PREFACE 



In late 1964, the new Fishery -Oceanography Cen- 

 ter of BCF (Bureau of Commercial Fisheries) was dedi- 

 cated; it stands on a clifftop on land deeded by the 

 University of California to the north of SIO (Scripps 

 Institution of Oceanography) at La JoUa. 



Into this building moved the two BCF Biologica] 

 Laboratories from La Jolla and San Diego, together with 

 several tenant agencies, including the lATTC (Inter- 

 American Tropical Tuna Commission) and STOR (Scripps 

 Tuna Oceanography Research). In June 1967, the two 

 BCF Laboratories were merged into a single laboratory 

 known simply as the Fishery-Oceanography Center, La 

 Jolla; it is the purpose of this report to describe the 

 research carried out in the first year following this reorga- 

 nization, the present aims of the laboratory, and the ma- 

 terial facilities which it now has at its disposal. 



The Fishery-Oceanography Center is the Federal 

 laboratory charged with fishery research in the BCF 

 Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses Cahfornia 

 and various inland states. Research at the Center is in- 

 tended to supplement that of the State agencies, with 

 which it collaborates, mainly within the framework of 

 CalCOFI (California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries In- 

 vestigations). 



The Center conducts research ashore in its labora- 

 tories and afioat on its research vessels, on the high seas 

 fished by the distant water fleet from California ports 

 and the home waters fished by smaller vessels. The Cen- 

 ter's research vessels operate througliout the California 

 Current and much of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean 

 from Mexico to Peru, and westwards towards the Mar- 

 quesas and Hawaiian Islands. 



In addition to research on problems relevant to 

 specific fisheries and designed to improve their status, 

 BCF is also charged with advancing basic fishery science. 

 The Fishery-Oceanography Center is active in such fields, 

 as is appropriate from its location, which is adjacent to 

 the laboratories of the Scripps Institution of Ocean- 

 ography, and of the Institute of Marine Resources, 

 organizations with which the scientific staff of the 

 Fishery-Oceanography Center have close relations. 



