26 Oct 2017 WESTPAC Workshop on “A framework for cooperative studies in the Western Pacific Marginal Seas: Energy and materials exchange between land and open ocean”

WESTPAC Workshop on “A framework for cooperative studies in the Western Pacific Marginal Seas: Energy and materials exchange between land and open ocean” will take place on Thursday 26 October 2017 at the meeting room (2F) of Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University in Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan, on 26 Oct 2017.

marginal seas

Photo credit: Jing Zhang, University of Toyama

To progress and improve our knowledge on the marginal seas and to recognize their significance, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) established a Working Group at its 11th Session (21-23 April 2017, Qingdao, China), with an task to build up a framework for interdisciplinary and joint studies on the environment of the marginal seas. The Working Group, led by Prof Jing Zhang from the University of Toyama, is to exchange information and knowledge on the phenomena in the marginal seas around the countries in the Western Pacific, and to discuss how common understanding of physical and bio-geochemical processes in the marginal seas can be achieved. International and interdisciplinary cooperative cruises are one of the expected outputs of this WG.

Objectives of the Workshop

The objectives of this workshop are to exchange information and to discuss the future cooperative studies.

Share current information of national scientific activities, including international cooperative research programs on-going and/or being planned around and in the marginal seas of East and Southeast Asia, which would be expected to progress significantly with international cooperative research;

Exchange information about research cruises (e.g. available berths), to facilitate the cooperative research;

Find the potential common interests and create various international cooperative research programs;

Exchange information on the scientific activities of the young generation scientists in each country, particularly for the field studies.

Participants and Financial Assistance

We encourage you to attend this workshop to develop international cooperative research around the marginal seas in the East and Southeast Asia. If you would like to attend the workshop, please communicate with Professor Dr Jing Zhang (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), with a copy to Ms Nachapa Saransuth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), before 5 October 2017. We encourage you to fund your own travel; Given the limited financial resources available, we can offer travel support to only a very few participants.

Contacting Information

Professor Dr Jing ZHANG
Earth and Environmental System
Graduate School of Science and Engineering for Science, University of Toyama
3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 9308555, Japan
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Professor Dr Takeshi Matsuno
Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University
6-1 Kasugakohen, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ms Nachapa Saransuth
IOC Regional Secretariat for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more detailed information please visit: http://iocwestpac.org/