9 



Preface 



The International Investigation of the Sea, in which all the countries bordering 

 on the North Sea or the Baltic, as well as in the future also the United States 

 of America, take part, had in July 1912 been in operation for ten years, and the 

 International Council decided therefore, at a meeting in September of the same 

 year, that a Memorandum should be drawn up by the Bureau, with the assistance 

 of special experts, concerning the organisation of the Investigation of the Sea, its 

 programme and the work carried out in all the fields of activity which it embraces. 



The compilation of such a Memorandum in concise form has proved a 

 matter of considerable difficulty, as the work done has been of a very varied and 

 comprehensive nature, extending over a period of ten years, and a region of sea 

 including large parts of the Atlantic from the Arctic Circle to the coast of Africa, 

 the North Sea and the Baltic, with the waters between them ; even the Mediterr- 

 anean having at times to a considerable extent been made the scene of observations. 



It has therefore been considered advisable, in drawing up the present 

 Memorandum, to describe in rough outline the work done in the different directions, 

 together with the results which may be said to have been obtained. It is anticip- 

 ated that those desirous of more closely studying the results of the work of the 

 International Investigation of the Sea during the past years, will find all the 

 necessary material in the considerable amount of literature which has been publish- 

 ed since the commencement of the work. 



