DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY.* 



Alfred G. Mayer, Director. 



The abandonment of the United States naval base once maintained 

 at Tortugas renders it practically imperative that we also abandon this 

 region as a site for our principal laboratory; for despite its preeminent 

 advantages in the purity of its ocean water, its isolation, so conducive 

 to intensive research, and its fauna well supplied with forms required 

 for the needs of a modern experimental laboratory, the expense of 

 maintenance has become so great that another more available site 

 must be selected in which to continue and expand our studies. The 

 rising price of gasoline is a considerable factor in this regard, for our 

 only means of communication with the world is through Key West, 

 distant 68 miles, and thus our yacht the Anion Dohrn must make 

 weekly trips to this base of supplies and back to Tortugas, drawing 

 away her crew and depriving us of her services in such oceanographic 

 work as she is well fitted to undertake. 



It is therefore necessary that the best possible site for our new base 

 be found and that the entire West Indian region be studied with a view 

 to supplementing the studies which may be carried out at the main 

 laboratory wherever situated. With this in view, the Director has 

 already visited Jamaica, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Guade- 

 loupe, Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Demerara, 

 and during March and April 1916, accompanied by Dr. H. L. Clark, 

 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, and 

 Dr. Theodor Mortensen, of Copenhagen University, a visit was made to 

 Tobago and Trinidad. Our engineer, Mr. John Mills, went with us, 

 and it is due chiefly to his intelligent and active interest that the 

 remarkable success of the expedition was achieved. 



We left New York on March 11 and returned on May 8, and although 

 without letters of introduction to the officials of the Government of 

 Tobago we were most courteously received and kindly welcomed by 

 the Honorable Hubert Strange, the local governor, as well as by Messrs. 

 Thomas E. Miller, H. R. Hamilton, and Harold de Pass, officials and 

 prominent estate owners of this beautiful island. 



Our expressions of gratitude are especially due to Albert H. Cipriani, 

 esq., of Port-of-Spain, who generously placed at our disposal, free of rent, 

 the excellent estate house at Pigeon Point, Tobago, which proved to be 

 in all respects an ideal residence for our laboratory. Our most efficient 

 and constantly helpful friend while here was Harold Kernahan, esq., 

 manager of the large coconut estate of this end of the island. 



While at Port-of-Spain, also, our expedition was significantly aided 

 by advice and active assistance on the part of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Rorer, 



^Situated at Tortugas, Florida. 



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