Greetings from the Organizing Committee of the 9th APMBC

  We live on one of the planets of a solar system. The Sun's energy is fixed through photosynthesis as the chemical energy and is cycling in the ecosystem. The ocean is the major player in the hydrosphere that regulates the ecosystem on earth and is not extensively studied as the lithosphere, land.

  Marine biotechnology is a multidisciplinary science. It encompasses basic sciences such as genomics, marine microbiology, and environmental science and applied sciences such as marine bioproducts, fishery products, and energy production. Marine biotechnology is the field to make linkages among them. For example, biotechnology for environmental science supports the sustainable use of marine organisms for human health and energy production.

  Since 1995, Asia-Pacific Marine Biotechnology Conference (APMBC) has been an international forum to solve issues on earth such as food and energy shortages, global environmental changes, and human health problems.

  The 9th APMBC will be held at CUL-PORT in Kochi city facing Tosa Bay, on the Pacific Ocean. The bay is enriched with nutrients supplied from vast forests behind it, and is a well-known breeding ground for fishes and whales. Thus, Kochi is an ideal place to appreciate the linkage between the forests and the ocean.

  We are organizing the 9th APMBC during July 13 to 16 in 2012, the high season for marine activities including a Marine Day (July 16). Please mark it on your calendars and start planning your trip to join the 9th Asia-Pacific Marine Biotechnology Conference.

  We, the Organizing Committee, enthusiastically welcome you to join us at the 9th APMBC in July, 2012.

Sincerely yours,