Congressional Briefing in Washington next week to protect the ocean.

The meeting, which is the first of its kind, is being organised by the recently formed International Center for Ocean & Human Health (ICOHH), which was founded by the BBSR in 1998.

The health of the ocean and its risks to humans is the topic of the briefing which will call for greater recognition to the study of the interaction between humans and the ocean worldwide, and in particular, to develop the findings of an international workshop on the ocean and human health held at BBSR in November 1999.

BBSR Director Dr. Anthony Knap said: "The aim of the briefing is to look for funding for some international centres to deal with oceans and human health and it is something we have been dealing with throughout the history of the BBSR, dealing with the benefits of the ocean as well as the risks to the ocean itself and the connection between people and the ocean.''.

The workshop recommended that ten international centres be created to achieve this purpose and through these centres, a global monitoring system would be established and a training programme would be put in place for the development of new technology from developed to developing countries.

Speaking as one of BBSR's longest serving trustees, Sir John Swan remarked yesterday: "This Congressional Briefing by BBSR endorses Bermuda as on one of the leading scientific countries of the world, The proposals being put forward by BBSR and the ICOHH affects everyone on this planet and gives the island of Bermuda the opportunity to make a contribution to the world.'' The BBSR believes that the world's oceans provide great health benefits to humans from food and nutritional resources, from recreational opportunities and from new cures for human disease. However, the health of the ocean poses risks to human health too, particularly as coastal areas come under increasing pressure and deterioration from industrialisation and climate variability.

Dr. Knap, who will moderate the briefing, explained: "This Congressional briefing is one of the most important that BBSR has engaged in its 97 years of existence. It builds upon expertise developed in the past with new technologies of the present and future. This is certainly enhancing Bermuda's reputation around the globe.'' Featured speakers at the Briefing include Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIGH, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health); former BBSR Trustee Margaret Leinen, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Directorate for Geosciences, National Science Foundation; and Lora Fleming, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Miami NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center. Six Trustees of the BBSR will also be attending the briefing.

The briefing will held on Wednesday February 16 and will be broadcast live on BBSR's website at wwww.bbsr.edu between 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Bermuda time).