| Summary: | The natural environment that characterizes the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean has attracted global attention due to the frequent and devastating natural disasters in the region, as well as the strategic importance of western Pacific nations to the global economy and political stability. In spite of this global significance, the South China Sea was still relatively unexplored from a scientific viewpoint until recently. Over the past 13 years, oceanographers from the United States and Taiwan, supported by the US Office of Naval Research and the Taiwan National Science Council, respectively, have worked together to probe this mysterious and fascinating sea. This joint effort has resulted in rewarding scientific and personal/professional partnerships, leading to a better understanding of the natural environment as well as establishing a model of long-term collaboration across the Pacific.
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