distribution and abundance of commercially important organisms, 

 together with their ecology, is now possible. To understand the 

 ecology of any species it is necessary to study its diet, 

 habitat, behavior and the associated flora and fauna. Such 

 studies must be site-specific and non-destructive and should 

 include in situ manipulative experiments. Without submersibles 

 such studies would be impossible. Much of the published data 

 lack the resolution available using this undersea technology and 

 is consequently unable to answer the questions we are posing. 



The ultimate goal of the concerted research efforts seeks to 

 understand what factors control the carrying capacity of 

 fisheries-related organisms within the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, 

 which in turn contributes to the economic and biological carrying 

 capacity of the regional human population. This volume presents 

 the first results of the studies of the benthic 

 productivity and traces energy transfer from primary 

 productivity to higher trophic levels. The organization of the 

 volume roughly mirrors this flow with chapters dedicated to each 

 session presented at the undersea science symposium held at the 

 University of Connecticut at Avery Point in October, 1987. To 

 illustrate this, the logo appearing at the beginning of this 

 volume serves to identify topics under each research section. 

 The logo is designed to illustrate the interrelationships that 

 exist between each section. Some studies could just as easily 

 been placed in a different section. Each chapter in this volume 

 is prefaced by a summary of the papers and a report of the 

 current status of research in each section. 



Chapter one, BENTHIC ECOLOGY - HARD SUBSTRATA examines a 

 unique rock-dwelling community centrally located in the gulf and 

 what appears to be a distinctly different food web that exists 

 there. Chapter two, BENTHIC ECOLOGY - SOFT SUBSTRATA focuses on 

 the most abundant organisms found throughout the gulf. Chapter 

 three, SEDIMENT DYNAMICS examines the horizontal transport and 

 composition of sediments at several coastal and central gulf 

 locations. Sediment studies involve both those concerned with 

 grain size (ranging from boulders to micrometer size particles) 

 and origin (i.e., inorganic sand to organic shell hash and 

 nepheloid or "fluff" layers) . Aspects of vertical transport of 

 constituent particles is the focus of chapter four, BENTHIC- 

 PELAGIC COUPLING. Benthic-pelagic coupling refers to the 

 linkage between processes occuring in the water column and on the 

 benthos. This involves not only particle distribution and 

 productivity raining from the water column but also the reverse 

 in the form of benthic resuspension of sediments and biotically- 

 mediated upward transport of organics. Chapter five, FISHERIES 

 examines the relationship between scallops and groundfishes and 

 their habitat and prey. A herring egg bed study is also the 

 focus of site-specific research. 



