fishing industry, and representatives of interested U.S. 

 environmental groups. 2 



Ship support is a costly and essential element of marine 

 research programs. To make the best possible use of available 

 funding, the Service arranged in 1987, as it had in 1986- 



1987, to carry out a series of research cruises in the Southern 

 Ocean on a cost-sharing basis aboard a Polish research vessel, 

 the Profesor Siedlecki . Two research cruises were conducted 



— the first, from 11 December 1987 to 16 January 1988, was 

 dedicated to fish stock assessment studies in the area around 

 South Georgia Island; the second, from 18 January to 14 February 



1988, was dedicated to krill assessment studies in the 

 Bransfield Strait and in the area around Elephant Island. 



In addition, as noted in the Marine Mammal Commission's 

 previous Annual Report, the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 and the National Science Foundation cooperatively supported 

 land-based studies of seals and birds at Seal Island in the 

 South Shetland Islands and at Palmer Station on Anvers Island. 

 Papers summarizing the results of these studies were provided 

 to the Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources to facilitate identification of needed 

 conservation measures and other issues considered during its 

 1988 meeting. 



In 1988, responsibility for the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service's Antarctic Marine Living Resources Research Program 

 was transferred from the Service's Laboratory in Narragansett , 

 Rhode Island, to its Southwest Fisheries Center in La Jolla, 

 California. At the request of the Center's Director, repre- 

 sentatives of the Marine Mammal Commission, the National 

 Science Foundation, and the Service's Northeast and Northwest 

 and Alaska Fisheries Centers met with staff members of the 

 Southwest Fisheries Center on 26 May 1988 to discuss research 

 needs and priorities and steps that have been and should be 

 taken to meet the Service's responsibilities under the Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984. Research 

 needs and priorities were discussed further at the previously 

 mentioned meeting of the ad hoc Scientific Working Group on 

 the Antarctic convened by the Service on 21 June 1988 to 

 assist in preparing for the 24 October-4 November 1988 meetings 

 of the Commission and Scientific Committee for the Conservation 

 of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 



2 Details of the National Marine Fisheries Service's 

 Antarctic Marine Living Resources Research Program can be 

 obtained from the Director, Southwest Fisheries Center, 8604 

 La Jolla Shores Drive, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038. 



95 



