158 OCEANOGRAPHY 



have shown that the problem of uptake of radioactive isotopes in aquatic or- 

 ganisms is complicated by the fact that these elements are accumulated by 

 various means other than ingestion, that some are concentrated, some are trans- 

 ported by vertical or horizontal migrations, and that there appears to be no 

 correlation between uptake and concentration of single isotopes. 



Although mass mortality or gi-oss somatic damage to marine organisms has 

 not so far been observed, no one knows what may be the eventual effect of pro- 

 longed exposure to small amounts of added radiation. Whether the assumption 

 that levels not demonstrably harmful to man are safe for "lower forms of life" 

 remains to be established so far as most marine organisms are concerned. Life 

 history, morphological, physiological, and genetic studies are obviously needed. 

 These' require laboratory facilities especially designed for rearing marine forms, 

 and few indeed are the places where such work is possible. 



Another problem causes concern to the biologist, this is the procedure of 

 measuring activity from an entire collection of bottom forms or planktonic 

 organisms. The importance of determining the accumulation of various ele- 

 ments by different species of plankton cannot be overemphasized, for it is known 

 that for every element there is some species that will especially concentrate 

 it. Finally, I would like to emphasize that if it were not for the living organ- 

 isms in the sea we would have far less concern for its use as a receptacle for 

 wastes of all kinds. 



(3) The third category to illustrate the role of biology in an expanded pro- 

 gram of marine research, I have called simply greater understanding of the 

 living world. Of the 28 or so well recognized phyla of animals, only a scant 

 half dozen have succeeded in colonizing the land. This means that the great 

 majority of different kinds of animals live in the sea. The diversity of body 

 forms, the myriad adaptations to different habits and habitats, but withal the 

 underlying unity of living processes have profoundly influenced our conception 

 of the origin and evolution of life. I need only to mention the theory of organic 

 evolution to illustrate the impact of significant ideas upon the mind of man. 



Study of marine organisms has contributed greatly to further understanding 

 of many biological phenomena. Much of the basic knowledge of the function 

 of nerve tissue has come from studies on the giant nerves and ganglia of the 

 squid, of the inhibitory fibers in the lobster, of neurosecretion in worms and Crus- 

 tacea. The field of immunology and serology got its start in studies of the sting 

 of jellyfish and sea anemones. Investigation of animal toxins from various 

 fish, sea cucumbers and moUusks is an active field in pharmacology. Examina- 

 tion of the minute, submicroscopic structure of the diverse kinds of muscle cells 

 from coelenterates and other lower invertebrate animals helps to clarify our 

 knowledge of the origin and differentiation of muscular tissues. Most important 

 contributions to understanding the phenomena associated with fertilization and 

 activation of eggs has come from studies on the lowly sea urchin. These and 

 the eggs of other marine animals have provided material for greater insight 

 into the process of cell division and its control. 



Whereas considerable progress has been made toward understanding bac- 

 terial diseases of some fish, e.g., the Pacific salmon, that no marine invertebrate 

 suffers from cancer is a mystery not yet explored. 



Paramount among the contemporary research interests in aquatic biology 

 are problems concerned with the forming of aggregations of organisms, of popu- 

 lation structure and dynamics, of interactions between species, of the phe- 

 nomena of light production, underwater sound, communication, and navigation. 

 On some of these topics I am sure you will hear in more detail from Dr. Galler. 



This brief resume of the interests and kinds of research in marine biology is 

 meant to highlight the range and diversity of studies directed toward greater 

 understanding of life and living processes. Such a wide variety of investigation 

 requires a very large number of scientists and they represent all sections of 

 our country. As I emphasized earlier many i)roblems of aquatic organisms 

 can best be studied in bodies of fresh water where environmental variables may 

 be more subject to control. Biologists have long had the habit of going to the 

 shores of the sea to carry out their research and the institution known as 

 the marine laboratory has played an important role in fostering and making 

 possible the advances in hydrobiological knowledge. 



Continuing and increasing research in aquatic biology depends in the last 

 analyms upon three things :(1) facilities, (2) support, (3) manpower. 



The studies of life cycles, physiological activities, and genetics of marine 

 organisms, so sorely needed to solve pressing pi-oblems in waste disposal, pro- 

 ductivity, etc., can be carried out only where laboratories exist that are able 



