BIGELOW: COAST WATER EXPLORATION OF 1913. Boy 
Were the macroplankton of the Gulf uniformly distributed at all 
depths from surface to bottom, this table would sufficiently establish 
the relative richness of different regions in plankton, and hence in food 
for the pelagic fishes. But unfortunately such is not, the case (p. 290); 
hence to get a fair idea of the regional density of the plankton the less 
exact evidence of the ordinary tow nets must be used to check the 
results of the quantitative hauls. 
J VOLUMES OF HORIZONTAL HAULS. 
Station Fathoms ee. Station Fathoms ee. 
10087 15 560 10097 25 750 
40 125 85 500 
10088 80 ae 10098 20 30 
10089 2 10099 20 i, 130 
10090 20 1500 10100 25 500 
a 90 250 70 100 
10091 20 875 10101 25 100 
10092 36 300 10102 20 125 
85 100 50 100 
10093 26 500 10103 30 175 
85 200 10104 15 675 
10095 20 175 50 200 
10096 20 ovo 10105 40) 150 
The depth is the level at which the major part of the haul was 
made. 
| This table shows that at every station where the hauls were made at 
wo intermediate depths, the deeper invariably yielded the smaller 
folume of plankton. At first sight this difference might be laid to the 
jse of different nets, the mouth area of the Helgoland net, which was 
sually used for the deeper haul, being only about 50% of that of 
he four foot net (the same grade of silk was used in both). But at 
ation 10092, where the nets were reversed, the catch of the Hel- 
land net was three times as great as that of the four foot net. 
ind even allowing for the different sizes of the nets, the shallow haul 
still considerably the richest at six of the eight stations. Appar- 
tly the plankton was usually densest in the upper layers, and decidedly 
‘poverished below, say, forty fathoms. On the other hand the sur- 
tee water was usually barren, except at Stations 10092, 10093, 10096, 
097, 10100, and 10103, but the surface hauls are not directly com- 
