The purpose of the workshop is to bring together scientists studying or having interest in the Okhotsk Sea, northern Japan Sea, and Kuril Island region of the North Pacific. The workshop will review current marine science knowledge and the availability and exchange of data for implementing collaborative oceanographic research projects in the region. Vladivostok was chosen as the venue to maximize the opportunity for interaction between Russian scientists and those from other countries. The focus of the physical oceanography portion of the workshop will be on circulation, sea ice and water mass modification in the Okhotsk and northern Japan Seas. The workshop will produce an overview of the fisheries of the Okhotsk Sea, especially on how fishing and the environment affect abundance trends of walleye pollock and other non-salmonid species. The workshop will also review the distribution and survival of Pacific salmon in the Sea of Okhotsk with particular emphasis on the survival, abundance and stock identification of chum salmon.

For more information about the Okhotsk Sea workshop contact the PICES Secretariat c/o Institute of Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, BC, Canada V8L 4B2 (Phone: 604-363-6366; FAX: 604-363-6827; Internet: pices@ios.bc.ca).