Report on Workshop "Planning of Future Science in the Polar Ocean Study with Cooperation among Study Groups"

• Main Authors: Mitsuo Fukuchi, Tsuneo Odate
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: National Institute of Polar Research 2001
• Subjects: geo; Antarctic; Antarctic Ocean; Syowa Station; The Antarctic; Antarc*; National Institute of Polar Research; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15094/00009156; https://doaj.org/article/1633993a8c7f4967b1a862414b5c6661

A workshop on "Planning of Future Science in the Polar Ocean Study with Cooperation among Study Groups" was held on November 1,2000,at the National Institute of Polar Research with 21 participants. In this workshop, a plan to charter a research vessel other than "Shirase" was introduced and a science plan using the chartered research vessel by 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition was discussed. This study is going to be conducted in the sea ice area around 140-150°E in mid-summer (February 2002), when biological production becomes active in the Antarctic Ocean. Oceanographic observations using "Shirase" are difficult to conduct in this season since she supports a wide range of summer operations around Syowa Station. The relationships between biological production and greenhouse effect gas production and the vertical transport of organic materials from the surface to deep ocean will be the focus of this study. At this stage, one deputy leader and three members of JARE, and 25-26 other scientists including graduate students and foreign scientists, will participate in the field observations using the chartered vessel. The members of JARE will conduct a project science program of the VI Phase of JARE, while the other participants will do part of the science program "Antarctic Ocean in Earth System". Since further observations for several years after the summer of 2002 will be required to understand the role of the Antarctic Ocean in global climate change, we have applied for a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research for the next project, which will start from 2001,to the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan. The proposal was discussed in detail in this workshop.