fishinp boats unload their catches at two busy U.S. -owned 

 canneries in Pago Pago. 



In April 1965, in cooperation with the Trust Territory 

 of the Pacific Islands and the newly established U.S. -owned 

 fish freezing plant in Koror, Palau Islands, the Laboratory 

 started similar sampling of fish taken in that area of the 

 Western Caroline Islands. 



The study of Pacific tuna is intimately linked to knowl- 

 edge of the environment in which the fish live. With im- 

 pressive cooperation over the years, agencies with stations 

 all over the Pacific have been assisting in the collection 

 of surface water temperatures and salinity samples for 

 BCF. The collections continue to lead toward a better un- 

 derstanding of the movements of ocean currents and water 

 masses and ultimately of the fish which live in them. 



The cooperative program began in late 1953. Working 

 with the District Commissioner of the Line Islands District, 

 Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, scientists from the BCF 

 arranged for Gilbertese employees on Christmas Island to 

 gather the desired temperatures and water samples. This 

 important set of records from the equatorial region has 

 continued with few breaks to the present time. 



In November 1955, employees of the Laboratory began a 

 twice-weekly collection of water samples at Koko Head on 

 Oahu, for chemical analysis. As is true of all the sampling 

 sites, Koko Head water is characterized by open-ocean con- 

 ditions. 



In early 1957, weekly sampling was begun northwest of 

 Hawaii, on Wake Island, French Frigate Shoal, and Midway 

 Island. Then Johnston Island, to the southwest, was followed 



FIGURE 5. The auction market in Honolulu disposes of fresh fish. 

 Most in demand are lunai and billfishes from the longline fishery, 

 which ore here shown being examined by buyers. Laboratory techni- 

 cians ottend the auction to collect biological data on a random 

 sample of the fish. 



