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, Calif- 

 ornia. In early 1989, the NOAA ship Surveyor was sent to the 

 Antarctic to conduct oceanographic and fishery surveys in the 

 South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean and to provide 

 logistic support for land-based studies of seals and penguins at 

 Seal Island. 



To assist in evaluating and updating the Antarctic Marine 

 Living Resources Research Plan, the Southwest Fisheries Center 

 held a strategic planning workshop on 18-20 April 1989. Workshop 

 participants included scientists from other countries conducting 

 marine research in the Antarctic, as well as representatives of 

 U.S. agencies and organizations with interests and expertise in 

 marine resources-related research. On 10 July 1989, represen- 

 tatives of the Marine Mammal Commission, the National Science 

 Foundation, the Department of State, and U.S. environmental 

 groups met with representatives of the Southwest Fisheries Center 

 to review and comment on the product of the strategic planning 

 Workshop. 



In November 1989, the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 advised the Marine Mammal Commission and others that it would be 

 sending the NOAA ship Surveyor to the Antarctic again during the 

 1989/1990 Antarctic field season to conduct oceanographic, 

 phytoplankton, krill, and krill predator studies in the vicinity 

 of Elephant Island. These studies will help to establish the 

 United States as a leader in conducting directed as well as basic 

 research in support of the Living Resources Convention, in 

 addition to providing information needed to effectively implement 

 the Convention. 



The Marine Mammal Commission believes that both basic and 

 directed research are essential to effective operation of the 

 Antarctic Treaty System. In 1990, the Commission will continue 

 to work with the Department of State, the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, the National Science Foundation, and other organizations 

 to facilitate development of both basic and directed marine 

 research programs in the Antarctic. 



Activities Related to Non-Living Resources 



As noted in previous Commission reports, Arab oil embargoes 

 in the 1970s led to growing interest in potential oil, gas, and 

 other non-living resources in Antarctica. Disturbance, noise, 

 oil spills, and other environmental pollutants possibly resulting 

 from exploration, development, and transport of oil, gas, or 

 other non-living resources could have direct and indirect effects 

 on whales, seals, krill, and other components of Antarctic marine 



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