2 J. E. Hobbie 



beaches, families, or television. The resulting intense interactions and 

 scientific excitement could only be maintained for a month or so, but 

 helped immensely to stimulate creativity and to integrate the various 

 projects. 



Description of the Ponds 



Small ponds formed on old lake beds are abundant on the flat coastal 

 plain of northern Alaska (Figure 1-1). A number of these ponds, several 

 kilometers from the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory at Barrow, were 

 studied for several years to improve our understanding of the controls of 

 aquatic populations and processes that operate in this extreme 

 environment. 



The ponds are small, only about 30 x 40 m, and shallow, up to 0.5 m 

 deep (Figure 1-2, 1-3). Each pond is surrounded by wet tundra, mostly low 

 grasses and sedges, and is cut off from adjoining ponds by a network of 



71-20'. 



7\'-\5'- 



156° 50' 



156-40' 



1 56° 30' 



FIGURE 1-1. Location of IBP Tundra Biome Project, showing the 

 Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, the village of Barrow, and the re- 

 search sites (cross-hatched area). 



