Dr. Bilal Haq, Director for Marine Geosciences of National Science Foundation NSF) paid a visit to the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) on Nov. 27, 2012.

Director Sun Song of IOCAS expressed his warm welcome to Dr. Haq’s visit.  Dr. Haq delivered a report on "United States Marine Geology latest progresses", which focused on the Global Ocean Observing System, Global Gas Hydrate Research Program, New Marine Programs at NSF (FESD - Frontiers in Earth System Dynamics; SEES - Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability), and a new concept--Earth Cube. Dr. Haq had a in-depth discussion with IOCAS experts .

In China, marine science and technology is accelerating toward the deep sea, Dr. Haq's report provides a reference for China's construction of the ocean observing system, participation in global exchange research, development of deep-sea resources, the study of Earth's tectonic change and participation in the Ocean Drilling Program. The report is benefit for researchers to accurately grasp international frontier of marine science and technology, to strengthen the supporting role of marine science and technology.

Dr. Bilal Haq is a world-renowned marine geoscientist, whose research interests include syntheses of global eustatic, paleoceanographic and stratigraphic data. He has published extensively on a wide variety of topics in geosciences, including marine micropaleontology, paleobiogeography, paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, sequence stratigraphy, global change and natural gas hydrates.

He has directed the marine geosciences programmes at the US National Science Foundation since the 1988. During this tenure he has also held assignments with the White House and the World Bank. He has been awarded the Shepard medal for excellence in marine geology by the Society of Sedimentary Geology, the Antarctic Medal by NSF, and the Ocean Sciences Award by the American Geophysical Union.