REPORT ON OCEANOGRAPHY 13 



war survey of the Discovery Committee. The properties of the water 

 and the plankton were observed. It appears that there may be a source 

 of deep, very sahne water in the Tasman Sea moving eastward, counter 

 to the circumpolar drift. 



In 1950, H.M.S. Challenger made an extended cruise across the 

 Pacific Ocean. Echo soundings, temperatures, and water samples were 

 taken to 3500 meters depth. The bottom morphology and submarine 

 geology were studied by samplers and seismic methods. Magnetic obser- 

 vations, plankton hauls and bird observations were also made. 



HAWAII 



The Department of Zoology in the University of Hawaii maintains 

 a biological station from which studies of the surrounding seas are con- 

 ducted. These are particularly concerned with the occurrences and 

 catching of white bait. Recent researches have shown that tuna are 

 attracted and induced to school by certain extracts of tuna and other 

 fish. This is a major discovery which may well revolutionize the fishing 

 techniques. 



HONGKONG 



A Fisheries Research Unit has been set up within the precincts of 

 the University of Hongkong. Financed from Colonial Development and 

 Welfare Research funds, the Unit is housed in the Northeast Science 

 Building. Such also contains the Departments of Biology and Physics. 



The Fisheries Research Unit is staffed by a Director, a Chief Scien- 

 tific Officer, and three Assistant Scientific Officers. A steel-hulled modi- 

 fied timber on the diesel power is under construction as a research ves- 

 sel and will be launched under the name of "Alister Hardy" on 27 No- 

 vember 1953. 



The research programme of the Unit is in course of formulation, 

 and researches on (i) the biology of three of the most important com- 

 mercial species of fish, (ii) the biology and pond cultivation of grey 

 mullet, (iii) the methods and organization of freshwater fish culture, 

 and (iv) the occurrence and distribution of freshwater and reservoir 

 algae have been initiated. These will be supplemented by a preliminary 

 oceanographic programme as soon as the research vessel has been com- 

 mended. 



INDIA 



While not one of the Pacific nations, oceanographic investigations 

 in India will be of importance in the immediate future because of the 

 Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. Until recently, very little attention has 

 been given to oceanographic investigations. The Government of India 



