On the occasion of the 14th World Oceans Day, Ocean University of China (OUC) and Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) launched the Second International Collaborative Study on Kuroshio Current and the Surrounding Seas (CSK-2) in the Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific of the International Oceanographic Commission. (Unesco-IOC/WESTPAC). The study, a collaborative effort of 16 governments and research institutes from 8 countries, was officially registered as a Megascience project of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (“the Ocean Decade”) in the form of UN24.
The UNESCO-IOC/WESTPAC has already set up the CSK-2 International Steering Committee, with Prof. Lin Xiaopei (OUC) and Dr. Ken Ando (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) as co-chairs. The study will deepen China’s engagement in the global ocean governance system with the UN at its core, pool domestic and international strengths to promote the sustainable development of the oceans, and help build a maritime community with a shared future.
Characterized by high temperature, high salinity, narrow current width, fast flow, and high flux, Kuroshio is one of the strongest western boundary currents in the North Pacific Ocean. It plays an important regulatory role in the physical, ecological and even geological environment of the marginal seas of the Western Pacific. Its changes have a profound impact on the weather, climate change and energy-moisture cycle in East Asia. The First International Cooperative Study of Kuroshio Current and Surrounding Seas (CSK-1) was initiative by IOC and conducted over the course of 1965 to 1979. It promoted the understanding of Kuroshio and regional cooperation in marine science and technology. However, much remains to be learnt about Kuroshio and its surrounding seas, especially against the backdrop of global climate change.
CSK-2, based on the feasibility study conducted by UNESCO-IOC/WESTPAC with countries in the region, was formally established at the 13th Intergovernmental Meeting of the organization in 2021.
With the Kuroshio Current and its surrounding waters as the object, CSK-2 builds a framework for communication and cooperation among governments, research institutes, enterprises and other stakeholders of various countries. It promotes multidisciplinary research that leads to a better understanding of the Kuroshio Current, as well as its environmental and socio-economic values. CSK-2 develops effective solutions to meet the needs of social and economic development. With a focus on the Kuroshio Current and its impact on weather and climate, the study enables better forecasting outcomes of the weather and climate in the region. A better knowledge of the relationship between Kuroshio and marine ecosystems will also facilitate the development of fisheries and aquaculture.
In December 2017, the UN General Assembly announced the Ocean Decade, which has drawn close attention from countries. It aims to bring together efforts to produce the data, information and knowledge needed to deepen the overall understanding of the oceans, develop science-based policies and solutions for global ocean governance, and promote the sustainable development of the oceans. Focusing on ten major challenges, the Ocean Decade will be carried out on four levels “Action” (“Program”, “Project”, “Activity” and “Contribution”), following the guidance of The Ocean Decade Action Framework.
Translated by Wang Yaqi
Edited by Xu Derong, Yu Hong
