157 



probloms cnn be -tt^cked without long voyages. This r-ae-ns " locr- 

 tion whor.^ the nearby waters offer a maximum variet^.^ of biologicaj , 

 physical, ■ nd chemical phenomena: it demands coastline and bottom 

 varied in topo,a;ra-phY, with deep w.tcrs ^s well as shoa] clos-. at 

 hand- with large rivers m the vicinity to illustrate the effects 

 of groat contrasts of s-linity from fresh water to full ocean 

 strength. It also implies - situation so far north th"t ther>a is a 

 wide seasonal variation, both in temperature, and in salinity, to 

 offer m.aterial for studies on f^o relative effectiveness of dif:"er- 

 ent environmental determinants. It is rao-t desirable th-^t the near- 

 by waters should also show a wide regional variation in circulation, 

 especially in the degree of turbulence. And the vicinit" of some 

 one of the groat oce-^n currents, especiall-^ if this differed widely 

 in its physical chr^racters from the local co^st waters, would offer 

 opportunitiv^s for important studies. 



Allied to t^'is i/^st desideratum is th-^t of reason'^ble proximitv 

 to the transition zonu between co-st and ocean waters, and to t^-^e 

 edge of the continent, so th-t the deep basin c-n easily bo reached. 

 On t^-^ other h"nd, it is essential th t- the station be wit^'in eas'^ 

 reach of nrotoctod waters, "s well as of exposed, to enable wor'- 

 of various aorts to be carried on from sm-^l^ boats in a 1 1 we-thers. 

 The biologic phase c^n be sirved only if t^e loc"l fauna -nd flora 

 be rich and varied: "nd it would best be served in f^e vicinit-'- of 

 nroductive sea fisheries to provide mass nateri:^! and data. 



The reouir^.ment of convenience to educational ciiuters at once 

 bars any site on the Atlantic coast of North America to the north 

 of 'leva Scotia on the one hand, or to f-^e south of the mouth of 

 Chesapeake Bav on the other. 



The practical and geographical requirements equ-^lly confine the 

 choice to the mid-coast sector of the continent. Thus to the north 

 of Nova Scotia ice would prevent, or at least hinder oceanographic 

 work in winter and spring, while the inconvenience of access from 

 inland p-rts of the continent would m^ke it out of the question to 

 establish the central institution either in the m-rritirae provinces, 

 in Newfoundland or anyi.vhere to the north of the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence. On the other i^and, the su.ramer dim/ te to the south of Ches- 

 apeake Bay is too hot: furthermore, this co-st line is too monoton- 

 ous to answer the specific requirements, no matter how desirable in- 

 vestigation of special problems there m_ay be. And any site to the 

 south^of Cape Hatter'-^s would f-11 within t>^e hurrican belt, adding 

 risk to work at sea during a 1-rge p'-rt of the vear. 



Within the sector between Chesape^-ke Bar and Nova Scotia, t^- e 

 intellectual reauirements can be met onlv at some site wit^^in e; sy 

 reach either of Was'-^ington, Baltimore, New vork^phlfedBlphia arPostch. The 

 first three, are, however, so far inland that they could not serve 

 as convenient headauarters for the continuous explorations in the 

 open sea that may be expected to prove one of the institution's 

 most fertile activities: hence they may be eliminated without fur- 

 ther comment. There would be obvious dr-^wbacks to the choice of 

 a site near New York, not only in the imnossibllity of procuring a 

 satisfactory,' site with good anchorage, -nd witP facilities for docks, 

 etc. for a reasonable price, but (more fatal still) in the pollution 

 of f-^e local waters, "S well as m the monotonv of the coastline for 



