APPENDIX 335 



the physiology of deep-sea and other oceanic animals ; the 

 investigation of marine algae, both coastal and planktonic ; 

 marine bacteria ; bio-chemical investigation of the meta- 

 bohsm of the sea (this is perhaps the department of ocean- 

 ography which deals with the most fundamental problems 

 and which is most in need of immediate investigation) ; the 

 question of the abundance of tropical plankton as compared 

 with that of temperate and polar seas, the distribution and 

 action of denitrifying bacteria, the variations of the plankton 

 in relation to environmental conditions, the factors which 

 determine uniformity of conditions over a large sea-area 

 from the point of view of plankton distribution, the supply 

 of the necessary minimal substances such as nitrogen, silica, 

 and phosphorus to the living organisms, and the determina- 

 tion of the rate of production and rate of destruction 

 of all organic substances in the sea — ^these are some of the 

 fundamental problems of the metabolism of the ocean ; 

 all of them require investigation, and bear, directly or 

 indirectly, upon the harvest of the sea for man's use, just 

 as agricultural researches bear upon the harvest of the 

 land. 



(2) In the appropriate departments of chemistry observa- 

 tions are required on the temperature, salinity, and chemistry 

 of sea-water, the hydrogen-ion concentration, and the 

 source and distribution of nitrogen in the sea. 



(3) In the department of physics there is need for investi- 

 gation of meteorological problems, the distribution of 

 oceanic temperature, atmospheric electricity, long-distance 

 transmission of electro-magnetic waves, and other problems 

 of wireless telegraphy at sea. The study of the variation 

 in the force of gravity over the great ocean basins is also 

 suggested, and bears upon the problem of the figure of the 

 earth, and the density of materials of which it is composed. 

 It may be stated here that such an investigation might need 

 to be carried out on a larger and steadier ship than that which 

 would most probably be detailed for the expedition. On 

 the other hand, there is no reason why the whole of the 

 investigations associated with the expedition should be con- 

 fined to a single vessel, for the opportunity might be made 

 for collateral investigations on other vessels in the ordinary 

 course of navigation. Similarly, the investigation of the 

 phenomena of tides, one of the most urgent on the physical 



