## North Pacific Marine Science Organization to hold PICES V in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, October 11-20, 1996

### Time and Location

The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) will hold its Fifth Annual Meeting October 11-20, 1996 at the Coast Bastion Inn in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The meeting is hosted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Government of Canada, in coordination with the PICES Secretariat. Local arrangements are made by the Pacific Biological Station and the Malaspina University-College.

### Program Sessions

1. Methods and findings of retrospective analyses. (Science Board) Co-convenors: Robert C. Francis (U.S.A.) and Kimio Hanawa (Japan).

To consider the effects of climate variations on marine ecosystems requires long time series of data extending back through and beyond the historical record. Retrospective analyses of such data have been identified as a major approach in the "Climate Change and Carrying Capacity" (CCCC) Program which has organized this symposium. Papers are invited that deal with methods of data analysis, their application to studies of physical and biological time series, including those using paleo-data, and their findings. Selected papers from this first CCCC Symposium will be published in the PICES Scientific Report Series.

2. Exchanges of water, organisms, and sediment between continental shelf waters and the nearby ocean. (POC) Co-convenors: Kenneth L. Denman (Canada) and Kuh Kim (Korea).

The PICES member countries, like most coastal nations, have many large centers of population within 50 km of the ocean, and depend on the continental shelves and coastal seas for food, minerals, transportation, waste disposal, and recreation. The continental shelves exchange water, organisms, sediments and other materials with the North Pacific Ocean. This Symposium will focus on current scientific research in the PICES countries on these exchanges between the continental shelf waters and the open ocean and their consequences.

3. Regional and interannual variants in life histories of key species. (BIO) Co-convenors: David L. Mackas (Canada) and Tsutomu Ikeda (Japan).

The productivity and structure of marine communities can be strongly affected by the timing match between key environmental and life cycle events (e.g., migration, spawning, developmental timing). There is increasing evidence that life history strategies of key plankton and fish species vary from place to place and over time, and that shifts in seasonal transitions and other environmental events accompany climate trends and fluctuations. We invite papers for this session that examine the variability of life history strategy in response to environmental conditions, mechanisms of adaptation, and robustness in the face of climate variability.

4. Ecological effects of truncated age and size distributions and fishing on fish populations. (FIS) Co-convenors: Richard J. Beamish (Canada), Anne B. Hollowed (U.S.A.) and Suam Kim (Korea).

The structure of the population has evolved to adapt to the particular habitat. In many species this has resulted in fish obtaining older ages and larger sizes. Fishing has become a force of selection and may be altering the structure in a manner that reduces the population's ability to adapt to extremes in the environment. In particular, many populations have greatly truncated age structure and reductions in average size at age. Presentations should focus on: (1) providing examples of truncated age and size distributions resulting from fishing; (2) discussing the ecological importance of longevity; and (3) modelling the consequences of extreme reductions in the number of age groups in populations. There is interest in publishing the papers in a refereed journal. Please indicate whether you are prepared to do this when submitting an abstract.

5. Processes of contaminant cycling. (MEQ) Co-convenors: Lee Harding (Canada), Tracy Collier (U.S.A.) and D.B. Yang (Korea).

This session will discuss the roles of advection, sedimentation and re-suspension, atmospheric transport and biological processes in controlling the distribution of contaminants in the marine environment. Papers dealing with long range transport (e.g., on a trans-Pacific scale) are especially encouraged.

Scientific sessions will include invited and contributed papers on these topics as well as contributed papers on other subjects of interest to the Committees. Contributed papers will be selected for oral or poster presentation.

In addition to the scientific sessions, there will be meetings of the Science Board, Governing Council and meetings of the Scientific and Technical Committees. The Scientific and Technical Committee sessions, which are open to public, will be on October 16 and 17.

### Registration, Accomodations, and More

Pre-registration is encouraged. The registration deadline is September 12, 1996. There is a registration fee of CDN$45.00 (includes reception and banquet). Please pay by cheque or money order in Canadian funds payable to the North Pacific Marine Science Organization.

Participants are expected to make their own reservations before September 12, 1996. A large block of rooms has been reserved at the Coast Bastion Inn (venue for the meeting) [Fax: (604) 753-4155] and two smaller blocks of rooms at the Dorchester Hotel (50m from meeting venue) [Fax: (604) 754-2638] and the Tally-Ho Motel (four city blocks from meeting venue)[Fax: (604) 753-6522]. PICES participants have priority for reserving these rooms until September 12.

For more information, contact the PICES Secretariat, c/o Institute of Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, B.C. Canada V8L 4B2 [Phone: (604) 363-6366; Fax: (604) 363-6827; Internet: pices@ios.bc.ca]