US Long Term Ecological Research Network (US LTER) Delegation paid a visit to the Institute of Oceanology, CAS (IOCAS) during August 18 - 20, 2010.  Prof. SUN Song, the director of IOCAS, and other researchers from various research areas received the guests in IOCAS.

Director SUN introduced the IOCAS of its history, research personnel, achievements and facilities, and emphatically introduced our study on coastal marine science. Dr. Daniel Reed from Santa Barbara Coastal (SBC) LTER presented the US LTER on its general situation, research field and progress, and the response of coastal ecological system to global change.

The members of delegation highly praised the history, research strength, technical support ability, the mode of cross-over studies of coastal marine science and the achievements in scientific research of IOCAS. Both sides had a deep discussion on exchanging guest researchers, joint training young scientists and cooperative study.

The delegation also visited Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, the Marine Biological Science Museum, Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology and Chinese Marine Observation and Research Network Land-based Support Station, which laid a strong foundation for our future cooperation. 

US LTER was founded in 1980. The Network includes a wide range of ecosystem types spanning broad ranges of environmental conditions and human domination of the landscape. The geographic distribution of sites ranges from Alaska to Antarctica and from the Caribbean to French Polynesia and includes agricultural lands, alpine tundra, barrier islands, coastal lagoons, cold and hot deserts, coral reefs, estuaries, forests, freshwater wetlands, grasslands, kelp forests, lakes, open ocean, savannas, streams, and urban landscapes.

The delegation includes Dr. Daniel REED from Santa Barbara Coastal (SBC) LTER, Prof. Russell J. SCHMITT, principal investigator (Director) of Moorea Coral Reef (MCR) LTER, Prof. Sally J. HOLROOK from University of California Santa Barbara, Dr. Ruth GATES from University of Hawaii and Prof. Robert C. CARPENTER from California State University Northridge.