updated: July 2026