CONTENTS 



Page 



Abstract U1 



I. Introduction 1 



II. Area of Study 3 



III. Procedures 7 



IV. Results .. 81 



General 81 



Sediment Texture _ . 81 



Inferred Bottom Current (Neocurrents) 



and Sediment Movement . 81 



Benthic Organisms 87 



V. Discussion 88 



VI. Acknowledgements 91 



VII. References .___..... 92 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Frontispiece: USCGC ROCKAWAY (WAGO 377) 



Figure 



1. General bathymetry of the Wilmington submarine canyon area — 2 



2. Track of the USCGC ROCKAWAY (WAGO 377) during cruise RoS„ 



4-10 December 1967 5 



3. Direction and distance of drift on photographic stations and location 



of free-fall cores - 6 



4. Photographs of camera-rig used on cruise RoS L . 8 



5. Typical "pinger-traces" of camera-rig during descent, bottom photog- 

 raphy near the sea-bed, and ascent as indicated on PESR record 9 



6. Diagram illustrating the relative dimensions of the main components 



of the camera-rig used on cruise RoS 2 10 



7. Chart illustrating the distribution of the texture of surface sediment 



as determined from bottom photographs of the Wilmington sub- 

 marine canyon area 82 



8. Patterns of recent current movement in the region of Wilmington 



submarine canyon 83 



9. Distribution of major groups of organisms affecting bottom sediment 



on the shelf and slope of the Wilmington submarine canyon area . 84 



10. Distribution of major groups of organisms affecting bottom sediment 

 on the shelf and bathyal regions in the vicinity of Wilmington 

 submarine canyon 85 



Photoplate 1-34. Bottom photographs obtained in the Wilmington sub- 

 marine canyon area during RoS 2 . 



