Arabian Sea Update

In May 1993, U.S. GLOBEC published Report No. 9, an Implementation Plan and Workshop Report for U.S. GLOBEC Studies in the Arabian Sea. The report offers two levels of implementation plan for U.S. GLOBEC studies in the Arabian Sea. The first was a modest scale program that could be undertaken in the Arabian Sea during the 1994-1996 frame in conjunction with other programs (JGOFS, ONR/ARI, and WOCE). The second implementation was an ambitious plan designed to answer some of the exciting questions presented by the pelagic ecology of the Arabian Sea; it was presented to provide a framework for a "full-scale" study of the dynamics of the physical regime, mesozooplankton stocks, and stocks of migratory myctophids in the event that at some future time the U.S. oceanographic and fisheries community might revisit the Arabian Sea.

The U.S. GLOBEC Scientific Steering Committee, Arabian Sea Implementation Committee, and Program Office strongly believe that the science issues (for both levels of implementation) detailed in U.S. GLOBEC Report No. 9 on the Arabian Sea represent excellent science. At this time, however, U.S. GLOBEC, because of lack of funds and an underfunded, concurrent program in the NW Atlantic, does NOT anticipate the release of a directed announcement of opportunity for U.S. GLOBEC funding of research in the Arabian Sea in the near-term (i.e., during 1994-1996).

We would point out that three major programs will have ship-resources in the Arabian Sea during the 1994-96 period (most of which are already fully committed). In addition, there are two cruises of a NOAA research vessel scheduled (one in spring [intermonsoon] and one in summer [monsoon] of 1995) for the Arabian Sea. These cruises will be focusing on the interactions of marine organisms with their environment in a GLOBEC sense. Plans are to sample near the JGOFS, ONR/ARI mooring site(s) as well as to traverse the upwelling region. There may be opportunities for participation on these research cruises. Contact for obtaining more information about these NOAA cruises to the Arabian Sea is Dr. Peter B. Ortner at 305-361-4384 (phone), 305-361-4582 (fax), or P.ORTNER (Omnet). Funding for participation on these cruises will have to be obtained from agencies in the usual manner for unsolicited proposals.