THE RELATION OF ALG TO DISSOLVED 
OXYGEN AND CARBON - DIOXIDE. 
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE 
TO CARBONATES. 
BY CHARLES OSCAR CHAMBERS. 
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 
During the summer months of 1908 and 1909, while 
associated with the Puget Sound Marine Station at Friday 
Harbor, Wn., I undertook the study of some alge growing 
in the tide pools and lower tide levels of Puget Sound. The 
study was suggested by Dr. T. C. Frye, Professor of Botany 
at the University of Washington, and sought to find an 
explanation for the great variations already noted by him, 
in Prionitis lyallii as found at different levels or exposed 
to different degrees of light, heat, and possibly to different 
amounts of dissolved gases. 
My observations included a considerable range of condi- 
tions as shown along the shores of the different islands, 
with all possible degrees of exposure to light, air and tidal 
currents. There is a range of over ten feet from lowest 
to highest tide levels, and a range of 10° F. in temperature, 
viz., from 58° to 63° F.; the pools left at high tide or 
those filled by spray, being about ten degrees warmer than 
the main body of water, which is very constant at 53° F. 
Here in these upper levels, in this warmer water, is the 
favorite haunt of the typical form of Prionitis, where it is 
smaller and more branched than at the lower levels. This 
was at first supposed to be an adaptation to a smaller supply 
of COz in the warmer pools. The warmer water has a lower 
coefficient of absorption for the gases, oxygen and COz. 
The more branched and divided forms would present more 
absorptive surface to compensate for the smaller amount 
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