viii PREFACE 



ditions that have been recorded in various parts of the world from 

 1891 to 1945 are summarized in a table, along u'ith specific organisms 

 involved, the presence or absence of luminescence, the occurrence of 

 mass mortality, and brief notes on the ecological conditions. 



The final paper by Haxo and Sweeney deals with the cultivation 

 and some of the physiological characteristics of the photosynthetic, 

 marine dinoflagellate, Gonyaulax polyedra, which occasionally gives 

 rise to remarkably vivid displays of luminescence in the coastal waters 

 of southern California. 



It is both pleasant and appropriate to record grateful acknowledg- 

 ment of the assistance rendered in many ways toward the success of 

 the Conference: by the National Science Foundation, the National 

 Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, the members of the 

 sub-committee on arrangements, the management of Asilomar, the 

 authors of the papers and discussion, and the publishers. The editorial 

 task has been lightened in various ways, especially by the prompt and 

 efficient cooperation of the authors and of all others concerned with 

 the publication. Editorial changes in manuscripts were rarely made 

 and they were chiefly for correcting a few obvious errors. The editor 

 must assume full responsibility, however, for the author, genera and 

 species, and subject indexes, as well as for whatever errors, shortcom- 

 ings, or usefulness may be found in them. 



F. H. J. 



Princeton, N. /. 

 January 1, 1955 



