The Committee considered proposals put forward by Professor Hans 

 Pettersson, which were as follows : — 



It is proposed that future investigations of the deep ocean bed by means of new 

 technique, developed during the war years, shall be organized on an international 

 scale in order to prevent overlapping of individual efforts and in order to concentrate 

 the work on problems of outstanding importance. 



As problems of this nature, falling within the realm of geophysics, the following 

 may be mentioned : — 



A. Deep coring in the deeper basins of the oceans and also across and near 



ridges like the Central Atlantic Ridge ; also along lines converging 

 towards active or recently extinct volcanoes, and towards atolls and 

 areas where recent elevation or subsistence of the ocean-bed is suspected ; 

 also along the continental slope of regions like the " De Geer " line and 

 near broken off mountain chains. Special attention should be given to 

 coring along border lines between different kinds of sediments. 



B. Measurements of the thickness of the sediment by means of echo-sounding 



in the above localities, and also where former land connections are 

 suspected. Especially needed are comparisons of the thickness of the 

 sediment in the Atlantic Ocean as compared with the Pacific Ocean, 

 which may supply evidence for or against Continental drifting. 



C. Measurements of the geothermal gradient in the basins and the deeps, 



especially where the rate of sedimentation may be expected to show very 

 low values. 



D. Suggestions for the biological programme in deep-sea research — 



(1) Design of experimental apparatus (grabs, &c.) for the investi- 

 gation of the bottom fauna. 



(2) The study of the invertebrate fauna in great depths. 



(3) The microfauna of the detritus layer. 



(4) Metabolism in animals living at temperatures below zero. 



(5) Quantative study of animal associations on the oceanic slopes. 



(6) The fauna of the abyssal plains and deeps. 



(7) Pelagic micro-organisms. 



(8) Ecology of the foraminifera. 



(9) The nutrition of deep-sea organisms. 



It is recommended that work on similar lines to the above should be 

 undertaken by any oceanographic institute that may be founded in the 

 future. 



The Committee considered a proposal put forward by Dr. R. B. 

 Seymour Sewell for the foundation of an Institute of Oceanography for 

 the study of the Indian Ocean, which was as follows : — 



In the report of the Preparatory Commission (Natural Sciences Committee) 

 of UNESCO {vide Science and UNESCO : International Scientific Co-operation, 

 page 33) it is recognized that " Those carrying out work for the International 

 Council for the Exploration of the Sea should be associated with UNESCO as well 

 as with FAO," and they further recognized that Asiatic waters have never been 

 covered. It was to remedy this great gap in our knowledge that at the meeting of 

 the Committee on Oceanography and Fisheries of the British Commonwealth 

 Scientific Conference, held at the Royal Society's Rooms in June-July, 1946, I 

 suggested the formation of an Institute of Oceanography for the Indian Ocean, 

 and the Committee passed the following resolution : — 



" The Specialist Committee urges on the Governments of the countries 

 bordering the Indian Ocean the desirability of close co-opex-ation in studying the 

 oceanography of that ocean. It suggests that such co-operation might be greatly 

 facilitated by the establishment of an Institute of Oceanography in a suitable 

 location, under the joint control and support of the Governments concerned." 



(Unfortunately at the present moment certain of those Governments 

 are in a state of flux, notably India and the Dutch East Indies.) 



By the recommendations of the Sub-Commission on Natural Sciences of the 

 General Conference (1946) of UNESCO, the Secretariat is instructed (in para. 10, 

 (h) ) " to explore the possibility of the foundation of new international laboratories," 

 one of which is specifically mentioned — namely, (/;) Oceanography and Fisheries 

 of the Indian Ocean. 



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