74. 



populations as the anemone field found on the west wall of 

 Baltimore Canyon. This faunal heterogeneity makes extrapo- 

 lation from one area to another rather tentative. Based on 

 a knowledge of the substrate characteristics of an area it 

 is possible to predict what fauna might be there. However, at 

 this point it is impossible to make such a prediction with 

 any degree of certainty. Of particular importance in achiev- 

 ing this goal factors other than descriptive substrate 

 characteristics must be identified. Some of the factors that 

 might warrent further examination are: detailed substrate 

 composition, nutrient flux, sedimentation rate, long range 

 current dynamics and temperature fluctuations. 



Such a study should be divided into several stages. 

 The initial phase should be to create a detailed bathymetric 

 and geologic mapping of a particular area of interest. The 

 results of the first phase cind our present study could then 

 be utilized to predict what faunal constituents might inhabit 

 that area and also where they would be located. Sea-floor 

 photography with a towed camera sled should then be made to 

 test these predictions. Tests of the predictions are important 

 in identifying gaps in our understanding of the factors 

 controlling epifaunal populations and their distribution. 

 Areas of particular interest or deviation from the predictions 

 should then be studied in detail to elucidate some of these 

 factors. The optimum sampling technique for this phase would 



