— 57 — COUNCIL - MARCH 1920 - REPORT 

 III. Meeting of Plankton Section. 



First sitting: Wednesday, 3rd March, 1920. 11.30 a. m. to 1 p.m. 

 Present: Messrs. Stanley Gardiner, E. J. Allen, H. J. Buchanan Wollaston, G. P. Far- 

 ran, Gran, Ostenfeld. 

 Professor Gran was elected Chairman. 



Professor Ostenfeld reported on the work done by the Bureau since the 

 last meeting in September 1913. 



See Proc. Verb. vol. XXI, pp. IX— X, vol. XXIV, p. X, vol. XXV, p. 6, 

 and vol. XXVI, p. II. 



Further he drew the attention to the following two points: 



1. In May 1914 the Plankton Department sent out to the participating 

 countries a circular asking their opinion as to the desirability of, that the Plankton 

 Department should undertake the examination of plankton samples collected by 

 the different countries, acting as a kind of centre for the identification of plankton 

 organisms. 



This circular was answered from most of the participating countries, but 

 on the whole not in favour of the proposal. Yet it was the intention to take the 

 matter up to discussion on the next Council meeting, but owing to the war this 

 question has been abandoned. 



2. The Plankton Department has not much information, if the plankton 

 investigations proposed for the spring 1914 according to the resolution No. 15 

 of the meeting of the Council in September 1913 have been carried out. No reports 

 of these investigations have been received. 



With regard to the second point it was now reported that Norway had 

 made collections at two coast stations, England had made 3 cruises and Denmark one. 



In addition to this statement Professor Gran reported on his experimental 

 work on the metabolism of the sea (cultures of phytoplankton) and Dr. Allen 

 referred to the contents of his last paper (Journ. Marine Biological Association, 

 Vol. XII, No. 1, 1919). 



A general discussion followed of the desirability of investigating the oxygen 

 content of sea water and determining the hydrogen ion concentration. It was 

 agreed to recommend the carrying out of such investigations. 



Professor Stanley Gardiner then laid before the meeting a typewritten 

 memorandum (given p. 71) dealing generally with "The Physicochemical conditions 

 underlying Life in the Sea." 



This matter was discussed and the proposals given therein were recommended 

 for adoption, especially with regard to the study of the organic matter dissolved 

 in the water. 



Some further general discussion then followed. 



(Signed) C. H. Ostenfeld. 



