during the period 1948-54. In 1955 the Saltonstall-Kennedy 

 funds made possible the full-time operation that lasted until 1959, 

 when she was decommissioned. During that period of service 

 she made 128 cruises, most of them to Georges Bank and adja- 

 cent waters. In 1951 -52 the Albatross III was loaned to "WHOI 

 for trans -Atlantic hydrographic cruisesT' 



The principal activities of the Albatross 111 that were 

 started in 1948 were concerned with a census of groundfish on 

 the New England banks. The results of these surveys provided 

 a basis upon which prediction of abundancy are now being made 

 to the fishing industry. 



The determination of natural mortality and growth rates, 

 essential in all population studies, formed an essential part of 

 this research. Prev^ious investigations conducted by the Bureau 

 showed the necessity of protecting small haddock (two years old 

 or less) from destruction, which during the war years reached 

 enormous proportions. It was estimated that at least 17 million 

 baby haddock were killed during this period and discarded on the 

 New England banks by the otter trawl fleet using small (three- 

 inch) mesh nets. 



William F. Royce, Chief of North Atlantic Fisheries In- 

 vestigations, became Director of the Laboratory in 1948. Part 

 of the Laboratory was set aside for shellfish investigations under 

 Galtsoff. The number of investigators working at Woods Hole 

 year-round was materially increased. The following principal 

 projects were carried out: effect of otter trawling on producti- 

 vity of the bottom by Royce; study of the population of haddock 

 by H. Schuck; and abundance and yield of groundfish by A, 

 Perlm utter. Seven other investigators and fishery aids were 

 engaged in various phases of fishery research. A small number 

 of independent investigators used the facilities of the Laboratory: 

 H. C. Tracy and his associates continued a study of the develop- 

 ment of nervous system and behavior in larval and young toad- 

 fish; Dr. and Mrs. J. Lein of Syracuse University studied the 

 clotting mechanism of lobster blood; A. Goldstein and Dora 

 Goldstein of Harvard University Medical School investigated 

 the cholinesterase in marine bacteria and invertebrates. Eugenia 

 Galtsoff of George Washington University, in cooperation with 

 P. S. Galtsoff, made experiments in transplantation of toadfish 

 embryos (Galtsoff and Galtsoff, 1959). 



In 1949 Albatross III completed 23 cruises before being 

 laid up from January to May because of the shortage of funds. 

 The main research project for which the ship's operations were 

 required concerned the haddock fishery and movements of had- 

 dock on Georges and Browns Bank. The effect of the commer- 

 cial catch on changes in the size and composition of the stock 



95 



