NO. 9 MAEINE INVERTEBRATES, ALASKA — MacGINITIE 189 



than do such regions as Greenland and Iceland. The waters around 

 Greenland are showing much more effect of the warming of the Arctic 

 that is taking place at present than are the waters around Point Bar- 

 row for, as far as could be determined, no changes have taken place 

 in the Chukchi Sea comparable to those around Greenland, where 

 the cod, for instance, has migrated i,ooo miles northward. 



In both Greenland and Iceland there are fjords and rocky shores 

 that provide habitats for different types of animals — a condition in 

 contrast to the open water around Point Barrow and entire absence 

 of any shore fauna. The total absence of macroscopic algae (ex^ 

 cept for about two species in Elson Lagoon) excludes certain animals 

 from the Point Barrow region. 



The investigation at Point Barrow extended only a few miles out 

 from the base; whereas the work along east Greenland covered an 

 area from the 6oth to beyond the 77th parallel of latitude, including 

 the intensive investigation of many fjords in addition to ofif shore 

 dredging. The Icelandic investigations covered the entire coast as well 

 as offshore work. 



Despite the differences in ecological factors and extent of the in- 

 vestigations, in regard to time, depth, and territory covered, the num- 

 ber of animals found at Point Barrow compares very favorably with 

 those from Greenland and Iceland, as the following table shows. 



Table 9. — Comparison of the fauna of Point Barrow, east Greenland, 



and Iceland 



Number of species 



» ^ 



Animal Group Point Barrow East Greenland Iceland 



Priapulids 2 3 3 



Sipunculids 2 6 6 



Echiuroids 2 2 2 



Brachiopods 2 5 9 



Amphipods 100 IS3 181 



Pelecypods 38 ? 88 



Prosobranchs 70+ 84 132 



The amphipods from Iceland were collected from the surface down 

 to depths of about 1,250 feet, and a few in deeper water. Most of the 

 dredging at Point Barrow was done at depths of less than 200 feet, 

 only 14 of the 65 stations exceeding 200 feet, and 8 exceeding 300 

 feet, and the greatest depth being 741 feet. 



Table 10 gives the approximate number of species of animals in 

 each group, the number of new species if known, and a general idea 

 of the extension of range of the species. In several of the groups the 



