This volume presents a collection of multidisciplinary papers written by scientists from the various countries of the Pacific rim. The major topics covered are the origins of life in the marine environment, the changing distribution of biological parameters, hydrophysical and hydrochemical processes, and the exploitation of ocean resources and the ensuing consequences. The material is divided into five parts. An introduction gives an overview of the research activities of the IOC and related organizations. The following four parts of the book comprise a number of survey papers which deal with specific aspects of marine science in the Pacific Ocean. This book should be of use to researchers and decision makers interested in marine and environmental science with an emphasis on the Pacific Ocean.

Table of Contents:
I Introduction.- II Changeability of Natural Fields and Fluxes of Matter and Energy.- 1 Generation mechanism of thermohaline front in shelf sea.- 2 Stability and fine structure of water masses in the Kuroshio frontal zone.- 3 Mineral aerosol over and deposition to the Pacific Ocean.- 4 Statistical structure of oceanic fields in the Subarctic frontal zone.- 5 Some results of study of currents on the southern shelf of Vietnam.- 6 On vertical mixing in shelf and frontal zones of the ocean 93.- 7 A numerical model of the formation of cold front and its derived circulation on the shelf.- 8 Hydrological fronts in the Northeast Pacific Ocean in Autumn season.- III Formation and Distribution of Life.- 9 A unique nitrogen balance at the anaerobic floor of the brackish lake Nakanoumi.- 10 Thermodynamically nonequilibrium nature of the ocean/atmosphere interface and the origin of life.- 11 Migration mechanism of the AYU.- 12 Spatial distribution of mesoplankton in Kuroshio frontal zone during “Megapolygon” experiment.- 13 Spawning habitat, continental shelf area and herring production in the North Pacific Ocean.- 14 The influence of ocean surface temperature variability on saury shoal displacement.- IV Exploitation of Oceanic Resources and Estimation of Anthropogenic Influence on Marine Ecosystems.- 15 Two theories in the exploitation of chemical resources of sea water.- 16 Possible ecological consequences of ferromanganese nodule mining from the Pacific Ocean floor.- 17 The exploitation and utilization of marine living resources.- 18 Physical, chemical and bacterial destruction of oil on the shelf of Okhotsk and Japan seas.- 19 Oil and gas development and associated environmental impact studies on the Pacific Coast of the United States.- 20 The effect of environmental pollution, hydrocarbons and heavy metals on reproduction of sea urchins and bivalves.- 21 Effect of temperature and cadmium on accumulation of copper by mussel tissues.- V Methods of Observations and Calculations.- 22 Laser analytical photoionization spectroscopy — a novel potential in ocean research.- 23 High-resolution measurements of pH, fluorescence and turbidity in sea water.- 24 Estimation of plankton role in migration of trace elements in marine estuaries.- 25 Numerical modelling of nonconservative pollutant transport in the coastal zone.