FIGURE 12.— Measurement of trace element content of sea 

 water by atomic absorption spectrometry. 



Chemistry of the Ocean 



Studies of the chemistry of the ocean are fundamental 

 for understanding the relations among chemical features, 

 water masses, and life in the sea. Broad research includes 

 basic studies to supplement information on the properties 

 and movements of water masses. Also significant are the 

 organic constituents of sea water and marine organisms. 



Our marine geochemists have adopted new techniques 

 for the determination of nitrate-nitrite and for analyzing 

 carbohydrate. Accurate measurement of trace elements will 

 increase their ability to identify water masses, to trace 

 oceanic circulation, and to determine the processes that cause 

 the distribution of elements. Use of atomic absorption spec- 



FIGURE 13.— Biological oceanographer sorts zooplankton to 

 identify species and determine their abundance. 



trometry (fig. 12) permits large volumes of sea water to 

 be examined for jn-ecise measurement of rare elements — 

 at concentrations of a part per billion or less. These trace 

 elements help identify the distinct water masses that may 

 influence the movements of salmon. 



— 9 — 



