Progress to Date |
| Planning.--Correspondence with Japanese and Russian
scientists about the possibility of organizing an international team of
biologists to conduct a detailed biological survey of the Kuril Islands began
inJanuary 1992. In February 1992, curators of the Burke Museum
discussed the Kuril idea with Dr. Veniamin Myasnikov, Vice President of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, Far East Branch, who was then visiting
Seattle. On 29 March 1992, as a result of these preliminary talks and
a two-page abstract describing the Kuril project submitted to Dr.
Myasnikov, I was invited to go to Vladivostok by Dr. Vitaly Tarasov of
the Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, to discuss joint research
in the Kurils. Unable to accept this invitation because of prior
commitments, things were put off until early December 1992, when I wrote
to Dr. Mikhael Glubokovsky, Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, who
had been corresponding about the Kuril project with Dr. Kunio Amaoka of
Hokkaido University. Dr. Glubokovsky's great enthusiasm for the idea
lead to a second invitation to visit Vladivostok, this time from Vladimir
Kasyanov, Director, Institute of Marine Biology. Together with Dr.
Amaoka, I spent a week (22-29 March 1993) in Vladivostok, discussing the
project with Russian scientists. Following the Russian visit, another
week was spent in Tokyo, discussing the project further with Japanese
scientists, and with Michiaki Takaishi, Head of Programs, Japan Society
for the Promotion of Science, who agreed to consider a parallel proposal
to support the Japanese team. Further details of the plan were later
worked out with Dr. Amaoka, who spent the month of May 1993 with me in
Seattle.
Preliminary Visits.--See "Results From Prior NSF Support." |