10 EIGHTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS 



Islands since 1948. Hydrological and biological programs have been 

 carried out, and oceanographic observations have been made between 

 Australia and the Islands, each year, by the relief vessels. The Expedi- 

 tion is to be extended to the Antarctic mainland in the Australian sector. 



The biological oceanographic studies have been concerned with de- 

 veloping the unutilized or little utilized aquatic organisms. This includes 

 the discovery of the stocks, fishing tests, life histories, and identification 

 of tuna, clupeoids, carangids, and archibenthic fishes, as well as help 

 surveys. 



The Division of Fisheries of the Commonwealth Scientific and In- 

 dustrial Research Organization carries out a research program in Hy- 

 drology and Planktology at its Cronulla headquarters, and at five field 

 stations. This work includes sampling at various coastal stations in 

 eastern and western Australia, which has revealed the hydrological cycles 

 at various latitudes, and a long term trend in the properties and produc- 

 tivity in Eastern Australian waters. 



In the fisheries, studies have been made of stock identification, life 

 histories, natural fluctuation, and effects of fishing. These fisheries in- 

 clude barracuda, salmon, humpback whale, western crayfish, sea mullet, 

 scallop, school shark, tiger flathead, white bait, and other indigenous 

 fishes. 



Considerable work has also been done on the acclimatization and 

 culture of rock, pearl and Japanese oysters, the introduction of fresh- 

 water trout, and the enrichment of inland waters. Estuarine ecology 

 has received some attention with a view to increasing fish production. 



No institution in Australia gives special training in oceanography, 

 but the Department of Zoology in a few Universities gives lectures on 

 marine organisms and ecology; and there are small research projects on 

 marine animals for post graduate students. 



CANADA 



A series of surveys has been undertaken for about 500 miles of the 

 coast to examine the currents and the properties of the water to a depth 

 of 1000 metres. This area of British Columbia is where the North Paci- 

 fic drift divides, part flowing north to form the Alaska gyral and part 

 south to form the California current. Coupled with the Marine Life 

 Research Surveys off the coast of the United States, this work provides 

 for the first time a realistic picture of the detail of this great divergence 

 which has been recognized for a long time. The currents are weak (less 

 than 10 miles per day) and mostly eddies. 



The salinity structure is definite and appears to be permanent. 

 There is an upper zone of low salinity water to about 100 metres depth, 

 a deep zone of greater salinity, separated by a boundary or transition 



