More than 120 Representatives from 13 Member States of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific and Adjacent Areas (WESTPAC) met on 27-29 April 2021 for the 13th Intergovernmental Session, held virtually. The Session was hosted by the Government of Bangladesh. The Foreigner Minister of Bangladesh, IOC Executive Secretary and Assistant Director General of UNESCO, … Continue reading Ocean science providing sustainable development solutions takes spotlight at the recent WESTPAC Session
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Obituary of Professor Keisuke Taira (Japan, 1941-2021) – He will be dearly missed.
Professor Dr. Keisuke Taira (Japan, 1941-2021), a leading physical oceanographer in Japan, was the head of Japanese delegation to IOC governing body meetings from late 1990s to early 2000s. He served as the Chair of the Sub-Commission for WESTPAC from 1996 to 2002, and made significant contributions to WESTPAC by launching NEAR-GOOS project, which was… Continue reading Obituary of Professor Keisuke Taira (Japan, 1941-2021) – He will be dearly missed.
Need to accelerate ‘upwelling’ studies highlighted at 2nd WESTPAC Workshop on Upwelling
Despite their close link to high ocean productivity, upwelling systems remain poorly investigated in the South China Sea and its adjacent seas. Ongoing and future actions to rectify this were at the center of the recently concluded WESTPAC (IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific) international workshop held January 26 to 27, 2021 virtually, the second… Continue reading Need to accelerate ‘upwelling’ studies highlighted at 2nd WESTPAC Workshop on Upwelling
Thailand’s Long-term ocean acidification monitoring in action
A group of marine scientists at Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reviewed the results of ocean acidification monitoring in 160 sites across the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea, during a workshop on Monitoring Ocean Acidification and Coral Reef Biodiversity in Thailand, organized by the Department and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission… Continue reading Thailand’s Long-term ocean acidification monitoring in action
Sharing knowledge from the world’s most extensive mangrove area
This week, students, researchers and conservationists from around the Western Pacific region have come together virtually to learn about mangrove health assessment from Indonesia, home to 22 percent or three million hectares of the world’s total mangrove area. Mangrove forests are rainforests of the sea. At 150, 000km2, the Western Pacific region has the biggest extent of… Continue reading Sharing knowledge from the world’s most extensive mangrove area
Towards co-designing and co-delivering ocean science solutions for sustainable development in the Western Pacific and adjacent areas
The coming decade will be big – for the ocean, the various communities who have a stake in a healthy ocean, and indeed the whole world. “Think big!” urged Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Executive Secretary, to the nearly 200 ocean scientists, government representatives, early career ocean professionals, industry and business people, philanthropists, and development… Continue reading Towards co-designing and co-delivering ocean science solutions for sustainable development in the Western Pacific and adjacent areas
How early warning and education could save lives
Join the IOC & UNDRR’s webinars on Tsunami Early Warning and Preparedness (Nov 03-10, 2020). The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO works to coordinate national and regional tsunami early warning services, raising global awareness about effective actions, policies and practices to reduce exposure to disaster risk through its four Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems for the Pacific,… Continue reading How early warning and education could save lives
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission issues first Call for Decade Actions
Two months ahead of the beginning of Ocean Decade 2021 to 2030, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) sent out a Call for Decade Actions on October 15, 2020, the first in a series of calls to be done throughout the decade. Interested parties – governments, research institutes, NGOs, philanthropic foundations, community groups, industry and… Continue reading UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission issues first Call for Decade Actions
The loss of our esteemed scientist, Prof. Toshiyuki Hirano on August 19, 2020
It is with deep regret that we have to announce the loss of our esteemed scientist, Prof. Toshiyuki Hirano on August 19, 2020. Prof. Hirano is a Professor Emeritus of The University of Tokyo, Japan. He dedicated most of his life to studying the impacts of marine environment on fisheries, and the impacts of fisheries… Continue reading The loss of our esteemed scientist, Prof. Toshiyuki Hirano on August 19, 2020
WESTPAC launches efforts to jointly research on and monitor ocean deoxygenation
22 November 2019, Manila, the Philippines, the three-day WESTPAC Workshop on Ocean Oxygen Network (O2NE) marked the beginning of an international collaborative effort in the region to monitor and research on ocean deoxygenation (or “ocean hypoxia”). The workshop, attended by around 20 experts from eight countries, aimed to advance the understanding of the ocean deoxygenation… Continue reading WESTPAC launches efforts to jointly research on and monitor ocean deoxygenation