The Antarctic Sector of the Pacific covers the area between Australia and South America south of about 45°S. The region comprises about 6% of the Earth's surface and is amongst the most remote, hostile and least studied of the world's oceans. The scientific importance of the region is derived from its role in the reconstruction of Gondwanaland, its influence on Pacific climate and palaeoclimate and its biological productivity. No systematic surveys of the region have been undertaken since the work of the U.S.N.S. Eltanin (1962-1972). The comprehensive reassessment of whale stocks by the International Whaling Commission in 1990 and problems with ratification of the Antarctic Minerals Regime attest to the importance of Antarctic matters at present.The book will stimulate scientific activity in the region and serve as a handbook for future research. It should also appeal to oceanographers and Polar scientists.

The era of the exploration of the World Ocean is not yet over: some areas still lack an adequate number of observations. The relationships between the physical, chemical and biological processes, which sustain the life on this planet, are not yet fully understood. In short, knowledge of the oceans is still far from satisfactory. This book covers an important period in the study of one of the last investigated areas of the World Ocean: the Ross Sea, Antarctica. During the 1990s, long-term experiments were conducted in this area as part of the Climatic Long-term Interaction for the Mass balance in Antarctica (CLIMA) project of the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research (PNRA), providing a wealth of oceanographic information. This book is an outcome of the CLIMA field obser vations and international collaborations with the most important programmes in the Ross Sea-Southern Ocean area. It contributes to the st!ldies of the spatial and temporal variability of Ross Sea water masses and circulation and their relation ship with the Southern Ocean circulation. A comprehensive review of historical data is offered, and new data sets are analysed. The studies presented in this book show that much progress has been achieved during the last decade, but large gaps in our understanding of the physical processes in the Ross Sea are still to be filled. However, these studies contribute significantly to the investigation of some specific aspects regarding the circula tion of the main water masses.

Many nations conduct research and engage in other scientific activities on our frozen continentâ€"Antarctica. Each year the U.S. National Committee for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) compiles a book that includes these nations' reports of scientific pursuits undertaken by their citizens in Antarctica during the previous austral summer and of planned activities for the next season. This book details the activities that occurred in 1990 and is of particular value to policymakers and scientists throughout the world who are planning Antarctic programs.

The volume surveys and discusses the range of current issues arising in the law of the sea from an Asian-Pacific perspective. There have been major developments in the law of the sea in the region: many current controversies (e.g. over archipelagic sealanes passage, drift-net fishing and environmental management) have their origins, or important exemplars, in the region. The contributors include international lawyers, political scientists and government officials with expertise in the region. Particular aspects of the book which are of interest are: (a) its discussion of the perspectives of particular countries in the region (East Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands); (b) its focus on issues of the marine environment and fisheries, including drift-net fishing; (c) discussion of specific developments which are of general interest (the Torres Strait Treaty and its implementation, maritime-confidence-building measures, dispute resolution); and (d) an overview of issues relating to high seas freedoms, including in particular transit through straits and archipelagoes. There is a concluding essay by the editors summarizing the various trends.