Download The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES)

WESTERN GRAY WHALE ADVISORY PANEL
1st Meeting
WGWAP 1/INF.21
13 October 2006
WORKING WITH OTHER GROUPS
The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES)
Submitted by IUCN
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OVERVIEW
PICES, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization, is an intergovernmental
scientific organization that was established and held its first meetings in 1992. Its
present members are Canada, People's Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea,
Russian Federation, and the United States of America. The purposes of the
Organization are as follows:
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Promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific and
adjacent seas especially northward of 30 degrees North
•
Advance scientific knowledge about the ocean environment, global weather and
climate change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impacts of human
activities
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Promote the collection and rapid exchange of scientific information on these
issues
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Representatives of Canada, China, Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union
initialed the draft convention.
The Organization is established by Convention for a North Pacific Marine Science
Organization, which came into force on 24 March 1992 after ratification by three of
the five in signatory states, Canada, Japan, and the United States. The Peoples
Republic of China ratified before August of 1992 and participated as a member in the
First Annual Meeting, in October of that year. Although the Soviet Union had
participated in all of the intergovernmental discussions leading up to establishment of
PICES, the now Russian Federation did not ratify until December of 1994; Korea
became a member in mid-summer 1995.
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ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The organization reports to a Governing Council which has both scientific and
administrative functions. Currently the organization includes a science board and six
committees presently working on PICES projects:
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BIO - Biological Oceanography Committee
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FIS - Fishery Science Committee
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MEQ - Marine Environmental Quality Committee
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POC - Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee
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TCODE - Technical Committee on Data Exchange
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MONITOR - Technical Committee on Monitoring
The organization has also established numerous subsidiary bodies focused on specific
issues. These bodies include Working Groups, Study Groups and Advisory Panels.
Annex I provides details of all active subsidiary scientific bodies.
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CURRENT PROJECTS
PICES currently has six projects running
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Live euphasiid experimental protocol (2006)
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Bering Sea Indicators (2006)
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North Pacific Ecosystem Status Report (complete 2005)
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North Pacific Ecosystem Metadatabase
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The Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey of the North Pacific
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The PICES Carbon Dioxide Related Data Integration for the North Pacific
(PICNIC)
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The PICES Intern Program
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MEETINGS
Meetings PICES holds many events every year; the biggest regular event is the
Annual Meeting, where a number of scientific topic sessions and workshops are held,
and where all levels of official PICES "groups" have meetings. Then there are also
other large international symposia on specific themes that PICES often co-sponsors
with other major international organizations and scientific programs. There are also
special workshops organized or co-sponsored by PICES' Task Teams and Working
Groups to help explore their terms of reference
Further information on the organization can be found at http://www.pices.int.
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ANNEX 1
LIST OF MEMBER GROUPS
Active Groups
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Governing Council
Finance and Administration Committee
Science Board
Active Scientific Committees
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Biological Oceanography Committee
Fishery Science Committee
Marine Environment Quality Committee
Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee
Technical Committee on Data Exchange
Technical Committee on Monitoring
Active Working Groups
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Mariculture in the 21st century – The intersection between ecology, socioeconomics and production
Ecosystem-based management science and its application to the North Pacific
Working Group on "Evaluations of Climate Change Projections
Non-indigenous Aquatic Species
Active Sections
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Harmful Algal Blooms Section
Section on Carbon and Climate
Active Study Groups
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PICES Rules of Procedure and Financial Regulations
Future Integrative Scientific Program(s)
Study Group to develop a strategy for GOOS
Active Scientific Programs
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Climate Change and Carrying Capacity Scientific Program
Active Task Teams
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Conceptual / Theoretical and Modeling Studies Task Team
Climate Forcing and Marine Ecosystem Response Task Team
Active Advisory Panels
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Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Program
Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment
Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals
Advisory Panel on Micronekton Sampling Inter-Calibration Experiment
Advisory Panel on North Pacific Data Buoy
Advisory Panel for a CREAMS/PICES Program in East Asian Marginal Seas
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