Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and the United States are to continue their joint maritime research activity in east Indonesian waters with a project to explore the waters around Halmahera island beginning in May 2011, a marine affairs ministry official said.

"The cooperation between Indonesia and the US will be continued in Halmahera waters next June," said Gellwynn Jusuf, secretary general of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry here on Friday.

He said the cooperation would be a continuation of a joint oceanic expedition conducted by Indonesia and the United States in Sangihe-Talaud waters in North Sulawesi in the middle of 2010.

The cooperation, according to Gellwynn, would be the implementation of a joint exploration program which would run for three years. The joint marine research project in Halmahera waters would last 40 days.

On the results of the previous joint research in Sangihe-Talaud waters, he said the study had resulted in the discovery of a total of 600 new species. The publication of these findings would be carried out through a series of seminars or symposium to be held in the near future.

In addition to the research program, Gelwynn added, the joint maritime exploration between the two countries was also dedicated to fisheries.

The research had helped in detecting various potential fishery locations in some Indonesian waters.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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