THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



279 



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KOMEBAIL LAGOON,,-.;;;-, ^BABElDAUB: 



EAST 



PALAU 



LAGOON 



3. 4. 5. 



Text Figure No. 190, Map number 5. A portion of the Palau archipelago, to illustrate 



Iwayama Bay. 



lyspongia diffusa, Adocia turquoisia, Sigmadocia emphasis, Biemna fortis, 

 and Anthosigmella vagabunda were all very common in such localities. 



As at Truk, it was often noticeable that sponges were especially abundant 

 where the water was more green than blue. This emphatically does not refer 

 to the color which was reflected from the surface but to that which was 

 observed against a white coral background as seen with the viewing box, and 

 allowance was made for depth. This undoubtedly has to do with material 

 dissolved and suspended in the water and has bearing on sponge nutrition. 

 Chemical analyses of such waters should be instructive. 



In the Palaus I dwelt on Koror Island, adjacent to Iwayama Bay, and 

 studied that bay repeatedly. It was also possible to explore fairly carefully 

 the large lagoon (Komebail Lagoon) north and east of Koror. We also 

 studied the sponges along the west coast of Babeldaub Island, for a distance 

 of about 20 kilometers up to the region where, prior to 1940, the Japanese 

 had maintained a sponge-propagating farm. 



In the Truk region I dwelt on Moen Island and studied the sponges (or 

 lack of) completely around this island — a circumference of about 16 kilo- 

 meters. It was also possible to study a line or traverse off to the northwest 

 about 2 kilometers, to a small islet called Scheiben. I was also able to obtain 

 transportation to a reportedly most suitable area in the western part of the 

 lagoon and found the sponge situation to be very interesting. I dwelt tempor- 

 arily on Polle Island and studied sponges and their ecology in the bay south- 



