INI'RODDCTION 



During the IGY, minor programs in marine biology were carried out by 

 many of the institutions participating in the oceanographic program. The 

 gathering of this information resulted less from a concerted effort than 

 from a universal recognition of the importance of such measurements at the 



present time. This program produced a rather large amount of data on pri- 



14 



mary productivity obtained by the radiocarbon (C ) method^ on standing 



crop measurements by pigment analysis and on estimation of the plankton 

 biomass. 



In a joint endeavor with the Department of Botany of the University of 

 Hawaii, [Gi World Data Center A has assembled for the Pacific Ocean all the 

 data available at the Data Center plus some material compiled speciall;^ at 

 the University of Hawaii from ncn=IGY sources. For the Atlantic Ocean^ 

 only the IGY data and some post=IG¥ observations deposited with the Data - 

 Center have been presented. Nc data were reported from the Indian Ocean, 



Because of their significance and the difficulty of comparing plankton 

 results obtained with widely differing techniques, only the first two aspects 

 of this effort have been retained in this publication. 



Special acknowledgement is due to R, P. Cu2on du Rest- graduate student^ 

 A & M College of Texas, Department of Oceanography and Meteorology, whose 

 diligent efforts have greatly assisted in the preparation of this report. 



