9723583 Pilskaln This award supports a visit to China by U.S .researchers Cynthia Pilskaln, Fei Chai, and Richard Barber to plan future research collaborations in the Southern Ocean. The trip will allow the U.S. P.I.s to develop a joint U.S.-China research program in the Southern Ocean, taking advantage of annual cruises by the Chinese to their Antarctic Research Station. The Chinese counterpart is Dong Zhaoqian, Director of the Polar Research Institute, Shanghai. During the planning visit, the P.I.s will meet with Chinese scientists and government officials to discuss and develop mutual scientific interests and devise a joint research plan. The P.I.s will also visit the newly constructed polar research vessel, Xue Long, to see first hand the research instrumentation available and to discuss sampling and at-sea analysis procedures with the ship's crew and technicians. The Southern Ocean is comparatively unsampled; this lack of data is an obstacle to improved understanding of global climate. Use of the regularly scheduled Chinese research vessel trips to the Antarctic could provide an important additional platform for data acquisition, but arranging such joint programs requires face to face meetings and development of detailed understandings. This planning visit is an important initial step in a potentially valuable cooperation.
