The Immediate Tasks of Marine Mierobiology 497 



and oceans. Only very generalized data have so far accumulated 

 concerning the socalled geological activity of microorganisms, 

 which cannot satisfy marine geology and geochemistry, that try 

 to reveal particular features in the transformation of organic 

 and mineral components into various types and layers of bottom 

 deposits. 



Hydrology has also areas of contact with microbiology in 

 which, as in the border areas of other sciences, new possibilities 

 arise for the solution of problems of interest to both branches of 

 science. 



More and more examples accumulate, indicating the possi- 

 bility of utilizing microbiological data for a study of the dynam- 

 ics and origin of water masses, and for indicating deep currents 

 which are poorly defined. 



Technology which finds it important to take into account the 

 role of microorganisms in the coiTosion of metal and concrete 

 structures in the sea, in fouling of the submerged parts of ships' 

 hulls and industiual equipment utilizing sea water, makes de- 

 mands on microbiologv. Microbiological studies indicate that 

 building materials miglit possibly be destroyed as a result of the 

 activity of microorganisms. It has also been established tliat bac- 

 teria, rapidly settling on the surfaces of objects in the sea, favor 

 the formation of biocoenoses of animal and plant-fouling com- 

 munities, interfering with the efficiency of exploitation of ships 

 and industrial equipment. But the data concerning the extent to 

 which microorganisms participate in corrosion and in the pro- 

 cesses of fouling are far from sufficient, and a quantitative 

 knowledge of this kind is absolutely essential if efficient measures 

 of prevention of these phenomena are to be evolved. 



The qualitative knowledge of microbial biocoenoses of seas 

 and oceans is insufficient. The lists published of the species of 

 microorganisms, isolated from the sea water, gixe knowledge of 

 only a very small part of the microscopic inhabitants of the sea, 

 which are able to develop on artificial nutritive media under 

 laboratory conditions. These, predominantly heterotrophic micro- 

 organisms which metabolize only easily assimilable organic sub- 

 stances even from the point of morphology, do not reflect the 



