IOC/3-50 (2) -8- 



13. In considering how expanded programs niglit assist world fishery 

 production, exploration and research will have to be carried out in laany 

 selected regions of the vorld ocean. Examples of the regions proposed 

 fellow: 



a) Atlantic Pan-Anerican System ; The region extending from the 

 eastern tip of Brazil to Cape llatteras and including the 

 Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico consists of three 

 inter- related ecological systems connected by circulation 

 originating in the equatorial current system, passing through 

 the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, with some flow outside the 



Aiitillean chain, and leaving the region as the Florida Current 

 or Gulf Stream. These ecosysteus support a growing production of 

 many high value species, are providing a number of new fisheries 

 to support this development, and contain large stocks of 

 valuable under-utilized species and of un-utilized species of 

 commercial potential. Studies of ecological processes, althougji 

 advanced by world standards, are still sub-minimal in almost 

 every area of investigation. 



b) Western Arabian Sea ; Tnis is a rich and little explored region, 

 close to laxge populations where more protein is needed. At 

 present, fishing is limited and primitive. As a result of 

 expanded programs, it should be possible to attract private 

 capital into the fisher;'-, making it economically viable. 



c) Antarctic ; The region contains large unexploited and relatively 

 inaccessible i-esources. In recent years, mucli work has been 

 done by Soviet, American and other scientists; this work should 



be reviewed and interpreted as a prelude to further investigations. 

 Of particular interest are the large concentrations of the krill 

 resource. 



d) Sun^'a Shelf ; This is a relatively unexploited area with 

 potentially rich resources, adjacent to a large population that 

 could utilize additional sources of animal protein and/ or foreign 

 exchange . 



ik. Special emphasis should be given to those marine biological problems 

 whose solution would contribute to an understanding of the dynamics of 

 ecosystems. A comprehensive understanding of ecosystem (]ynamics would be a 

 major advance towards prediction and ultimate control of biological events. 

 Such an imderstanding is required for the evolution of constructive nBBasures 

 of conservation and management of living resources. 



15. Studies could be concentrated in a number of selected regions of the 

 ocean, e.g.: (l) low latitude oceanic gyre (South Pacific), (2) hi^ latitude 

 oceanic gyre (Gulf of Alaska), (3) tropical enrichment (eastern and central 

 tropical Pacific), (k) coastal upwelling (western /o-abian Sea), (5) nid- 

 latitude shelf and adjacent banks (Georges and Grand Banks), (6) very high 

 latitudes (Antarctic waters), and (?) inland seas. It is recommended that 

 primajy attention in these regions be given to observational programs 

 leading to ecosystem modeling. 



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