An annual meeting of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) was held in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, on Monday. [soa.gov.cn]

An annual meeting of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) was held in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, on Monday.

More than 500 marine scientists and researchers participated in the 24th annual meeting of PICES, which was themed "changes and sustainability of the northern Pacific Ocean."

China will actively promote maritime scientific research and innovation as well as international cooperation to advance sustainable marine development, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) on Monday.

Established in 1992, PICES is an intergovernmental scientific organization aiming to promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas. Its present members include China, the United States, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea and Russia.