321 



OTHER SPECIAL AREAS 



In the other special areas our data are scanty, so that it is not possible to do more 

 than indicate some of the probabilities that suggest themselves in the light of the more 

 detailed work elsewhere. We have most data in the eastern South Pacific, but un- 

 fortunately there are no observations for February, and those in December and January 

 are inadequate. Data for the winter months are also lacking, but there is no doubt that 

 values must then be minimal. The figures, which are given in Table lo, suggest that 

 the main increase takes place in November, and a secondary increase in March, but 

 are too scanty to be conclusive. Certainly one would expect the secondary increase to 

 extend into April, but no observations for that month are available. The marked poverty 

 of the phytoplankton of this area at all times when it has been sampled is probably a 

 constant feature consequent upon the peculiar hydrological conditions. 



Table lo 



In the area north of the Ross Sea we have only fifteen observations in all. Five 

 centred round 20 January showed an average of 1170 units, and ten centred round 

 13 February averaged only 270 units of pigments per m.» From this it may be permis- 

 sible to conclude that the main increase takes place before the end of January as one 

 would expect, that the post-maximal decrease is well marked, and that the area is not so 

 poor as the eastern South Pacific. 



In the Weddell Sea, between the southern boundary of the Scotia Sea and the northern 

 boundary of the Southern Region, we have very few observations. Earlier work 

 indicated that the main increase takes place in January-February (Hart, 1934, pp. 96- 

 108). Five observations carried out from 10 to 12 November 1936 averaged only 90 

 units of pigments per m.^ the highest value recorded being 210 units. From this it 

 seems probable that no considerable production takes place before mid-November. A 

 single observation late in March gave a very low value. It is, therefore, just possible that 

 there is a marked post-maximal decrease here, prior to the autumnal secondary increase 

 with small Chaetocerids dominant described by Lohmann. The conditions in Bransfield 

 Strait and round the Palmer Archipelago have also been very thoroughly investigated in 

 our earlier work (Hart, 1934, pp. 109-36). Very few observations by our present 

 improved methods are available for this area; three in December 1934 yielded fairly 



