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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  ECHINODERMA 
  

  

  " 
  Echinoderms 
  were 
  extraordinarily 
  abundant. 
  On 
  looking 
  

   through 
  the 
  clear 
  ice 
  one 
  could 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  sea 
  bottom 
  was 
  almost 
  

   completely 
  covered 
  in 
  placed 
  with 
  echini." 
  

  

  OSTRACODA 
  

  

  " 
  Ostracoda 
  were 
  also 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  raised 
  marine 
  muds." 
  

  

  MOLLUSCA 
  

  

  " 
  Mollusca 
  are 
  well 
  represented 
  by 
  several 
  forms 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   more 
  important 
  were 
  an 
  Anatina 
  and 
  Pecten 
  colhecki. 
  The 
  large 
  

   gastropod 
  NeobucciTvam 
  must 
  occur 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  ." 
  

   The 
  pectens 
  were 
  nearly 
  4 
  inches 
  in 
  width, 
  and 
  hundreds 
  of 
  valves 
  

   were 
  found 
  iu 
  the 
  upthrust 
  muds. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  Mollusca 
  were 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  upthrust 
  muds 
  : 
  

  

  Chitons. 
  Valvatella 
  crebrilirulata. 
  

  

  Pecten 
  colbecki. 
  Loveuella 
  antarctica. 
  

  

  Thracia 
  meridionalis. 
  Lepeta 
  antarctica. 
  

  

  MISCELLANEOUS 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  above 
  invertebrates, 
  brachiopods 
  (Lyothyrina) 
  , 
  

   Polyzoa, 
  starfish, 
  ophiuroids, 
  and 
  holothurians 
  are 
  mentioned 
  as 
  

   being 
  common. 
  

  

  DIATOMS 
  

  

  "An 
  extremely 
  important 
  constituent 
  of 
  all 
  these 
  muds 
  are 
  of 
  

   course 
  the 
  diatoms. 
  In 
  fact, 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  organisms 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   mentioned, 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  us 
  at 
  present 
  that 
  probably 
  the 
  most 
  im- 
  

   portant 
  contributions 
  to 
  the 
  organic 
  deposits 
  on 
  the 
  floors 
  of 
  these 
  

   seas 
  are 
  the 
  diatoms, 
  the 
  siliceous 
  sponges 
  and 
  the 
  foraminifera." 
  

   In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  marine 
  diatoms 
  there 
  are 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  fresh- 
  

   water 
  diatoms 
  on 
  the 
  continent 
  itself. 
  

  

  Vastly 
  more 
  data 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  sort 
  as 
  that 
  given 
  above 
  could 
  be 
  

   brought 
  forward 
  both 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  Arctic 
  and 
  Antarctic 
  marine 
  

   faunas 
  and 
  floras 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  cold-water 
  life 
  elsewhere. 
  Anyone 
  caring 
  

   to 
  pursue 
  the 
  subject 
  further 
  can 
  consult 
  the 
  numerous 
  reports 
  of 
  

   expeditions 
  to 
  the 
  far 
  north 
  and 
  south. 
  

  

  As 
  is 
  natural, 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  factor 
  condition- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  well-being 
  of 
  marine 
  animals 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  food. 
  As 
  shown 
  in 
  

   the 
  ultimate 
  analysis, 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  food 
  resolves 
  itself 
  into 
  the 
  

   presence 
  or 
  absence 
  of 
  phytoplankton. 
  In 
  the 
  sea, 
  microscopic 
  plants 
  

   furnish 
  food 
  to 
  the 
  smaller 
  invertebrates, 
  which 
  in 
  turn 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  

   higher 
  organisms, 
  or 
  the 
  plants 
  themselves 
  may 
  serve 
  directly 
  as 
  food 
  

  

  