The 21st Annual Meeting of the APEC Marine Resource Conservation Working Group (MRCWG) met from 15-17th of April 2008, in Piura, Peru. The meeting was attended by 31 participants from 16 economies, including the United States. The meeting discussed a range of issues, including the Terms of Reference for the MRCWG, project reporting/status, new project proposals, update on the MRCWG portion of Bali Plan of Action, priority issues for 2008, the Coral Triangle Initiative, and the ongoing MRCWG Independent Assessment. NOAA delegates provided information on a recently produced Tsunami Warning Center Reference Guide, updated the meeting on the ongoing project on Marine Ecosystem Identification and Mapping, and presented a proposal for a new project on Marine Ecosystem Assessment and Management in the Asia-Pacific Region. Meeting participants provided positive feedback on the ongoing project as well as expressed support for the new project proposal on marine ecosystems. Further, the 7th joint session of the APEC MRCWG and the Fisheries Working Group (FWG) was held on April 18, 2008 in Piura, Peru. The meeting was attended by 18 member economies and discussed a range of issues that are of mutual interest to both groups, including ecosystem-based management, climate change and marine debris. For more information, please contact Shannon Dionne.

On April 16th, Vice Admiral Lautenbacher signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) to facilitate scientific cooperation in earth observations. This is the second MOU NOAA signed with India this year. Recently NOAA signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) reaffirming a commitment to cooperation in satellite and in situ Earth observation missions, data sharing, research ground system capabilities and for both research and applications. With the signing of this NOAA-MoES agreement and the first implementing arrangement, the US and India will undertake collaboration for implementing the Indian Ocean Observing System Mooring Array known as RAMA. This program will build our understanding of the global implications of the Indian Ocean Dipole. Additional projects under consideration for NOAA & MoES collaboration include: Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gas Measurements, Climate Model and Ocean Assimilation Analyses for the Indian Ocean Region, and Climate Monitoring and Prediction System for the South Asian Region and utilization of archived tide gauge data. Minister Sibal of India identified data sharing, data assimilation and data products as critical to transferring the benefits of science and technology to the people of India, the United States and all other nations. Vice Admiral Lautenbacher agreed that cooperation especially in the area of data sharing is of paramount importance to the success of this agreement and of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.