ADMINISTRATION-REPORT 1902-03 — XVIII — 



described; a brief account may now be given of the organizing and com- 

 mencement of the real work of the study of the sea. It is too soon at the 

 end of the first year to talk of results gained by the cooperative work, espec- 

 ially as this short report only purports to be a business one; nevertheless, as 

 soon as the separate states have published their annual reports, and the reports 

 of the committees etc. of the International Council are to hand, it is intended to 

 publish a detailed report over the whole work. For the moment, the following 

 summary may suffice. 



The A. The hydrographical work 



Hydrographical 



^Crui'seslT' ^he first seasonal cruise was carried out in August 1902. On the 12'^ 



Bulletin No, I August 1902 the Bureau of the International Council sent a circular (No. 1), con- 

 taining preliminary proposals for the forms to be filled up during the cruises, to 

 the directors of the expeditions in the various countries. The following states took 

 part in this first cruise, Finland (Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland), Sweden (The 

 Skager Rak and Baltic), Denmark (The Belts and Kattegat), Germany (The Baltic, 

 Belts and North Sea), Scotland (North Sea and North Atlantic), Norway (North 

 Atlantic) and Russia (Arctic Sea). The protocols were received at the Bureau 

 from the 1^* of October to the 19*'' of December. 



These were published in the first (August) number of the Bulletin, which 

 was ready in the beginning of February and appeared immediately after the form 

 chosen for its publication, had been approved by the International Council on the 

 M^ February. 



In the meantime, the second seasonal cruise had taken place in November, 

 and in this Holland (North Sea) was also engaged. 



For this seasonal cruise some further directions were given by the Bureau 

 in a new and somewhat more detailed circular (No. 2) ; in January blank forms 

 were sent to the directors of the expeditions for use during the third seasonal 

 cruise. In these not only the head-lines, directions etc., but also the blank sheets 

 for filling in the observations and results, were placed at the disposal of the workers. 

 These forms are now being used in all the countries. In a circular (No. 5) sent 

 out at the end of April, some rules to be followed by the various states were 

 proposed by the Bureau, in order to secure a certain amount of uniformity in the 

 publication of charts and sections. 



