1. Objectives of the NOPACCS Data set

It's my pleasure to issue the NOPACCS data set Vol. 1, here.

This data set compiled a part of oceanographic observation results of Northwest Pacific Carbon Cycle Study (NOPACCS). NOPACCS operated from 1990 to 1996 by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization(NEDO) under the financial and other assistance of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

Survey and research activities of NOPACCS consigned to the Kansai Environmental Engineering Center, Co., Ltd with researchers from National Institute for Resources and Environment (NIRE),Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) and universities etc.

Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) has been playing the role of national oceanographic data bank in order to support user's activities in the sea by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information.

In recent days, there are planning and operating many oceanographic research projects by reasons of increasing interest to the global environment problem, the global warming, marine pollution etc. On these projects, there are expecting to operate multirateraly and interdisciplinarily and to share data and information among research community in order to obtain the high quality and cost effective results.

NOPACCS aimed to quantitatively evaluate the carbon cycle in the ocean, but such kind of oceanographic data requiring a time and man power to analyze, have been a little sharing among research community so far. And also an oceanographic observation similar NOPACCS is very few in the central North Pacific Ocean where NOPACCS studied on.

On their circumstance, we believe there are important and applause thing that NOPACCS data opened for other users through JODC. We hope this data set will be useful for user, and we would like to appreciate the members of NOPACCS, NEDO, NIRE,G.S.J and universities etc.

March, 1999

Toshio NAGAI

Director, Japan Oceanographic Data Center