50 



the settling technique is employed in connection with the inverted microscope. 

 This method is regarded as the most reliable by workers in these countries. 



NEW METHODS OF SAMPLING THE NEKTON 



Midwater Trawl - It is certainly true that the sampling of nekton at mid-depths 

 is extremely baffling but extremely desirable to attain. It will be recalled that 

 only one specimen of the 5 ft. primitive fish, Latimeria, originally caught in 

 1938 by fishernmen off the coast of Africa has ever been obtained,* although 

 great interest was aroused by the taking of this specimen and a reward has been 

 offered for the capture of any other specimens. There are thus evidently large 

 fish at nnid-depth about which we know little or nothing. Midwater trawling is 

 also being developed in European water. 



Mid-depth purse seining for codfish is being used on a large and expand- 

 ing scale in the spring fishery at the Lofoten Islands off the northwest coast of 

 Norway. The seines are ZOO fathoms long, 40 fathoms deep, and have a Z inch 

 mesh. When the fishing boat has located a concentration of cod by means of its 

 echo sounder, it shoots its net in a wide arc. When the circle has been com- 

 pleted, the whole net is sunk by means of extra weights to a depth that is deter- 

 mined by the length of the lines from the top of the net to large buoys. The bot- 

 tom of the net is pursed up immediately, the extra weights are cast off, and the 

 net in the form of a hemisphere floats to the surface. The seine is then short- 

 ened until the fish can be dipped out. As much as 100 tons of fish may be taken 

 in one haul. This method of mid-depth fishing should be tried out in other wa- 

 ters in conjunction with the sonic location of fish. 



SAMPLING BENTHIC ORGANISMS 



I would like to make further mention of the latest design of the Holme's 

 bottom sampler. This instrument has two cutting cylinders that operate in op- 

 posite directions. When the instrument reaches the bottom and the cutting cyl- 

 inders start to operate, the thrust of one works against the other, thus minimiz- 

 ing the tendency of the instrument to be displaced. With only one cutting cylin- 

 der, the instrument may be slid along the bottom instead of having the cutting 

 edge dig in as it should. Good success has been obtained with a commercial 

 type clam shell bucket and also with an orange peel dredge in work undertaken 

 fronn Woods Hole. 



MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENTS 



Self-contained Diving Units - In August 1951 an expedition left Lowestoft, Eng- 

 land, for the Mediterranean. In the exceedingly clear water of the Mediterran- 

 ean on light-colored bottoms, it was planned to use commercial otter trawls 

 and to photograph their action underwater by means of self-contained diving 

 units. Any photographs or moving pictures obtained by this expedition will be 

 extremely valuable in determining the effective size of the mesh, the height and 

 position of the net in fishing on the bottom, and the action of the foot rope in 

 digging up the bottom, and hence possibly destroying the food organisms there. 



* - Editorial note: Since this paper was written, an additional specimen, 

 in better condition, has been taken. 



