REPORT ON OCEANOGRAPHY 21 



The results of all of this work are available in special publications 

 from the various institutions, State and Federal publications, and the 

 journals of the learned societies. 



A series of investigations on fish poisoning and poisonous fishes of 

 the tropical Pacific have been in progress at the School of Tropical 

 Medicine at Loma Linda, California. These studies emphasize the 

 necessity of toxic fishes and the nature of ichthyosarcotoxins. Lack 

 of such knowledge tends to hamper the economic development of the 

 shore fisheries of the tropical Pacific. 



VIET-NAM 



The 1949-53 period has been marked by a slowing of activities as 

 related to the constitutional modification arising from the transfer of 

 the Institute to Viet-Nam, and with the strife in the Territory, 



An increase in activities started in 1952-53, and a more marked 

 increase is expected in 1954. The Institute presently has two labora- 

 tory chiefs. There will be four in 1954. Temporary foreign researchers 

 are also requested for the laboratory. 



The work presented during the period was more particularly di- 

 rected toward the investigation of the flora and fauna of Viet-Nam. 

 A science Museum for this fauna containing actually 30,000 specimens 

 or 3,000 species has been established. Study of the fisheries has also 

 been overtaken, most particularly in the field of the technical knowl- 

 edge of fishing gear at Viet-Nam. 



The results of the work have been the subject of more than 20 pub- 

 lications of varying importance, appearing either in the publications of 

 the Oceanographic Institute of Nhatrang or in foreign publications, 



WESTERN SAMOA 



The observatory of Apia is under the control of the Department 

 of Industrial and Scientific Research, New Zealand. Investigations are 

 undertaken in meteorology, terrestrial magnetism, seismology, and in 

 more general fields such as tidal predictions. As far as oceanography 

 is concerned the Observatory records the heights and times of tides and 

 the daily sea temperature and density. These results are forwarded to 

 the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. The Observatory is also under- 

 taking some experimental work on a solar still for the New Zealand 

 Reparation Estates in Samoa. 



