Proceedings of the Third Technical Seminar on Marine Fishery Resources Survey in the South China Sea, Area III: Western Philippines

Abstract

To provide a forum for scientists from SEAFDEC countries and SEAFDEC Departments who participated in the SEAFDEC Inter-departmental Research program, the Secretariat organized, on 13 July 1999, the Third Technical Seminar in Metro Manila, Philippines. Like two earlier technical seminars, the Third seminar discussed the results of the fisheries and oceanographic survey covering the waters of western Philippines, designated for the purpose of our survey as Area III. For 46 days at sea from 7 April 1998, our research and training vessel, M.V. SEAFDEC, covered an area of 86,400 sq.mi. of the South china Sea that lies between latitudes 11 N and 20 N, and longitudes 117 E and 121 E. By no means a continental shelf, 95% of Area III is more than 1,000 m deep. Certainly, fish and other marine fauna are somewhat different from those of a near-shore area.