Workshop to Assess Research Priorities in the Bering Sea

白令海支持一些世界上产量最高的渔业，并充当恒化器，在水、热和盐从北太平洋流向北冰洋时改变它们的浓度。近年来，很明显，这片季节性冰覆盖的亚北极海受到十年尺度和长期气候变化的影响。因此，有必要评估全球变化可能如何影响白令海的海洋生态系统及其支持生产性渔业的能力。为了评估制定一项主要研究举措的潜力，以便着重于解决这些问题的最有利可图的办法，建议于2002年9月初举办一次国际讲习班。讲习班的目标将是确定与全球变化对白令海次北极海洋生态系统的潜在影响有关的最重要的研究问题并确定其优先次序，并讨论回答这些问题的创新办法。讲习班的一项重要成果将是为解决这些问题的一项重大研究倡议的结构拟定大纲。该大纲将为更广泛的亚北极研究界参与制定和实施新的白令海研究计划提供基础。

The Bering Sea supports some of the world's most productive fisheries, and acts as a chemostat, modifying water, heat and salt concentrations as they flow from the North Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. In recent years, it has become evident that this seasonally ice-covered sub-arctic sea is subject to decadal-scale and secular changes in climate. Thus, there is a need to assess how global change may affect the marine ecosystem of the Bering Sea and its ability to support productive fisheries. To assess the potential for developing a major research initiative that could focus on the most profitable approaches to these questions, it is proposed to conduct an international workshop, to be held in early September 2002. The goal of the workshop would be to identify and prioritize the most important research questions concerning the potential effects of global change on the sub-arctic marine ecosystem of the Bering Sea and to discuss innovative approaches to answering these questions. An important product of the workshop will be the development of an outline for the structure of a major research initiative to address these questions. This outline would provide the basis for inclusion of the wider sub-arctic research community in the development and implementation of a new Bering Sea research program.