NO. 9 MARINE INVERTEBRATES, ALASKA — MacGINITIE 3 



standpoint of collections of invertebrates were those of the Yukon 

 (U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey schooner) under the leadership 

 of Dall (1880) and the Corzvin under Captain Healy (1884 and 



1885). 



These investigations were much less intensive than those of the 

 Danes about Greenland; they were too spotty, and the animals col- 

 lected were sometimes so poorly preserved as to be of little value. 

 Such expeditions can give only a general picture of the fauna, and 

 the research is usually more oceanographical than biological or ecologi- 

 cal in character. 



Only through continued intensive work in a small area can any- 

 where near an accurate picture of the fauna of a region be obtained. 

 The present work was undertaken for the purpose of obtaining as 

 much information as possible on the fauna of Point Barrow. As this 

 is about midway between the areas that have been investigated to the 

 east and to the west, it was a strategic locality for the study of 

 circumpolar distribution of species, and the extension of our knowl- 

 edge of the Arctic marine animal population and its environment far 

 to the westward. 



The work was carried out through the facilities of the Arctic Re- 

 search Laboratory, which was maintained by the Office of Naval 

 Research under contract with the Institute for Cooperative Research, 

 a branch of the Johns Hopkins University. 



LOCATION, GENERAL SURROUNDINGS, AND FACILITIES 



The Arctic Research Laboratory is located within the base camp 

 maintained by the Arctic Contractors (Arcon), who were under con- 

 tract with the U. S. Navy to explore some 37,000 square miles of 

 oil reserve. The personnel of the camp, both Navy and civilian, were 

 very cooperative, and much of what was accomplished could not have 

 been done without their aid. 



The base is located 6 miles southwest of Point Barrow and 4.5 miles 

 northeast of the village of Barrow at approximately latitude yi°2o' N. 

 and longitude i56°4i' W., 4°5o' above the Arctic Circle, and 1,325 

 miles from the North Pole. It is on the beach at the edge of a great 

 tundra plain, and no elevations over 10 feet are visible in any direc- 

 tion. The ocean there has no tide. The weather is stormy, but there 

 is no snow for perhaps three months, though there may be flurries 

 in July and August. There are about two months of perpetual day- 

 light in summer and about two of perpetual darkness in winter, except 

 for twilight at noon. There was plane service three days a week be- 



